Chapter 1
With just a week left until the wedding, Aiden shaved off all my long hair while I was sleeping.
That evening, Zaria showed up with her alluring curls, offering an apology.
"I'm so sorry, Mazie. I was joking with Aiden, telling him I shaved my head to become a nun. I never thought he'd try to comfort me by not only shaving his own head but also yours."
Aiden probably expected a big reaction from me, so he quickly moved to protect her.
"It was all my idea. Zaria had nothing to do with it, so don't blame her," he insisted. "Besides, hair grows back. We can just wear wigs for the wedding, don’t you think?"
What Aiden didn’t know was that I no longer intended to marry him. My parents had recently found me and asked me to join them overseas. I had just bought a ticket to fly to France.
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After eight years together, I didn't want our parting to be filled with unnecessary drama, so I kept my thoughts to myself, simply watching him in silence.
"Mazie, I realize I didn't think this through..."
His voice faded as he reached for my hand, his head bowing under the weight of my silence.
Then, as if on cue, Zaria stepped forward, her lips forming a pout.
"Mazie, don’t be upset with Aiden," she pleaded. "You're about to get married soon. Why argue over something like this now? And didn’t he shave his head too?"
Looking at her feigned innocence, I found it all quite ironic.
My expression seemed to sting Zaria, her face turning pale before she adopted a wounded look.
"Mazie, do you want me to shave my head too? Is that what would make you happy?" she asked, eyes misty with tears as though I was the one who’d initiated all this.
"Sure," I replied with a faint smile, focusing on her shiny, dark hair. "Since you feel like shaving it, go ahead. You started this whole thing, after all."
Zaria was caught off guard by my words, her breath momentarily stopping. She hesitated for a brief moment before regaining her composure.
She picked up the scissors from the table, tears brimming in her eyes as she looked at Aiden.
"If it makes Mazie happy, I’m willing," she declared, her voice firm but her face displaying exaggerated sorrow.
Just as she was about to go through with it, a strong hand grabbed the scissors from her grip and tossed them onto the floor with a loud clatter.