Chapter 1

I had spent an entire month planning the seaside birthday trip for myself.

I thought he would at least keep me in mind on that very day.

I had booked a beach house, picked out a restaurant, and even made a special reservation for dinner that promised a view of the fireworks.

I thought it would be a romantic getaway for just Shane Leonberg and me.

The morning we were supposed to leave, the doorbell rang.

I opened the door to find his childhood sweetheart, Vera Cannon, on my doorstep. She was holding her four-year-old daughter in her arms.

“Shane thought it would be a good idea to show us around the seaside and get the little one some fresh air.”

Vera was dressed in a flowing white chiffon dress, with full makeup on, and a designer bag over her shoulder. She looked like she was going to a photoshoot rather than a casual beach trip.

With a sweet smile, she added, “I told him it might not be appropriate and that it’d get in the way of your plans, but Shane told me you said it was okay?”

I was stunned for a moment.

I had never said anything like that.

When I arrived at the meeting spot, Shane's car was already waiting there.

Two of his friends were in the back seat. Vera’s daughter was leaning over the front passenger seat. She reached out to him. “Shane, up please!”

He laughed softly and lifted her up. His voice was gentle as he said, “Careful now, you might fall.”

For a moment, the tenderness in his voice felt unfamiliar, like it belonged to someone else.

The car door was open. The seats were all taken.

There was an awkward silence in the air.

One of his friends started to get out of the car. “Maybe we should get out. We shouldn’t make Indy wait by herself.”

Vera was quick to wave him off. In a sweet and understanding tone, she said, “Oh, don’t be silly! It’s fine. Arielle and I will get out. You guys go on ahead. It’s too hot for Indy to be standing out here alone.”

She paused, then added softly, “Arielle has been really looking forward to the fireworks show tonight. Shane, please remember to take some pictures and videos for us, okay? She’d love to see them.”

At that moment, she perfectly faked being so understanding of the whole situation, while I was suddenly made to look like the difficult one.

Shane frowned. He impatiently said, “Alright, enough! Stop trying to offer your places up for Indy. It’s not that far anyway. I’ll just drop you off first.”

Then, he turned to me and said softly, “Vera has a kid with her, and it’s inconvenient for them. Just wait here for me, okay? I’ll be right back.”

I stared at him and clenched my fists.

The utter certainty on his face that I would not mind and that I would always be the understanding one in the relationship was suffocating.

“Shane…”

I called his name softly. It was the final plea for him to remember that this was supposed to be my birthday trip.

However, he just sighed, like he was soothing a child throwing a tantrum.

“Indy, don’t make a fuss, okay? She’s got a kid. It isn’t easy for her. You’ve always been understanding.”

He hesitated for a moment, as if trying to convince himself that I would not have to wait long and that he would come back soon.

I teared up.

It seemed “being understanding” was an excuse that he used to justify neglecting my needs every single time.

One of his friends exchanged a glance with the other, then said hesitantly, “Shane, maybe we should just take her with us? The sun’s brutal. It’s not right to make her wait out here alone.”

Shane’s voice turned noticeably colder. “Stay out of it.”

Vera was quick to smooth things over with a practiced smile. “Really, it’s fine! Please don’t argue because of me. I’m sure she won’t mind waiting here for a bit.”

Then, she nodded at me and said in a gentle tone, “So sorry to put you out in this awful heat! If it were me, I’d have melted by now. You’re so patient!”

I looked at her and caught the faint flicker of smugness hiding behind that smile.

Shane closed the car door.

The car sped off and kicked up a gust of salty wind and sand.

I stood there. The sunlight was blinding.

Sweat trickled down my neck. I had not even brought any water with me.

I thought about calling Shane and telling him to come back quickly.

Then, I remembered the way he had told me to “be understanding.” So, I put my phone away.

I wanted to see if he would actually come back.

My phone lit up with a notification. It was a new post from Vera’s social media account.

They had reached the beach. In the video, Shane was holding Arielle in his arms. They were feeding seagulls by the shore.

The next clip showed him leaning down to fix her wind-tousled hair.

The caption read:

[Arielle’s happiest day!]

The comment section was full of compliments on how they were perfect matches for each other and how they looked like a perfect family.

Instead of denying it, she just left a smiling emoji.

At that moment, the glow from my screen felt painfully bright.

Watching their “happy family” moment, my fingers curled tighter and tighter around the phone.

My chest felt as though it was burning, as if scorched dry by the relentless sun.

A gust of wind brushed my cheeks. There was a sting of salt and a trace of bitterness.

The sun blazed overhead. My vision blurred and darkened as I teetered on the edge of heatstroke.

My phone lay silent in my palm. Its screen flickered on and off.

I stared at it as my heart ached.

My finger, moving on its own, hovered over the contact list and paused above Shane’s name.

I wanted to ask him, “When are you coming back?”

However, in the end, I just stared at his name and did nothing.

I wanted to see if he would remember me.

A cool breeze drifted in, carrying the salty scent of the sea and a hint of chill.

The chill seeped through my skin, all the way into my heart.

I knew then that this was probably the last chance I was giving him.

It was the last time I would ever hold any expectations of him.