Chapter 2

I walked out of the hotel and dragged my exhausted body back home.

The apartment was littered with wedding preparations.

I had been a perfectionist with every single detail, comparing endless samples. The rejected items were still piled up by the entrance.

I used to look at them with pure excitement. Now, all they brought me was endless exhaustion and disgust.

I collapsed onto the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling.

When did everything go so wrong?

We once promised to stay together forever.

……

In my senior year of high school, my parents' cold, fake marriage finally exploded into an ugly divorce. They fought ruthlessly over assets and custody.

To escape the drama, I transferred from my elite private prep school to Tyler's ordinary public high school.

Shortly after I arrived, it was time for midterm exams.

Having never attended a public school, I didn't know the rules—I didn't know you had to store your backpacks in designated lockers or locate your assigned exam rooms beforehand.

While everyone hurried off to their tests, I stood by my desk in a total panic, surrounded by my belongings.

The mocking whispers and disdainful sneers of my classmates stabbed at me like needles.

It was Tyler who stepped up. He told them to shut up, packed my things with practiced ease, and guided me directly to my exam room.

In that dull, stressful high school environment, his gesture sparked instant gossip.

People whispered that Tyler had a thing for the new girl.

Tyler didn't dodge the rumors. He admitted it to everyone: "Yeah, I like her."

Scarred by my parents' toxic marriage, I had always been terrified of romance.

So, what changed my mind?

It was the New Year's Eve of our senior year.

My parents were gone, so I stayed behind in my cold, tiny rental apartment.

When fireworks lit up the midnight sky, an overwhelming loneliness crushed me.

The whole city was shining, but not a single light belonged to me.

The next second, Tyler appeared at my door. His nose was bright red from the freezing cold, and he pulled a container of steaming, homemade food from beneath his heavy jacket. His eyes sparkled with hope.

He said, "Give me a chance, Chloe. I want to spend every single New Year with you."

The roaring fireworks couldn't drown out the sound of my racing heart.

For the first two years of our relationship, Tyler truly kept his word. He gave me all his warmth and attention, and a girl starved of love like me drowned in his affection.

Once, when we had a big fight and I brought up breaking up, he was in another city for a competition.

He dropped everything, caught the next train, and showed up beneath my dorm building. He broke down crying and wrapped me in his arms.

"Chloe, please don't leave me. I can't survive without you."

"As soon as we graduate, we're getting married."

I cried with him, promising we would never part.

And then, on our third anniversary...

He took a single phone call, left me alone at the restaurant, and walked away.

Only later did I find out that his precious childhood sweetheart, Vivian, had returned to town.

……

I pulled myself out of the memories.

I finally saw the truth.

He didn't suddenly change overnight.

From the very beginning, Vivian had always been the priority.

Looking back at everything I had sacrificed, regret gnawed at my bones.

After graduation, my family had planned to send me abroad to an elite art institute, but I gave it up for him.

I dialed my mother's number. The moment she picked up, my voice broke:

"Mom... I want to apply for grad school in London."

The line fell quiet for a moment. Then my mom spoke:

"Chloe, I warned you years ago. A woman who loses herself in love will always live to regret it."

"As a consequence, I'm not going to hand everything to you on a silver platter this time. Study for your exams, build your portfolio, apply on your own, and get your own acceptance letter. Prove it to me."