Chapter 2

I nodded, then couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, I've thought about it. So, the wedding's canceled."

Andrew seemed confused. "What did you say?"

"I said, it's canceled," I repeated.

I turned to the shop assistant, my voice so steady it even surprised me. "Please pull up the payment records, the alteration history, and the fitting appointment for this main dress."

The shop assistant froze for a second, then instinctively looked over at Andrew.

I looked at him too.

"What?" I said. "It's my wedding dress. I paid for it. Now I can't even see the records?"

As soon as I said that, the two shop assistants exchanged a look and hurried off to get the tablet and the paperwork.

Charlotte finally looked like she couldn't stand it anymore. She grabbed her dress and took a step back. "Andrew, maybe I should change out of this."

"Do it," I said, locking eyes with her. "Now."

Her eyes instantly turned red, like she'd been wronged beyond belief.

But this time, I didn't have the patience to watch her put on a show.

A few minutes later, the shop assistant pulled up the system records.

The reservation was under my name.

The deposit was paid by me.

The final payment was made by me.

Even the rush alteration fee was paid by me.

I took the tablet, flipped straight to the payment page, and held it up in front of Andrew. "Did you get a good look? I picked out the dress, I paid for it, and I set the wedding date.

"You're using my things to patch up your regrets about your so-called soulmate, and you expect me to be the bigger person about it?"

Andrew looked like he wanted to say something, but hesitated. "Natalie, that's not what I meant."

"Doesn't matter what you meant anymore," I said.

I handed the tablet back to the shop assistant, then lifted the hem of my wedding dress so it wouldn't drag on the floor. "From now on, this wedding is on hold.

"As for the cancellation, settling the accounts, and figuring out who's responsible, I'll go through it all with you, one by one.

"And you..." I glanced at Charlotte, still halfway out of the wedding dress, my tone frosty. "If you crave the spotlight that comes from someone else's fiancé, that's your choice. But don't take it from my wedding."

With those words, I turned and walked out.

Andrew finally caught up, grabbed my wrist, and spoke in a low voice. "Do you really have to go this far?"

I stopped and turned to face him. "Andrew. You weren't hoping I'd be mature about this today. You were betting I wouldn't dare stand up to you."

His grip froze.

I slipped my hand out of his grasp, inch by inch.

"Guess what, Andrew? This time, you lost," I said.

When I stepped out of the bridal shop, the sun was blinding.

So bright it made my eyes sting.

Emily Carter, my bridesmaid, rushed out after me, shoving my phone and bag into my arms, her voice still trembling. "Natalie, are you really calling it off?"

I looked down and took the ring box out of my bag. It was so light, it felt empty.

"Yeah," I said. "I've been with Andrew for seven years. No way I'm wasting the rest of my life over this wedding."

I got into the car, turned the AC down as low as it would go, but my back was still slick with sweat.

Emily sat in the passenger seat, looking back at me a few times, like she wanted to say something but stopped herself.

I knew exactly what was running through her mind.

She was probably wondering if I was acting on impulse.

With only ten days left until the wedding, calling it off now meant dealing with all the loose ends: hotel, wedding arrangements, invitations, catering, jewelry, and favors. Every single thing needed to be sorted out.

But the real thing here was those seven years.

Not seven days, not seven months, but seven whole years.

I spent seven years with Andrew, starting in my early twenties, sticking by him as he went from nothing to everything he has now.

When we first got together, during his toughest times, I was always the one right there, helping him through every rough patch.

When he was burning up with a fever, I was the one who carried him down the stairs to the hospital in the middle of the night.

When he was struggling to switch jobs, I was juggling my own projects while helping him polish his resume and prepping him for interviews.

Later, when his job finally stabilized, and his salary went up, everyone said I'd finally come out on top.

But only I knew the truth. I wasn't waiting for Andrew to give me a happy ending. I genuinely saw all those years as our shared future.

So when Charlotte started showing up between us, I kept telling myself not to let it get to me.

Just because someone from his college days lingered in his mind, it didn't mean anything would happen.