Chapter 4

On the fourth night, Adam took me to the beach.

The beach was covered in tiny lights.

Adam's mother, Jessica, Lucas, Chris, and a few familiar friends were all there.

As fireworks lit up the sky, he was wearing my favorite black shirt, holding that dark blue velvet box.

Then, he got down on one knee in front of me. "Emily, it's been seven years."

For once, he wasn't being his usual cocky self. His voice was actually a little shaky. "I've got a big mouth, a bad temper, and I always end up making you mad."

He managed a faint smile. "But I've never thought about marrying anyone else. Will you marry me?"

My eyes instantly welled up.

When I was 17, he climbed over the wall to buy me fever medicine.

When my dad was in the hospital, he drove all night to take me home.

All those good times were real.

So, in that moment, I reached out my hand.

The ring slid up to my second knuckle. It got stuck.

Adam frowned and tried again, but it still wouldn't go on.

Jessica laughed, trying to smooth things over. "Did you put on some weight lately?"

But Vivian blurted out without thinking. "No way, it fit me perfectly the other day."

The whole place went dead silent.

I slowly turned my head. "You wore it?"

Vivian's face went pale. "I..."

Adam's mother quickly explained, "Adam didn't know your ring size, and Vivi said your hands are about the same, so she tried it on for him."

I looked at Adam. "You didn't know my ring size?"

He stood up. "I wanted to surprise you. I couldn'task you, could I?"

"So you let Vivian try on my engagement ring?"

His frown deepened. "It was to check the size. It's not like it's for her."

I let out a bitter laugh. "She knows your phone password. She knows your suitcase password.

"She got into my wedding house before I did.

"In your family photos, she's standing right next to you, while I'm left out of the frame.

"And now, the ring you're proposing to me with, she got to wear it first."

I looked at him. "Adam, it's not that I'm fixated on Vivian.

"It's that every time you give her my place first, then tell me about it, and in the end, you say the title is still mine, so I should be grateful."

Nobody laughed anymore.

Vivian's eyes turned red. "Emily, I'm sorry. I really didn't know you'd care this much."

Adam almost instinctively turned around. "Why are you apologizing?"

When he looked back at me, his tone was completely cold. "I'm proposing to you today. The wedding house is for you, and the ring is for you.

"What else are you trying to compete with her for?"

That line hit me like a bucket of ice water, dousing me from head to toe.

I lowered my head, slowly pulled the ring off my finger, and placed it back in his palm.

His hand froze. "What do you mean?"

"I'm calling off the wedding."

Adam stared at me, like he couldn't believe his ears.

After a few seconds, he actually laughed, half angry, half incredulous. "So you're so mad you're calling off the wedding?"

"Emily, you're 29, not 19. Don't try to scare me with this."

I took off my necklace and shoved it into his hand. "I'm not trying to scare you. Adam, we're breaking up."

The smile on his face vanished completely.

I turned and walked out.

Behind me, he called out coldly, "Emily, if you walk out of here today, our seven years are really over."

I stopped for two seconds.

Everyone thought I'd turn back.

Adam did too.

He knew the old me all too well.

Whenever he got a little tough, I'd always be the first to fear losing him.

But this time, I said only one word, "Sure."

I walked away without looking back.

For the first time, I heard panic in his voice, carried on the sea breeze behind me. "Emily."

I didn't stop.

That night, I booked the earliest flight home.

When the "Booking Successful" notification popped up, I deleted Adam from my emergency contacts, the one I'd kept for four years.

Then, I turned off the location sharing we'd used for four years.

The system popped up a reminder: [The other party will no longer be able to view your location.]

I stared at that line, but didn't hit cancel.

I used to always worry he wouldn't be able to find me.

But now, for the first time, I didn't want him to find me anymore.