Chapter 1
On the day I wrapped up my overseas assignment, I snuck back home on a thirteen-hour flight without telling Ethan Carter.
A few days ago, Ethan and I had a big argument.
Ethan kept telling me to stay overseas and focus on my career, but I wanted to come home and marry him.
Right before I boarded the plane, he was still trying to talk me out of it over the phone. "Emma, don't give up your future for me. As long as we love each other, marriage doesn't matter."
I made my final decision after I heard those words.
As soon as I landed, I headed straight to a jewelry store to pick out an engagement ring and then called my best friend, Sophia Quinn, to tell her about my plan to propose.
On the other end, Sophia was trying to calm a crying baby, her voice full of frustration. "Emma, seriously, wake up. You've been in a long-distance thing for five years, and he's still stalling on marriage. Face it. He doesn't want to marry you.
"Marriage is where love goes to die. I'm losing my mind taking care of this kid, but it's way too late for regrets now."
I was about to argue back when I spotted Sophia coming out of a baby store, holding her kid. "My husband's here to pick me up. Talk to you later."
She hung up in a hurry and waved at someone in front of her.
A black Mercedes pulled up right in front of her.
The door opened, and a man took the baby from her, gently patting and soothing the child like it was second nature to him.
The sunlight slashed across his profile, making my eyes ache.
The man Sophia had secretly married for two years was, incredibly, Ethan, my boyfriend of five long-distance years.
My hands were shaking as I called Ethan, my heart pounding with anxiety.
If he didn't answer, then maybe everything I saw wasn't real.
Right then, the guy holding the baby took out his phone.
Ethan paused for a few seconds, then finally hung up.
Just then, the call on my phone connected.
I was standing around the corner behind them, and I could hear every word they said.
"Honey, it's your turn to change the diapers tonight. I've been holding Charlie all day. My arms are about to fall off," Sophia said.
She was always so independent, and for the first time in all these years, I saw her being so sweet and needy.
Ethan kissed her forehead, his voice as gentle as ever. "Thanks a lot, babe. Go home and get some rest."
His words crushed the last bit of hope I was clinging to.
The ring box in my hand felt like it was burning, as if it was mocking me for all those years I'd been so foolish.
Sophia had been secretly married for two years, never showed off her husband online, but she was always urging me to dump Ethan.
Every time I brought up marriage with Ethan, he always had some reason to stall.
He said he did not want to hold my future back and told me to move forward boldly.
Now I finally understood that what he meant by not holding my future back was that he'd already married Sophia and had a kid with her.
As the car started moving, Ethan sent me a message.
His words looked serious, but he was still talking to me like I was his girl. [I was in a meeting and couldn't answer. Don't stay up late to call me, okay? Be a good girl.]
After five years of long-distance, Ethan knew the time difference like the back of his hand, and his excuses always sounded flawless.
Countless nights, Ethan would drag himself out of bed in the middle of the night to video call me, with nothing but darkness behind him.
I felt guilty making him stay up so late, but he'd always reassure me it was fine.
He never complained, always encouraging me to chase my dreams abroad.
Thunder cracked overhead, and the rain poured down, mixing with my tears.
My phone rang. It was Sophia. "Emma, tomorrow's Charlie's first birthday. You're my best friend, so don't forget to send a birthday gift.
"My husband and I both loved the present you sent for his one-month milestone."
Every word she said was like a knife twisting in my heart.
The rain kept falling, and so did my tears.
Tomorrow would have been the tenth anniversary of Ethan and me, the day I planned to pop the question.
Back at the hotel, I called Ethan five more times, desperate to hear him explain himself.
But he kept hanging up on me.
On the sixth try, he finally answered, but I could hear the impatience in his voice. "Emma, I told you to get some rest. Whatever it is, we can talk about it later."
My voice came out hoarse as I asked, "Tomorrow is our tenth anniversary. Do you have any plans?"
There was a heavy silence on his end.
I waited for him to finally admit he'd married Sophia and waited for him to finally tell me why he'd been lying to me all these years.
But all I got was another excuse.
"Sorry, Emma, I've been swamped at work lately and totally spaced on our anniversary," Ethan said. "I've got to work overtime tomorrow, so I can't video call you. But I swear, I'll fly over to be with you tomorrow."
Even now, he still couldn't tell me the truth.
I didn't press him any further.
I deleted my request to return home and submitted a new application to stay overseas. There wouldn't be a next year for us.