Chapter 3Spring Snow

Now I understood why she’d been in such a hurry.

A bitter laugh escaped me. I arranged for a local courier to deliver her phone to her office, then headed to my own job. I’d started at my family’s company right after graduation. My father, wanting to test my mettle, had me start from the bottom. Through my own efforts, I’d since become a department manager.

As soon as I arrived, my assistant handed me a project proposal. “Mr. Hayes, this needs your attention. All the groundwork is done, it just needs your signature.”

I took it and saw it was a collaboration with Ava’s family company, Hayes Industries. I had no memory of it.

“Has my father approved this?”

“No,” my assistant replied, momentarily flustered. “You said before that unless it was a major partnership, Hayes Industries should always be our first choice.”

I remembered then. I had said that. I’d thought our families would be one, so it didn't matter who profited more. Besides, it’s not easy for a woman to run a corporation. As her boyfriend, I felt it was my duty to support her.

“Let this one go,” I said. “But from now on, prioritize what’s best for our company. We go with the most advantageous partner.”

After a long day of work, I decided to check out a new Chinese restaurant that had just opened. When I got there, it was packed. Just as I was about to leave, I heard a familiar voice.

“Mr. Hayes, you’re here for dinner too?”

I turned to see Ethan and Ava sitting at a table, smiling. When Ava saw me, her expression froze for a second before she quickly recovered. “I was just about to call you to join us! I can’t believe you’re already here. Come, sit with us.”

She waved over a waiter for another set of cutlery. I hadn’t eaten much for lunch and was starving. So I stayed.

“Mr. Hayes,” Ethan said, “I remember you like spicy food. Let’s order a few more dishes for you.”

I glanced at the table. Everything was mild. Both Ava and I loved spicy food. She used to say that a dish without chili had no soul, that eating it was like a death sentence. Now, faced with a table of bland food, she didn’t bat an eye.

She shot Ethan a playful glare. “I think you’re the one who wants it. Don’t you remember what the doctor said today? You can only have mild food for now.”

Ethan just smiled sheepishly. “I’m paying tonight, I just wanted to cater to our guest. But, I’ll listen to my little boss. Whatever you say, goes.”

Ava laughed, a mix of amusement and exasperation. “What ‘little boss’? That sounds terrible, don’t call me that again!” Her words were a reprimand, but her tone was fond.

Watching them, the heart that had been shattered into a million pieces felt nothing at all.

A moment later, Ava’s phone rang. “You two go ahead and eat. I have to take this.”

As she walked away, the smile on Ethan’s face faded, replaced by a provocative stare directed at me. “You know, Liam, I’m actually impressed. You know Ava and I are getting married, yet you still cling to her. You’ve got some nerve.”

Catching the disdain in his voice, I looked up. “Is stealing someone else’s girlfriend something to be proud of? Something worth showing off in public?”

“You—”

Before he could finish, thick smoke began billowing from the restaurant’s kitchen. Someone screamed, “Fire!”

The bustling restaurant descended into chaos. Everyone scrambled to escape. I stood up, ready to leave, when a figure slammed into me. Before I could regain my balance, I heard a familiar, panicked voice.

“Ethan, let’s go! It’s a fire!”

Ava didn’t stop. She grabbed Ethan’s hand and pulled him out of the building. Once outside, staring at the smoke pouring from the restaurant, her heart pounded with the thrill of survival. She threw her arms around him. “Thank God… thank God we’re okay…”

Then, she seemed to remember something. She spun around and saw me, standing a short distance away, watching them with cold eyes.

Her voice caught. “Liam, I… I was just so scared. I didn’t mean to not call for you…”

“I know,” I cut her off, my voice frigid.

In that moment, as she pulled him away, I knew with absolute clarity: the girl who once promised to protect me forever was gone.

Seeing I wasn't angry, she visibly relaxed and offered to drive me home.

“No, thanks. Ethan looks pretty shaken up. You should probably take him home first.”