Chapter 4

I stayed silent for so long that he finally softened his tone. "I knew you'd understand."

I turned and walked out, lingering in the hallway for a long time, wondering how far Edward would go for Claire.

The morning rush hour subway was packed, so crowded that I could barely breathe.

I got shoved up against the door, my bag strap digging into my shoulder.

My phone buzzed.

It was a message from Claire. [Anna, thanks for letting me enjoy the ride. Edward's a great driver. I feel so much better today.]

She sent a photo with it.

Outside the car window was the morning road, and on the passenger seat was the air freshener I'd bought.

I stared at the words "letting me enjoy the ride" and suddenly burst out laughing.

People around me glanced over.

I turned off my phone, my eyes burning with unshed tears.

*****

Over the weekend, I made an early appointment with the wedding planner to finalize the wedding plans.

The wedding was set for next month, something Edward and I had agreed on before he left for Bristania.

Everything, including the venue, the entrance area, the vows, the music, and the officiant, still needed to be finalized.

I sent Edward the location three times.

He replied with a simple "Okay."

But after I waited at the wedding planner's office for half an hour, all I got was a phone call from him.

The background was noisy. It sounded like a hospital hallway.

"Anna, I can't make it today," Edward said.

I gripped the wedding checklist in my hand. "Why?" I asked.

"Claire's not feeling well. I'm taking her to the hospital."

My fingers went numb. "Edward, the wedding is only a month away."

He let out a soft sigh. "I know. But she's all alone here, and I can't leave her by herself."

"And what about our wedding?"

He let out a little laugh, trying to coax me. "You've got great taste and you're so careful. I know you can handle it all by yourself."

The wedding planner sat across from me, looking awkward.

I heard myself say, "So, do you want me to write your vows for you too?"

There was a pause on the other end before he replied, "Anna, don't be like that. I'll make it up to you later."

"Not everything can be made up for."

Even I was surprised by my own words.

Just then, I heard the hospital's announcement over the phone. "Patient number 13, Claire Evans, please report to the fifth gynecology room."

Edward's voice turned cold. "You're not yourself today. We'll talk when I'm done here."

Then he hung up.

I wondered what could be wrong with Claire to send her to a gynecologist. She was frail, perpetually pale-faced, and even a soft breeze left her feeling unwell.

The name of that surgery flashed through my mind.

The wedding planner spoke up, his voice hesitant, breaking my train of thought. "Ms. Harper, should we finalize the entrance music now?"

I glanced down at the groom's section on the form.

It was blank from start to finish.

I was the one signing the papers, tweaking the schedule, confirming the budget, and reaching out to both sides' families and friends.

All he had to do was show up in a suit on the big day.

But now, he couldn't even manage that.

That afternoon, Claire posted on her social media.

It was a shot of an IV stand in a hospital hallway.

I could see a man's hand in the corner, holding her coat for her.

I knew it was Edward's hand instantly.

It had long, slender fingers, with a faint scar on the pad. Edward got that scar in college while helping me fix my bookshelf.

I set my phone face down on the table.

The wedding planner asked softly, "Ms. Harper, should we keep going?"

I stared at the dense itinerary, and suddenly, I couldn't tell whose wedding this was supposed to be.

*****

On the morning Edward was heading out for a work assignment, he called me at seven.

I was washing up at the time.

He got straight to the point. "Anna, take Claire to work today," he said.

I thought I'd heard him wrong. "What?"

"I've got to run to a client last minute, so I can't take her. She's not feeling well, and I don't want her to go to work by herself."

I was still holding my toothbrush cup, cold water dripping from my fingers.

"I've got an early meeting, and it's not on my way," I said.

He sounded pretty rushed. "Can't you head out a little earlier? She just started this job, and it wouldn't look good if she's late."

Then I heard Claire cough softly on the other end of the line.

It was barely audible, but I still heard it.

I was silent for a few seconds.

Edward's voice softened. "Anna, just this once. She's really not feeling well," he said.

I looked at myself in the mirror, dark circles under my eyes, and finally grabbed my bag, heading out earlier than planned.

When Claire got into the passenger seat, she gave me an apologetic look.

"Anna, sorry to trouble you," she said.

I didn't say anything.

As we merged onto the main road, she said softly, "Edward's been really tired lately. Please don't blame him. He always says you're capable and can handle anything."

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. "What else has he told you?"

She either didn't notice my icy tone, or just chose to ignore it.

"He said you've stuck by him all the way since college, and it hasn't been easy. He knew he can't let you down," she replied.

I glanced over at her.

Her face was still pale, and her lips looked almost bloodless.

But her words, "He knew he can't let you down," really stung.

It wasn't that he didn't want to.

It was that he couldn't.