Chapter 4

By the time I walked downstairs, the car I had driven over was gone. Julian had taken it to the hospital.

He hadn't cared if I needed a ride, or how I would get home in the middle of the night.

I opened my Uber app, but the search wheel kept spinning. No drivers were nearby.

My finger had already swollen into a dark purple line.

Giving up on the hospital, I limped into a small 24-hour clinic nearby.

The cold sting of the tetanus shot pierced my arm, making my face go pale.

I mindlessly opened Instagram. Serena's post popped up immediately.

"My first tetanus shot ever. It hurts so much!"

"But thank God someone is here to share the pain!"

The attached photo showed Julian's side profile, a faint bite mark on his jaw.

He was smiling with pure indulgence.

Julian always said a perfect girlfriend had to be independent.

So when I was in so much menstrual pain that I nearly blacked out, he ignored my pleas to go to the hospital.

Instead, he just sent me a DoorDash link for painkillers.

I thought my pain tolerance had become incredibly high under his strict training.

But tonight, the tears wouldn't stop falling.

The doctor paused, softening his grip as he pulled the needle out, telling me to sit and rest.

I nodded, my eyes involuntarily sliding down to the comment section of Serena's post.

Julian's burner account had commented: Perfect behavior during the injection, no crying. +100 points.

And a little surprise trip for you.

Clicking on the screenshot in the reply, I saw two tickets for a tour of Switzerland.

My fingers froze in midair.

Those were the tickets for our honeymoon.

Because our wedding had been canceled for seven years, this trip had been delayed for seven years.

He had told me that if the tickets expired, he would buy new ones, but the "perfect process" could not be violated. No one could bypass the rules for personal feelings.

Yet now, he was handing our honeymoon to another woman like a cheap party favor.

Can a secondhand romance ever be perfect?

I didn't know.

Wiping away my tears, I left a comment under his reply.

"Have a safe flight."

"Let's break up."

I didn't want a secondhand honeymoon.

And I didn't want him.

Within seconds, Julian's calls started flooding in.

I declined them all. Then, the text messages came like rapid-fire.

"Is it fun throwing a tantrum on Serena's Instagram? Have you reflected on your behavior at all?"

"Serena was generous enough to forgive you. It's only fair that I compensate her with a trip. Stop overreacting."

"Rule Number One of the Perfect Girlfriend Rulebook: Always reply instantly. Ten-point deduction."

Finally, he seemed to make a concession. "Tomorrow at 10 AM, be there on time, and we'll take you with us."

Ignoring his wishful thinking, I blocked both him and Serena on everything.

Then, I opened my chat with Mr. Carter.

"Our flight got bumped up. We're leaving tomorrow morning."

I replied, "Okay."

After sleeping on the clinic's plastic chair for the night, I took an Uber back to the apartment at dawn.

I grabbed my suitcase and headed straight to the airport.

While waiting at the boarding gate, I suddenly saw Julian staring at me in shock.

I checked my watch. It was only 7 AM.

He opened his mouth to speak, but Serena's excited voice came from behind him. "Ellie! Are you coming to Switzerland with us too?"

She dragged her suitcase over, looking exhausted. Clearly, they had just arrived.

Julian swallowed his words, his face hardening. "No, she's late again."

See? His clock was only ever on time for Serena.

From the promised 10 AM to this blatant favoritism.

From beginning to end, he never planned on letting me join their trip.

After a tense silence, Julian sighed helplessly.

He pulled the wiped-clean wedding ring from his pocket and gently slid it onto my ring finger.

"Be good. We'll be back in seven days. Get the wedding ready, and I'll be there on time."

"Now, stop throwing a fit. I won't even deduct points for your lateness, okay?"

He was convinced I was still the same stupid Ellie who would wait for him forever. The girl who would get jealous over his interactions with Serena but could be easily appeased with a cheap promise.

But he was wrong.

When you've truly decided to leave, even an explanation feels like a waste of breath.

Watching their departing figures, I pulled the ring off my finger, tossed it into a nearby trash can, and walked toward my gate.

I was heading toward a future without him.

Seven days later, the moment Julian stepped off his flight, he rushed to the wedding hall, hitting his arrival time perfectly.

But the moment he stepped inside, he froze.

The grand hall was completely empty. No wedding decorations, no guests.

A wave of panic surged in his chest.

He grabbed the venue manager. "Isn't Ellie's wedding today? Where is everyone?"

The manager looked at him with confusion.

"Ms. Sterling? She canceled all her upcoming bookings a week ago. I heard she moved abroad!"