Chapter 4

In the background was our apartment, and sure enough, Emily's knee was scraped, but it was nothing serious. A band-aid was enough to cover it.

Alex: [Lily, Emily got "seriously hurt," so I brought her back to our place to recover. She can't handle takeout, so once you're done with your parents, come home and cook for her, okay?]

I glanced at the coffee table, seeing Emily's favorite cherries laid out, and noticed the couch cushions were now in her favorite color.

Not even batting an eye, I calmly sent: [Let's break up.]

I put my phone on Do Not Disturb and set it face down on the table.

Back when my dad was in the hospital, I didn't want my mom to keep wearing herself out at the hospital every day.

Hence, I suggested to Alex, "Maybe my mom could stay at our apartment for a few days so she can get some real rest."

Alex brushed me off, his tone cold. "I'm not comfortable having other women in the house."

I spent three days trying to rationalize his behavior, convincing myself he didn't like being disturbed.

Now, he was moving another woman into our place.

After three years, I finally got what he meant by "other women."

To him, my mom was nothing more than one of the "other women."

And so was I.

Under the table, Ryan gently squeezed my hand.

He leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper, particularly for me. "Are you okay?"

I nodded in response.

Dad watched how we were getting along and smiled, clearly pleased.

When he smiled, the lines around his mouth were deep, and he still looked pale.

Ever since he left the hospital, he'd been pale, almost ghostly gray.

The doctors said that even though they'd saved him, the damage to his heart was irreversible.

He didn't have much time left.

When we were checking out, my mom pulled me aside and whispered, "Ryan hasn't been around much, but he's a doctor, so it's understandable he's busy.

"Now that we have finally met him, he seems like a good guy, who's thoughtful and attentive to you. If you can, settle things soon. You know your dad's health situation."

I opened her mouth, wanting to explain, "He's not..."

But the words caught in my throat, and I nodded my agreement. "Okay."

Having a fiancé I'd been with for three years was way more comforting than meeting someone new.

I told Ryan about it.

His hand stilled for a moment on the steering wheel.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

He didn't say anything, flicked on the turn signal and pulled over to the side of the road.

He parked by the curb, the windshield wipers swishing back and forth.

The silence in the car was so thick, I could hear his breathing. It sounded heavier than usual.

Ryan said, "You know, once we get that marriage certificate, we'll be each other's closest person. This isn't pretend, and it's not to help out in a crisis. It's for real, for life.

"Lily, I won't accept you having any more ties with Alex. Are you sure about this?"

I met his gaze.

He looked so serious, almost cautious.

And there was something else, which I'd never seen in Alex's eyes. Ryan genuinely cared about my answer.

"I'm sure," I said.

For a long moment, the silence stretched between us. I thought, 'He must have already turned me down, even if he didn't say a word.'

After all, who would ever take marriage lightly?

I watched the people passing by outside the window, and suddenly, I remembered a year ago, when Alex said he wanted to marry me. It was the same kind of evening, with rain on the window.

He had said, "Once I've got my career sorted, we'll get married."

But now, his career was more stable than ever, and we're drifting further and further apart.

He always said there was no rush, but my dad was the one who had been worried.

Ryan suddenly spoke, a hint of excitement in his voice that he tried to hide.

"Got everything ready?" he asked.

"Huh?" I asked in confusion.

"Getting married," Ryan clarified.

My heart skipped a beat. I looked at Ryan—he was handsome—and nodded quietly.

When the official seal was stamped on our marriage certificate, I was still in a daze.

It turned out that three years of my life could flip upside down in only three minutes.