Chapter 3
Jessica was secretly pleased. She packed more cheerfully.
She thought about what Felix had said, and her heart stirred with a wave of emotion.
She had her principles. But if he really wanted to sleep with her, she wouldn't say no. He was good-looking and gentle, after all.
Neither of them was married. A one-night stand was no big deal.
I silently watched them move the luggage out.
Then I called the wedding planner. "The wedding on the eighteenth of next month. Cancel it."
*****
I took it as a breakup.
I also contacted a real estate agent to sell the apartment meant to be out future home.
I'd split the sale proceeds with Felix. Back then, to make me feel secure, he had put only my name on the deed. Now that made things easier.
But ten years of love was hard to let go just like that.
*****
I asked my friend, Stacey Reed, to come with me to a newly opened amusement park in the next city.
When I was 20, I was broke. Now at 30, it felt like I was way too old for this kind of stuff.
That was my first time ever setting foot in one. Everything was so new and exciting that it took my mind off my frustrations for a while.
It should have been a wonderful day in my life. Then Stacey went to the bathroom. I waited outside for her.
Suddenly someone gave me a hard push from behind. I stumbled and almost fell.
A high-pitched female voice came from behind me. "It really is you, Amelia. What are you doing here?"
It was Jessica. Why couldn't she leave me alone?
"None of your business," I shot back.
She didn't seem to notice the coldness in my voice. "You're waiting for someone, right? I'm waiting for someone too. Feli. But don't get it twisted.
"The company sent us here for work. We saw the ads for this new amusement park opening. I happened to mention I'd never been to one. He insisted on bringing me here. He probably just felt bad for me."
I ignored her. I looked down and texted Stacey. I wrote: [Come out. We've got a fly buzzing around.]
As soon as Stacey came out, she saw Jessica buzzing around me.
Stacey understood right away. "Oh my, isn't this the intern who lived in someone else's future home after the wedding?"
Jessica's face changed. "Who are you?"
"It doesn't matter who I am." Stacey looked her up and down. "I'm just curious. You live in someone else's apartment, take her man, and you dare to parade around right in front of her. How thick is your skin?"
Tourists around them started to stare.
Jessica's face turned red. "I did not. Feli told me to stay there."
"Feli." Stacey mimicked her tone. "So chummy. Anyone who didn't know better would think he's your boyfriend."
"Too bad." Stacey drew out the words. "The deed has Amelia's name on it. And your Feli? He's just staying there too."
More and more people gathered. Some started whispering.
Jessica looked like she'd been put on blast in front of everyone. Her eyes turned red. She couldn't say a word.
Jessica felt humiliated and furious. What gave Amelia the right to say those things about her? Sure, Jessica had feelings for Felix. But she would never be the other woman.
Was it wrong to want a little warmth from him before he got married? Was it wrong to keep a few special sweet memories between him and her? She would leave once they got married anyway.
Felix came out and saw Jessica squatting by the roadside, looking all pouty.
He chuckled softly. He walked over and gently patted her head. "What's wrong?"
She didn't tell him about running into Amelia. Instead, she asked carefully, "Feli, you're getting married in two weeks. Do you think you'll regret it?"
He was stunned. He gave her head a helpless little tap. "What are you even saying? Amelia is the best person I've ever met.
"Marrying her is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. Why would I regret it?"
Then he realized that he and Amelia had been giving each other the cold shoulder for three days.
In ten years together, things had never been this tense between them.
She was supposed to be the one he would spend the rest of his life with. He guessed he should swallow his pride and go make it up to her.
Felix took out his phone and opened the chat with Amelia. The last message was from three days ago. The one he sent. It read: [Let's cool off for a bit.]
He typed a long paragraph. Then deleted it. He typed again and deleted again.
In the end, he just sent: [I'm sorry.] Only one gray check mark appeared.
He sent another: [Amelia, I'm in Riverdale. The fireworks here are beautiful. I want to bring you here.] Still only one gray check mark.
He started to panic. He tried every way he could think of to reach her. Every single one. She had blocked him everywhere.
Felix's hand trembled as he held his phone.
Only then did he realize. Amelia wasn't just angry. She was done with him. For real.
Just then, fireworks lit up the amusement park. Jessica grabbed his sleeve. She couldn't hide the amazement in her eyes.
With the crowd buzzing all around, a refund notification from the wedding planner popped up at the top of his phone screen.