Chapter 5

Three days later, our scheduled wedding date arrived.

The date we had locked in, only for him to postpone it yet again.

That evening, he sat down next to me, let out a heavy sigh, and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

"Chloe, we need to push the wedding back again. The project at work is in its final crunch, and none of my coworkers can make it."

"Just wait a little longer. Once things settle down at work, I promise I’ll give you the perfect home."

"Marriage is just a piece of paper, anyway. You know you're the only one in my heart."

I leaned against his shoulder, not moving an inch.

The last time, his excuse was that his parents needed a medical check-up.

Once he finished speaking, I asked softly, "Do you really want to marry me, Marcus? Or... is there something else going on?"

He went quiet for two seconds. Then he chuckled, tightening his grip around me, speaking to me like I was a stubborn child.

"What else could be going on? I’m just a little terrified of commitment, and work has been insane. Let's just get through this month."

"Think about it. We’ve lived together for years. How is this any different from being married? Does that piece of paper really matter that much?"

I stayed silent.

He continued, "Even without that paper, I’ll treat you right for the rest of my life."

"Come on, don't worry so much. I have a business trip tomorrow. Just for one day. I’ll be back the day after."

I had looked at that girl's wedding post at least ten times.

Their wedding was tomorrow.

That night, just like every other time he "traveled for work," Marcus prepared a whole day's worth of meals for me, carefully sticking post-it notes on each container.

“Chloe, heat this up for lunch tomorrow. Two minutes in the microwave.”

“Chloe, heat the soup up before you drink it. Don't drink it cold.”

“Chloe, eat breakfast. Don't just drink coffee on an empty stomach. Your acid reflux will flare up.”

He stacked the containers neatly in the fridge, closed the door, and turned to look at me.

"You got all that, Chloe?"

Suddenly, my eyes welled with hot tears, and a tear rolled down my cheek.

He startled, immediately walking over. He knelt down in front of me, reaching up to wipe my tears.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong? Are you hurting somewhere?"

I shook my head. "No... I just realized we haven't been apart in a while. I’m going to miss you."

He smiled, pulling me into his chest.

"It’s only one day, babe. I’ll be back tomorrow night. There’s nothing to be sad about."

I buried my face in his chest, closing my eyes.

His heartbeat was incredibly steady.

I wondered, what was he feeling right now?

Guilt? Relief? Or absolutely nothing, just running through a routine?

Keep things calm on this side today, go to the wedding tomorrow, and come back the day after to keep up the lie.

I didn't know. And I didn't want to know anymore.

The next morning, Marcus kissed my forehead and left.

I counted to thirty, sat up, and began packing my bags.

Once everything was packed, I drove straight to Marcus's wedding venue.

I found the AV technician in charge of the main projector screen.

I handed him a USB flash drive, along with a thick envelope of cash.

"Could you do me a favor? Just before the vows, play the video in this folder on the main screen."

He took the drive, glanced at the envelope, and then looked at me with a hesitant expression.

"Uh... what kind of video is this?"

"Just a surprise vlog from the groom's side," I said with a sweet smile.

He opened the envelope, counted the bills, and after a few seconds of silence, he gave me a quick nod.

"No problem."

"Also, when it plays, please stream the live feed to this link," I added.

Without staying a second longer, I turned and walked out.

When I reached the hotel entrance, I hailed a cab and headed straight to the airport.

Traffic was heavy. I leaned against the window, watching the blur of trees rush past.

I remembered the scene I used to play over and over in my head when I was younger.

A long, white veil trailing on the ground.

Someone holding my hand. The sunlight hitting us from the side, casting our long, overlapping shadows on the floor.

It was a very simple, ordinary picture.

So ordinary that I couldn't even tell if I had seen it in a movie or just conjured it up in my own mind.

During the worst years of my parents' fighting.

I would sit on the cold floor of my locked bedroom, waiting for the screaming to end, and just run that scene in my head.

Over and over again, changing the details, changing the lighting, but one thing never changed.

The person holding my hand was genuine.

That was the only thing I wanted back then.

I didn't care about a lavish wedding, a massive guest list, or a huge diamond ring.

I just wanted the person standing next to me to mean it. I wanted their "I do" to come straight from the heart.

Just that one thing.

Twenty-six proposals. I thought I was so close to getting it. And instead, I got a double life.

At 10:20 AM, while waiting at the airport gate, my phone buzzed.

It was a text from the AV tech:

"About to play the USB drive now."