Moonlight, Shadow, and Solitude

Synopsis

On the seventh anniversary of their relationship, Claire Kingston, who had just finished a ribbon-cutting ceremony out of town, flew back overnight and arrived at her fiancé Keaton James's company building. As Claire stepped out of the car, she spotted Keaton waiting for her at the entrance, a bouquet of roses in his hands and a gentle smile on his face as he walked toward her. All the exhaustion from her long day melted away as Claire smiled and walked toward him. But just as she was about to reach him, another woman suddenly slipped her arm through James's. He kissed her like it was the most natural thing in the world, then gave her the bouquet of roses. As they walked out of the office building together, Claire finally saw the woman's face clearly and her heart dropped. It was her best friend, Lily Warren. With their arms wrapped around each other, they walked away, leaving Claire frozen in place, staring after them in disbelief. She couldn't believe her eyes, her fingers trembling as she fumbled for her phone. James's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, his expression stiffening for a moment, then quickly shot Lily a warning look, silently telling her not to say a word. "Hello?" James's voice came through the line, and for Claire, it was like a slap of reality. Everything she'd just seen wasn't some twisted nightmare, but the cold, hard truth. "Where are you right now?" Claire asked, her voice flat and empty. "I'm still at the office," James's voice faltered, his words trailing off as Lily tickled him playfully. Instead of scolding her, James just nuzzled her forehead, his touch full of affection and indulgence.