Chapter 3

There would be no engagement photos, no guests, and no officiant.

There would definitely be no bride.

Jeffrey watched me quietly as I ate breakfast, something unsettled flickering in his eyes.

After a moment, he added, "After the wedding, let's go to Andyrian for our honeymoon. I remember you've always wanted to visit Doegandyn and Thands."

If this were before, I would've been so excited, probably already searching for travel guides and making plans.

After all, whenever I asked him to go on a trip with me, he always turned me down, saying work kept him too busy for vacations.

Now, I just kept eating my bread, not saying a word.

With no wedding, there would be no honeymoon.

Jeffrey gave me a startled glance, looked like he had more to say, but when he saw the clock on the wall, he rushed out the door.

He only said, "We'll talk when I get back."

I took the calendar from the fridge and, using a marker, drew a big X over the note that read: [Engagement photos.]

There were twelve days to go.

After breakfast, I started packing up my things and clearing out stuff we didn't need anymore, including a photo album with barely five pictures, a projector gathering dust, and matching pajamas that never saw the light of day.

Five years together, and every item in this apartment was something I picked out, little by little, turning an empty place into the warm home it is now.

But now that I think about it, Jeffrey never really used most of these things.

He always said that even in a relationship, he was still his own person, and he didn't like couple items. He said they made him feel trapped.

I shook off those thoughts and kept packing.

After I left, he would just see all this stuff as clutter. It was better to clear it out now.

I might as well toss out all the memories along with them.

Jeffrey didn't come home for the entire week.

But I always knew exactly what he was doing, because Thelma couldn't resist posting every little thing on Instagram.

They went skiing in Domern, hit the hot springs at some fancy Ulgariafor resort, and snapped sunrise selfies in Mount Xotharann..

I saw a Jeffrey I'd never seen before.

It turned out that he could be sweet and romantic, just like any other guy in love.

But that side never showed up when he was with me.

I didn't really pay much attention to their posts. Every time I saw them, I just gave them a quick look and swiped away.

I kept myself busy these past few days. There was so much stuff in the apartment. It took me days to get everything cleaned up.

I also made time to go home and tell my parents I was heading to Phalruar soon, and they probably wouldn't hear from me for a while.

My dad looked surprised. "You and Jeffrey are about to get married. Doesn't that mean you'll be apart?"

My mom's eyes were full of worry as she held my hand. "Are you sure about this, Erin?

"You and Jeffrey worked so hard to get here. I'm worried that if you go to Phalruar, Jeffrey won't be okay with it. What about your wedding?"

I knew exactly what they meant.

They'd watched my devotion to Jeffrey all these years, and they weren't blind to how he treated me.

Before he proposed, they tried to gently warn me, saying I wasn't that important to him, and maybe I should reconsider.

But back then, I believed I could change Jeffrey and make him truly accept me.

So my parents went along with it.

Now, with the wedding just around the corner, they were worried that if I went to Phalruar, Jeffrey might not agree, and he could even call off the wedding.

They just didn't want me to get hurt, so they wanted me to be sure about my decision.

But now, I was the one calling off the wedding.

When I told my parents I was calling off the wedding, they just sat there in silence for a long time.

I couldn't bring myself to tell them about Jeffrey getting another woman pregnant.

I knew that would be too much for them. So I just said I wanted to keep working in medicine and make a difference.

My parents glanced at each other. Since I'd already made my decision, they were ready to back me up all the way.

In the end, my dad just sighed, gave my shoulder a gentle pat, and said, "As long as you don't regret it."

Back at the apartment, I called my bestie Roberta Shorts to help me take all the packed boxes and donate them to the charity shop.

The living room was piled high with boxes. There were stacks everywhere.

We went back and forth a bunch of times, carrying everything out, and when we finally finished, the place felt totally bare.

Roberta looked around, feeling a bit sentimental.

Just two months ago, after Jeffrey finally said yes to my proposal, I dragged her out to a bar in the Meatpacking District, and we spent the whole night celebrating.

I was practically bursting with excitement I couldn't stop talking about how I'd finally made it happen.

I never imagined that in just two months, I'd be the one calling it all off.

Roberta said, "Are you serious, babe? I honestly thought you were just joking about calling off the wedding.

"I've seen you stick by Jeffrey's side for so many years. Tell me what really happened."

With my departure just around the corner, I finally felt the urge to open up.

I told Roberta all that had gone down this past month, including the fact that Jeffrey had gotten Thelma pregnant.

Roberta had seen everything between Jeffrey and me, and when she heard the whole story, she just lost it. "Oh my god!

"You've been nothing but good to him, and he gets another woman pregnant right before your wedding. He wants you to just accept it? Seriously, what is he even thinking?"

I shook my head, bitterness rising in my chest. "Who knows? He says Thelma saved his life, so now he's determined to grant her every wish."

Roberta was fuming. "But you saved his life too! Why does he get to treat you like this?"

I just stayed quiet.

Maybe he just didn't love me.

But it didn't matter. I would be gone soon.