Chapter 2

The waiter knocked politely and called out cheerfully, "Excuse me. Here comes the birthday cake. Oh, by the way, the video you requested is playing on the big screen outside. Everyone can go take a look."

I walked out.

The video started with a song. Then came Sophie's bright, smiling face. "Honey Bear, this is a little keepsake for you."

She was taking a selfie with Ryan in the background, head down, looking at his phone. "The first time I met Ryan," Sophie said.

I still remembered it. That time, Ryan and his friends had gone to the beach.

I'd just gotten home when I heard the news, and I rushed over to find him. He was surprised and happy, spinning me around on the beach.

He told me that once we graduated, we'd get engaged. Later, he got busy with work, and I was busy with my graduate school life.

Every time I brought up getting engaged, he'd just brush it off. He always said to wait, that things weren't stable yet, and he couldn't give me the kind of life I deserved.

The video was packed with well-wishes. I recognized every single one of them—Ryan's friends. Now, they were all sitting here in that room.

"Congrats! I was there too. Ryan was so embarrassed. He couldn't even look up," one of them laughed.

"Man, that's romantic. Ryan must be totally smitten by you," another chimed in.

But just a couple of days ago, they called me. "Emma, Ryan's drunk. As his future wife, can you come pick him up?"

Next up was the amusement park. They were both making silly faces at the camera.

"The pendulum ride was insane! Ryan kept insisting he was too scared, but he still went on it with me—and even the roller coaster," Sophie said.

Tears welled up in my eyes.

I'd always wanted to go to the amusement park. At first, Ryan always said he was too busy. Said he had projects to finish and meetings to prepare for.

He'd give me that pitiful, puppy-dog look. "Next time, I promise I'll go with you!"

Later, he said that going to an amusement park in our twenties was kind of embarrassing, and besides, he was afraid of heights, so he couldn't even go on any of the rides. He said it was just a waste of time.

"Ryan made me a whole feast," Sophie said.

The warm yellow glow spilled over the dining table, piled high with mouthwatering dishes.

"He told me he'd never cooked before, but from now on, he'd cook just for me," Sophie said.

In the video, Ryan was serving food for Sophie. He glanced at the camera, his smile a mix of exasperation and affection.

"I promise that I'll never let Sophie cook or do the dishes at home," Ryan said. "Here, try this. Next time I'll make you something even better."

I clenched my fists.

Ryan never set foot in the kitchen. He always complained that cooking was a waste of time and that doing the dishes would just mess up his hands.

Every single time, I was the one slaving over the stove, waiting for him to get home.

So he could cook after all. And he was actually good at it. But he never even considered cooking for me.

The last shot was the photo of their marriage license. "We're married!" Sophie announced.

In the photo, Ryan was grinning like he'd just won the lottery, and Sophie's eyes were curved in pure happiness.

That was the end of the video.

Anyone watching would say they were the perfect couple. If that man hadn't been Ryan, maybe I would've smiled and wished them well.

But he cheated on me, and everyone I trusted turned their backs on me.

That was when it hit me. Every time I brought up getting engaged or married, he'd always hesitate. Even when I told him I could handle the house, the car, and all the wedding costs myself.

All I ever wanted was a straight answer. But every single time, he just kept putting it off.

"The company's still in its early stages. Getting engaged now would just take up too much of my time," he'd say. "Just wait a little longer, Emma. I'm just not ready for marriage right now."

I waited for thirteen years. I waited for him to make it big and to finally have the career he always wanted. And in the end, he went and got married to someone else.