Chapter 3

The tempo picked up, shifting from a classic waltz to a full-on Viennese Waltz. Ethan and Sabrina were practically glued together, spinning so fast across the floor that her dress was flying higher with every turn.

All these years, and she was the first one-month girlfriend who ever came back for seconds.

If I were cool, steady water, she was pure fire—always tempting Ethan to chase after whatever secrets were hidden deep inside him.

When the music finally ended, they caught each other's eyes and just cracked up, laughing like nobody else was around.

"Ethan, you really kept your word. You really showed up for me," Sabrina said, her eyes bright with emotion.

"Hey, you're the one who said you couldn't live without me. I'm just being generous," Ethan joked.

She punched his chest lightly with her fist. His old injury flared up, and he started coughing.

Her eyes were red as she reached out to pat his back, but he gently took her hand, dropped to one knee, and pulled something out from close to his heart.

The private room, which had been absolute chaos just seconds before, suddenly went so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Sabrina's eyes flew wide in shock. She slapped her hand over her mouth, completely stunned.

Inside the box was a ring so brilliant, its sparkle lit up the whole room.

The band was sky blue, scattered with diamonds like stars across a galaxy. The main stone caught the light like the heart of the Milky Way. It was dazzling.

For a moment, everyone forgot to breathe.

It was breathtaking—so beautiful, even more stunning than the stars above.

"You once showed me the Milky Way from the top of Snowpeak Ridge. Today, I'm bringing the stars down just for you," Ethan said, his voice full of emotion.

Sabrina was crying, nodding over and over, her tears catching the light from the huge diamond and scattering it into a rainbow of colors.

I stared at that ring for what felt like forever, unable to say a single word.

The shock hit so hard, my tired heart felt completely shattered—so broken that I knew it could never be whole again.

Suddenly, my stomach twisted in knots, the nausea so intense that I couldn't hold it back no matter how hard I tried.

Vera leaned in, her voice full of concern. "Are you okay?"

My chest and stomach were roiling so badly, I couldn't force out a single word—just completely overwhelmed.

I just waved her off, barely keeping it together as I steadied myself against the wall and slowly made my way to the bathroom.

The pain was so overwhelming, my vision went fuzzy, and suddenly it was like I'd been thrown right back to a month ago.

As our anniversary drew near, Ethan was restless—constantly fidgeting, like he wanted to say something but kept holding back.

When I finally asked, he asked me to design a ring inspired by the Milky Way.

Outside, I played it cool, but inside, I was practically bursting with joy.

He actually remembered. That night under the aurora, he said he'd bring down a star for me someday. Propose with it.

With the clock ticking, I didn't let myself pause for even a second. From the first sketch to picking out every single material, I handled it all myself—didn't trust anyone else with even the tiniest detail.

If a component's color was even a little off, I made them fix it. Everything had to be flawless.

Turns out, while I was dreaming of a proposal on our anniversary, he was just counting down the days until he could run back to her.

He crushed my love, took all my memories and the thing I'd poured my soul into. And he handed it over to her like it meant nothing.

"Hey, are you alright? Do you need to go to the hospital?" Someone kept calling out to me, snapping me back to consciousness.

Turns out, I'd actually passed out. Guess heartbreak can actually knock you out. Who knew.

I felt like I'd been out forever, every part of me aching, but really, it was just a few breaths, a couple blinks.

I pulled away from the stranger trying to help, took a deep breath, and walked out the door. I couldn't stay in there for even one more second.

As I walked past the private room, I saw Ethan and Sabrina locked in a passionate kiss with everyone cheering them on. She raised her right hand high, beaming like she'd just won the lottery.

I'd been waiting for a cab for half an hour. Nothing. Then Ethan finally came out, helping Sabrina along, supporting her carefully.

The early autumn air was chilly, and the trench coat I'd picked out was now hanging on her shoulders.

Running into me right after the breakup, Ethan looked awkward. "Hazel, her leg's acting up. The doctor totally gave me an earful last time we went in for a checkup..."

He stopped, realizing he'd let too much slip.

When I watched him squirm, my foggy brain finally pieced it together. They'd never really stopped seeing each other.

Their ride pulled up first. Ethan glanced at me. "See you."

I waved him off. "Hope I never see you again."

My words got lost in the wind, and he didn't even seem to notice.