Chapter 2

Later, I found out Linda had called him in tears, because Nora wouldn't sleep unless Uncle Charles told her a story.

So he went over to Linda's place, sat at Nora's bedside, and spun three bedtime stories until she finally drifted off.

Meanwhile, I waited alone in the pouring rain for two hours, soaked to the bone, and finally called a cab to take me home. That night, I came down with a fever that lasted three days.

When he finally showed up with the medicine, he said, "Why didn't you tell me sooner? If I'd known you had a fever, I would've rushed over right away."

I said, "It's fine, really. I'm okay."

He pressed his hand to my forehead and let out a sigh of relief.

Then he sat down at the edge of the bed and started talking about how cute Nora was, how hard it was for Linda to raise her alone, and how, as her uncle, he needed to be there for them even more.

I leaned back against the pillow, just watching his profile.

Back then, I tried to convince myself he was just being kind.

Maybe he was so kind that he never even noticed me.

Back at our place, I started packing up my stuff.

Honestly, there wasn't much to pack.

Turns out, there was way less of me in this house than I ever realized.

Just a few clothes, my skincare stuff, and a stack of books.

And there was the necklace Charles gave me for my birthday last year.

He shrugged and said, "I just picked it out randomly. Not sure if you'll like it."

I took it out of the jewelry box, stared at it in my palm for a couple of seconds, then tossed it straight into the trash without a second thought.

On the coffee table in the living room, our framed photo was still sitting there.

Beside it sat a honeymoon schedule and a half-finished wedding prep book.

I tore them up one by one, crumpled them into balls, and tossed them into the trash bag.

The next day at noon, I turned on my phone and saw a dozen missed calls all from Charles.

I called him back.

"Evelyn," Charles called out.

His voice sounded completely worn out and desperate. "Where are you? I spent the whole night looking for Nora. She was hiding by the cemetery, crying her eyes out, and I..."

"Let's break up," I said.

There was a three-second silence on the other end.

"Evelyn, listen to me," Charles said. "Nora's just a kid; she doesn't really get it.

"When she's calmed down, I'll bring her over to say sorry.

"We'll throw another wedding, way grander than this one, alright?"

His voice was full of reassurance and exhaustion, but not even a trace of guilt.

Same as always.

He really thought a "I'll make it up to you someday" was all I needed.

"Charles," I said.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"Don't bother with another wedding," I said.

My voice was as calm as it had been yesterday in the makeup room.

Maybe even calmer.

And this time, I didn't even have to say 'It's fine.'

"Evelyn, I'm sorry," Charles said. "About the wedding, I promise I'll make things right."

I held my phone, but my mind was already drifting away.

Make things right?

I didn't need that.

Maybe I was silent for too long.

Charles was getting anxious, and his impatience was starting to show.

"Evelyn, don't throw a fit," he said. "I already explained everything to everyone yesterday, and this morning I went and apologized to all the parents.

"Just give me a little more time, alright?"

"Don't bother," I said.

"What?" Charles asked.

"I said, you don't owe me an explanation," I replied.

I paused, then added, "It's not me you should be explaining things to."

There was silence on the other end.

I said, "The bridesmaid who woke up at four a.m. just to help me into my dress. She deserves answers.

"My parents and relatives who flew in from miles away, lugging their suitcases straight to the hotel. They deserve to know why.

"All the guests, the flower girl, the emcee, the hotel staff. Every single person out there...

"You owe them all an explanation."

"Evelyn..." Charles said.

"Charles, I don't need your explanation. Because for me, what you owed me was never about a wedding," I said, keeping my voice steady.

I took a deep breath, my fingers hovering over the screen. "It was you, breaking your promises day after day.

"It was you, turning away like it didn't matter, every single time.

"It was you, making me eat cold dinners alone for three years, waiting for someone who never showed up.

"So, tell me, how are you supposed to make up for any of that?

"Let's break up. I'm not just saying this out of anger."

I didn't stick around for his answer.

With a quick swipe, I sent Charles's number straight to the blacklist.

The world went quiet.

I thought I'd cry.

But I didn't.

I just sat there on the floor, staring at the half-packed suitcase in front of me.

Suddenly, I felt so drained that I couldn't even feel sad anymore.

The sky outside was fading into dusk.

I picked up my suitcase and stepped out into the night.

I moved into a short-term rental apartment.

It was small, just a one-bedroom, one-living-room place. The lighting wasn't great, but at least it was quiet.

The living room was full of stuff that hadn't been put away yet, so I started tidying up, taking my time.

My phone was on the coffee table, and the screen lit up for a second.

It was a message from Linda.

I'd forgotten to block her.

Or maybe I never even thought about it.

Honestly, I wasn't even worth being her enemy. All she had to do was cry a little, and Charles would drop me in a heartbeat just to comfort her.

I tapped on the message.

The moment the screen lit up, my fingers froze.

In the photo, Linda was draped in the wedding gown that was meant for me.

That elegant French strapless dress, its delicate tulle cascading in layers behind her.

The dress I painstakingly tried on three times to get the perfect fit. Now it was hugging her curves instead.

She sat before the makeup room mirror, a victorious smile tugging at her lips.

And then, the text appeared.

[Evelyn, I'm really sorry.

[This is all on me, and Nora honestly didn't mean to cause any trouble.

[I totally get why you're upset. If I were in your shoes, I'd be mad too.

[Please, can you find it in your heart to forgive us?

[Nora and I are heading to Paradise Isle for a month, just to get away and clear our minds.

[I promise, for the next month, I won't bother you or mess with your wedding plans with Charles.]

I stared at those words for a long time.

Paradise Isle.

I closed the message and opened my email.

Before the wedding was called off yesterday, I'd gotten a copy of the flight confirmation.

I was the one who booked the flights and the whole honeymoon itinerary.

I opened the email.

Where it used to say "Eve & Karen," now it read "Lena & Nora."

The hotel confirmation was the same.

In the room upgrade notes, Charles had added a line last week: [Honeymoon setup, please arrange rose petals and champagne.]

Now, those rose petals and champagne were for Linda and Nora.

I turned off the screen and set my phone face down on the floor.

Outside, the sky was getting darker, and the fading evening light slipped through the curtains, landing right on the half-open zipper of my suitcase.

I wanted to laugh, but my lips just moved. No sound came out.

It wasn't sadness.

It was something weird, like I'd finally realized something I should've figured out three years ago.

Charles didn't forget about me.

He just never saw me as someone who mattered.