Chapter 2Fading Years, Drifting Apart

Four and a half hours later, my car pulled into the parking lot of James’s hotel.

I sat behind the wheel, staring up at the pitch-black sky, closing my burning eyes.

If you had asked me three years ago, I never would have believed I could lose my mind over a man like this.

Exhausted from the overnight drive, I walked into the lobby, planning to book a room and sleep for a few hours.

But the moment I approached the front desk, I saw them.

James and Sloane, dressed in matching athletic wear, laughing together as they walked through the lobby and out the sliding glass doors.

Catching my intense stare, the receptionist smiled helpfully.

"They are heading out to catch the sunrise. The peak nearby is famous for it. If you have time, miss, you should really check it out..."

She did not even finish her sentence before I muttered a quick thanks and hurried after them.

They were completely engrossed in their conversation.

Because there were dozens of other tourists on the trail, they had absolutely no idea I was walking right behind them.

I raised my hand, fully intending to call out James’s name. But Sloane’s voice drifted back to me.

"...There is literally nothing I can eat on your wedding menu. Did you forget I am highly allergic to shellfish?"

James nodded instantly.

"Circle everything you cannot eat later. I will have the caterer swap the dishes out."

My hand froze in mid-air.

I had attended three separate tastings and coordinated endlessly with our VIP guests to finalize that menu.

And now, because Sloane complained, he was scrapping it without a second thought.

"Aww, look at you being so sweet. Aren't you worried she is going to throw a fit?"

James’s voice was laced with a smile, but the words he spoke turned my blood to absolute ice.

"She lost her parents when she was young. Her personality can be a bit extreme and paranoid. Just try to tolerate her."

I stared at the back of the man standing less than two feet away from me. A sharp, stinging burn hit the back of my nose.

In the three years we dated, James knew my deepest, most agonizing trauma was being orphaned.

He had sworn to me that he would spend the rest of his life making up for all the love I had been denied.

But right here, right now, he casually handed over my deepest vulnerability for another woman to mock.

Predictably, Sloane let out a cruel sneer.

"Oh, so she is an orphan. And here I thought she was some spoiled heiress with the way she was disrespecting me."

James did not defend me. He just kept feeding into her narrative.

"She was out of line yesterday, I know. That is why I deliberately left her on read last night. I guarantee she did not sleep a wink."

"Consider it my way of punishing her for you. Be the bigger person and let it go."

Sloane sounded incredibly smug.

"Well, I am not a petty person. As long as you drink with me like you did last night, we are cool."

"Whenever you want, I am there."

"You said it! No taking it back!"

My fingernails dug so deeply into my palms they almost broke the skin, but I felt absolutely nothing.

So he did not forget. He did not fall asleep.

He deliberately tortured me with anxiety all night just to appease Sloane.

As their voices faded into the crisp morning air, I stopped walking.

I stood there until the stinging in my eyes faded. Then, I turned around and walked back down the mountain.

I had my answer. Following them to the peak was entirely pointless.

On the hike down, my legs gave out from sheer exhaustion, and I nearly face-planted into the dirt.

By the time I dragged myself into the driver's seat, I looked like an absolute wreck. I stared at my reflection in the rearview mirror and let out a dry, pathetic laugh.

Three years ago, James’s gentle, relentless pursuit broke through my walls.

My friends told me I had turned into a completely different person.

I used to worship my independence. Now, I willingly spent my evenings trying new recipes for him.

I used to be completely untouchable. Now, I practically purred over the phone when he called.

Most shockingly, the girl who swore she would never get married was suddenly planning a wedding.

They warned me I was letting love make me stupid.

I laughed them off.

I thought because my career was thriving, I still held all the power.

I genuinely believed I was the one in control.

Until this exact moment.

Looking at the dark circles under my eyes and the mud on my expensive boots, every red flag I had actively ignored suddenly came into sharp focus.

Three months ago, when James proposed, I turned down a massive promotion that required relocation.

My friends were furious. But I convinced myself that careers could be rebuilt, while true love only comes around once.

I threw myself entirely into planning the wedding.

In the beginning, James was fully invested. He went dress shopping. He picked out the photographer.

Slowly, he got "busy." He would leave appointments halfway through to take work calls.

Eventually, his mother took his place entirely, and he went back to living like a bachelor.

Meanwhile, I was constantly using up my vacation days to meet with vendors.

I had been compromising my entire life away without even realizing it.

As I sat there completely numb, my phone suddenly rang through the car’s Bluetooth.

James’s voice filled the cabin.

"Irene, the wedding planner just called me. They said they cannot reach you. You booked your bridal makeup trial for today, and the stylist is already waiting at our door..."

He must have been standing at the summit. The howling wind battered the microphone, making the audio crackle.

In the background, I could hear people cheering.

"Wow, the sun is up!"

"It is gorgeous! Take a picture!"

It was so incredibly loud.

Staring at the blinding rays of dawn breaking over the horizon, my voice was dead calm.

"James, the wedding is canceled."