Chapter 2

I recalled the day we went to get his wedding tuxedo fitted. Michael had insisted on something understated, saying he disliked anything too flashy.

At the time, I hadn't thought much of it. After all, his style had always been low-key and crisp.

But now, he stood before the mirror, meticulously styling his hair and applying cologne. He looked more polished, more handsome, than I had ever seen him in all our five years together.

They said people dressed to impress the one they cared about.

I had always admired his easy, uncomplicated nature.

Now I saw the bitter truth: I had never been that person in his heart.

Michael took his time selecting an outfit, finally settling on a custom-tailored suit.

He was tall and well-built. Dressed in that suit, he took on the radiance of a finished work of art.

Yet, the heartbreaking truth was that none of this radiance was meant for me.

I had always hugged Michael before he left, but this time, I remained seated, silently watching him walk out the door.

Michael didn't even seem to notice the broken ritual. He left with a cheerful smile on his face.

My gaze drifted over the wedding decorations, over the vibrant red rose petals scattered across the bed. It was everything I had ever dreamed of.

But now, with it all laid out before me, a cold wave of doubt washed over me. Would Michael and I ever truly be happy?

Just then, a soft chime sounded from the computer in the study.

I got up and walked to the study. The computer was on, and I saw that Michael had not logged out of his Messenger.

The last message was from Jessica.

A treacherous voice hissed in my mind. "Click. You'll find out if the man you love is lying to you."

I fought against the urge. I tried to convince myself it was just an old friendship, that he would still be my groom the next day. Reading his messages would be a violation of his privacy, something I should never do.

But the memory of Michael's strange behavior eroded my resolve. In the end, my doubts overpowered my scruples.

My finger moved. A single click of the mouse opened his chat window with Jessica.

Jessica: [Michael, Room 601. I'll be waiting.]

Just then, as if on cue, a new reply from Michael appeared, syncing in real time from his phone.

Michael: [Jessica, tonight will be perfect. I'll make sure you have no regrets.]

Almost instantly, Jessica's reply flashed beneath his, the words vibrating with eager anticipation.

Jessica: [Michael, I can't wait. I wish you were here right now.]

A white-hot fury shot through me. It took all my willpower not to storm over to the hotel and confront them right then.

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed Michael could speak that way.

The Michael I knew would grow flustered after a simple kiss.

But with Jessica, he was someone else entirely.

He had kept accusing me of not trusting him, but now I saw he was just lashing out because I had called him out.

The story about her cancer was nothing but a pretext.

They were rekindling an old flame.

A cold, rational voice in my head outlined a clear path: Go to the hotel. Catch them. Expose him. Call off the wedding. Humiliate him utterly.

But another part of me, the part that had loved him for five years, still clung to a shred of hope.

So I just sat there, numb and motionless before the computer, watching the minutes crawl by.

Outside was midsummer, but inside I was shivering, marooned on a vast and frozen plain.

By one a.m., the silence in the room was absolute. The sole source of light was the computer screen, its pale glow reflected in my dry, bloodshot eyes.

I knew Michael would not be coming home tonight.

All around me, the room was filled with wedding decorations, each one a testament to the happiness that had seemed so within reach.

But Michael had shattered it.

Suddenly, my phone screen glowed to life in the darkness.

I unlocked it. A photo filled the screen: Jessica, her face flushed, was nestled against Michael's bare chest, wearing a look of utter satisfaction.

A moment later, a flurry of messages followed.

Jessica: [Thanks, old friend, for being so understanding and letting Michael comfort me tonight. You're truly magnanimous.]

Jessica: [Michael's such a sweetheart, just like always. He didn't hesitate for a second when he heard about my wish.]

Jessica: [I heard you're getting married tomorrow. Early congratulations! I'll probably never see this gorgeous version of Michael again. You don't mind if I keep him for the night, do you?]

The photo left little to the imagination. Seeing it felt like a hard slap across the face.

And Jessica's words, so blatantly taunting, felt like a knife twisting in my heart.

On the night before my wedding, my fiancé was with another woman.

The irony was almost unbearable.

I saved the photo as evidence.

A cold, mirthless laugh escaped me as I typed my reply: [What a devoted man. He's all yours now.]