Chapter 1
At the airport, I discovered something shocking.
My ticket was for Northgate. Meanwhile, Michael and his childhood sweetheart Lily were booked on the flight to Cyvera, with seats right next to each other.
Lily immediately explained through tears, "Michael asked me to book the tickets. It's all my fault. I must have mixed up the destinations and switched mine with Claire's."
The moment Michael heard this, he turned around and gently comforted her, leaving me standing there alone.
Watching the two of them move with such effortless understanding, I suddenly realized they were the ones who were meant to travel together.
I took off my wedding ring and threw it into the trash. Then I turned around and boarded my flight to Northgate.
I just let them enjoy their honeymoon.
I didn't want my husband anymore.
*****
The wheels of my suitcase rolled smoothly across the polished marble floor. With one hand, I linked arms with Michael, and with the other, I pushed my luggage, my smile impossible to hide.
This was our honeymoon, Cyvera, with its sun, sand, and endless blue skies.
"You seem really happy," Michael said, glancing at me.
His tone was as flat as ever, but I was used to it by now.
He was never one to show his feelings. Back when I was chasing after him, my best friend warned me that Michael was cold as ice. Even if I managed to thaw him out a little, he'd never really get warm, just lukewarm at best.
"Of course I'm happy," I said, looking up at him. "It's our honeymoon; our first trip together."
Michael nodded, but kept sneaking glances at his phone.
I didn't pay it any mind.
He was always busy with work, and even now, on our honeymoon, he couldn't completely escape it.
When we got to the airport, Michael asked for my ID so he could handle the check-in.
I felt totally at ease, just standing off to the side and watching his back as he took care of everything.
He was wearing a light blue shirt today, his tall figure standing out in the crowd.
From today on, he was the one I'd spend the rest of my life with.
Just thinking about it sent a sugary flutter through my heart.
Suddenly, a slender figure dashed over and threw herself at Michael, her voice soft and sweet. "Mike!"
It was Lily Summers, Michael's childhood friend, the girl next door he'd grown up with.
My heart skipped a beat, and my smile faded a little. 'Why is Lily here at the airport too? Could it be' I wondered.
"Lily? What are you doing here?" Michael asked, his voice a mix of surprise and warmth.
"I came to see you off!" Lily said, blinking her big, innocent eyes up at him.
She held out a cute little box, wrapped up all fancy. "I made these chocolates for your honeymoon. Make sure you try them, okay?"
As she spoke, her gaze slid right past Michael and locked onto me, a sly, meaningful smile curling at the corner of her lips.
"Thanks," I said, forcing a polite smile as I took the box.
But inside, my heart clenched, and I felt like I couldn't breathe.
Truth was, I never liked Lily.
Not even the first time we met.
The way she looked at Michael, the way she talked to him, and those "little things" that always managed to drag him away from our dates; they always made me feel like I had a bone stuck in my throat.
But Michael always said I was overthinking it, that she was like a little sister, spoiled since childhood, and a bit willful, that's all.
"Oh, Mike, did you get the boarding passes? Let me check them for you," Lily said as she moved closer to him, all casual and familiar.
Michael didn't see anything wrong with it and handed her one of the freshly printed boarding passes.
I pushed down the discomfort in my chest, telling myself, 'Whatever, she's just here to see him off. She'll be gone soon.'
It was my turn.
I handed my ID to the check-in agent.
Michael passed over his and Lily's IDs as well, saying, "Let's check in together, all three of us."
Wait, three people?
"Lily's coming too?" I turned to Michael, my voice a little tense.
Before Michael could answer, Lily jumped in, her eyes wide with innocent surprise. "Oh? Claire, you didn't know? I'm actually heading to Cyvera for work too.
"Mike said we could go together, so we'd have someone to keep an eye on each other. Didn't he tell you? Maybe he just forgot; you know how he is."
She cast a barely-there, wounded glance at Michael, like I was totally overreacting just for asking.
I turned to Michael, waiting for him to explain.
Michael frowned, clearly thinking I was overreacting. "Lily's company sent her to Cyvera for some urgent business, and the timing just happened to match ours.
"Since it worked out, I thought she could join us. Is that a problem for you?"
That last line came out with a trace of irritation in his voice.
She was just coming along? On our honeymoon? Seriously?
I could feel my anger bubbling up, ready to spill over.
I looked at Michael, but he showed zero guilt or discomfort, like it was no big deal, just business as usual.
"Mike, don't say that. Claire probably just wants you all to herself," Lily said, tugging at his sleeve, her eyes getting teary.
Lily lowered her voice, still clutching Michael's sleeve, her eyes shimmering with tears. "It's all my fault. Maybe I should just change my ticket?
"But I don't even know if there are any seats left, and the change fee is kind of expensive"
Her voice grew softer and softer, her eyes brimming with tears, playing the part of the considerate victim, like she was about to cry but still trying to be understanding.
"No need to change your ticket," Michael said, his voice softer than I'd ever heard as he comforted her. "The tickets are already set. We'll just go together. Claire isn't the jealous type."
As he said this, he shot me a look that was practically a warning, like he was silently telling me, 'Don't start drama. Just play along.'
In that moment, it was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over my head.
This was my newlywed husband.
On the very first day of our honeymoon, right here at the airport, he gave me that look in front of my eyes, all because of another woman.
The check-in agent finally broke the tense silence. "Here's your boarding pass, ma'am. Destination: Northgate. Please make sure you're at the gate on time."
Northgate?
I snapped back to reality and took the boarding pass. The destination was staring right back at me in big, bold letters: Northgate.
Meanwhile, Michael and Lily's boarding passes were for Cyvera. Their seats? Side by side, 15A and 15B.
And mine? 27C, all alone, headed for the icy cold of Northgate.
The air felt like it had frozen solid.
Michael noticed it too. His face fell as he grabbed my boarding pass, checked mine, then his own, his brows knitting together. "What the hell happened?"
"Ah!" Lily suddenly let out a startled gasp, covering her mouth as tears started streaming down her face. "I'm so sorry, Mike, Claire.