Chapter 3
After Lucas left, I didn't force myself to put on a brave face for the guests like I used to.
I took off my wedding dress, changed into regular clothes, and went straight home.
The house was still plastered with those wedding decorations, but now they felt like a cruel joke.
Just then, my phone buzzed with a notification. Alice posted something on her social media.
The photo showed Lucas's chiseled jawline, and I could make out a pair of delicate hands wrapped tightly around his neck.
Her caption read: [The one who drops everything for you, no matter when, is the one who truly loves you.]
Yeah, everything included me.
I was always the one left behind, and Alice was always the one Lucas chose.
Lucas's heart had probably belonged to Alice for a long time now.
Why was I so blind to something so obvious?
By midnight, Lucas still hadn't come home.
Back then, I'd always curl up on the couch, waiting for him to return.
But tonight, after stripping the room of every last wedding decoration, I went to bed early.
Lucas didn't come home until early the next morning, carrying the unmistakable scent of gardenia, the perfume Alice always wore.
He brought home my favorite beef, stealing glances at me as he spoke.
Lucas said, "Monica, if I'd gotten there any later yesterday, Alice would've really jumped.
"I know you were angry and said those things, but Alice's life was at stake. Alice and I grew up together. I couldn't stand by and do nothing.
"But don't worry, I promise, next time the wedding will go off without a hitch."
Every single time Alice pulled one of her suicide stunts, Lucas would say the exact same thing.
Alice had nearly jumped off a building, nearly thrown herself into a river, and nearly tried to slit her wrists.
But it was always just almost.
Did she ever actually go through with any of it?
If I was remembering right, out of ninety-nine suicide attempts, she didn't even end up with a single scratch.
Even after all that, Lucas still kept believing her.
In the boy who cried wolf story, people stopped trusting him after the third time.
But Lucas never had a single doubt about Alice.
But when I told him for the very first time yesterday that I'd die if he left me, he brushed it off as a lie.
"Monica, are you still mad?" Lucas asked.
His words brought me back to reality.
I kept eating, replying calmly, "I'm not mad."
In three days, I would leave this world for good.
Why should I care about anything between Lucas and Alice now?
Lucas stared at me, looking surprised and unsure.
After all, the last dozen times we argued, I'd give him the silent treatment for days.
Yesterday, I even said something dramatic like, "If you leave me, I'll die."
Lucas pressed his lips together, then pulled out a box and handed it to me.
"Monica, I heard girls love this brand of bracelets. I went out of my way to buy it before I came back," he said.
Inside the box was a delicate bracelet, adorned with pink gemstones and tiny diamonds that sparkled under the light.
Lucas watched me, his eyes shining with anticipation.
Every time he gave me a gift, I'd throw my arms around him and plant a bunch of kisses all over his face.
But this time, as I stared at the bracelet in the box, even my favorite beef tasted like nothing.
I put down my fork, took a napkin, and slowly wiped my mouth. Then I slid the box back to Lucas.
"I don't like it," I said quietly.
Anger flashed across Lucas's face, his brows furrowing tightly.
Lucas said, "Monica! Are you really going to keep fighting me on this? Is watching Alice die the only thing that'll make you happy?
"The wedding is just a formality. Does that really matter more to you than Alice's life?"
I quietly slipped off my watch and showed him my wrist.
"I never wear bracelets; they don't hide the scars I have," I said.
Five years ago, during our thirteenth wedding ceremony, Alice called and said she was going to jump into the river.
Lucas chose to walk away from me, just like always.
But the very next second, the massive chandelier came crashing down from above.
Glass shards flew everywhere, slashing me open and soaking my white wedding dress in blood. The deepest wound was on my wrist.
I clutched my bleeding wrist, desperately pleading with Lucas to stay.
But he only struggled for a moment before giving me an apologetic look.
"Monica, there are staff and guests here; you'll be okay. But Alice only has me," he said.
The scar had been on my wrist ever since that day, and it had never gone away.
Lucas froze, as if it had hit him what had happened five years ago.
He never even realized that from that day on, I always wore a watch and never put on a bracelet again.
Lucas looked a bit confused, stumbling over his words as he tried to explain.
"Monica, I didn't do it on purpose. I just thought the bracelet looked nice, and I figured you might still be mad about what happened yesterday," Lucas said.
He hurriedly snatched the box away, adding, "Next time, I'll get you a watch instead. Let's skip the bracelet.
"Oh, and I heard a friend's family has some kind of remedy for scars. I'll check with them sometime and see if it works for you."
I cut him off.
"No, I don't need it," I said firmly.
Some scars never really went away.
Sometimes it was better to keep them around; they reminded me of the things I did when I wasn't thinking straight.
Lucas went quiet, staring at me for a long moment before finally speaking.
"Monica, are you still mad? There's no way I could leave Alice alone," he said.
I shook my head, picked up my bag, and got ready to leave.
"I know. You two grew up together, and you treat her like a sister," I said.
After I said that, Lucas's expression darkened even more.
I didn't bother trying to guess what was on his mind. I walked out without another word.