Chapter 2
681 Words
He raised a hand to his stinging cheek, his temper flaring, but when his eyes fell on the cuts covering my skin, his expression softened slightly into a frown.
"You're hurt. Why didn't you say something? I'll get the first aid kit."
But before he could even move, a tearful voice called out from the inner room.
"Grant… can you help me with my dress? I can't reach the clasp at the back."
Whatever faint concern had shown on his face vanished in an instant.
He didn't spare me so much as a second glance. He simply turned and walked straight toward that room.
My throat tightened and my eyes burned.
'Grant… I'm not waiting any longer.'
The moment I pulled the door shut behind me, the sounds of mocking laughter drifted out from inside.
"I won the bet! Pay up! I told you Grant would go straight to her anyway. I bet his fiancée, Sella, is used to this by now."
"Tsk, I actually thought she'd finally stand her ground this time, and he'd back off a little. Instead, he's even bolder than before."
"Haha! Grant's always doted on Lila, it's nothing new. Remember how he planted a whole garden of roses just for her graduation? And Sella here is deathly allergic to roses. It was pretty obvious even back then who mattered more to him."
I gave a bitter, hollow smile. Right… didn't I already know this deep down? Why did I keep lying to myself until now?
As soon as I sat down in the hospital waiting area, my phone buzzed sharply in my hand.
I opened it to see messages in our group chat, where Grant had tagged Lila.
Grant: Little princess, stop being upset. Why did you even block me?"
Grant: You've always wanted to visit Iceland, haven't you? We can leave the day after tomorrow. I'm sorry you felt wronged today, okay? Come out of the bathroom and stop being mad. Look, I have already booked the tickets ages ago.
I stared blankly at the attached screenshots of plane tickets, reserved three months in advance.
Iceland.
That was where Grant had proposed to me, right beneath the dancing northern lights.
He had said, "The next time we come here, it will be as husband and wife."
He told me that place would forever stand as proof of our love.
And now… he was taking another woman there instead.
"Miss, please stay still. We need to get every tiny piece of glass out, or they might leave scars later." The nurse worked gently with her tweezers.
When she noticed my eyes glistening, her voice softened. "Does it hurt too much? It's alright if you want to cry. It's rare to see someone as strong as you."
I shook my head and pulled up my social media feed instead.
Of course. The latest post was a short video taken by Lila, with the caption:
Cherishing these precious moments together.
In the footage, Grant was personally packing her suitcase, every single item carefully arranged, down to the smallest detail.
The comments below were already filled up.
A: [Wow, Grant really spoils you like a princess! This is way beyond thoughtful. No other woman would ever stand a chance.]
B: [You're so lucky! If a man ever took care of me this carefully, I'd never want him to marry anyone else either.]
C: [Bet someone watching this is crying with envy. Anyway, hope you two stay happy forever!]
I tapped a quick like and closed the app.
Right then my phone rang.
Seeing the name on the screen, I swiped to answer.
There was a short pause from the other end before a voice came through, quiet and sincere.
"I honestly thought you'd never pick up my call again. If Grant can't see how precious you are… would you give me a chance instead? I've always been here, whenever you need me."
I answered softly but clearly. "Carter… there's no need to wait any longer. My answer is yes. Let's hold the wedding in seven days. Do you dare?"
- Writer
