Chapter 3

I returned home alone and switched on the lights. The first thing I saw was the framed photo sitting on the entryway cabinet. It hit me suddenly that this might have been the only photo of us together.

Chloe did not like taking pictures. More precisely, she did not like taking pictures with me.

During our six months together, not once did I appear in the posts on her social media.

Actually, I had. One time on her birthday, I booked the most luxurious rooftop restaurant in the city for her celebration. For the first time, she posted a photo of us together. However, she deleted it without hesitation less than half an hour later.

Her friends quickly messaged me, asking if I had ruined her birthday or upset her.

When I asked her about it, she answered nonchalantly, “Gavin saw the photo. I didn’t want him to feel bad, so I deleted it.”

I had looked at her indifferent expression as my hands trembled. I forced myself to stay calm and asked, “I’m your boyfriend now. Why do you care so much about someone else’s feelings?”

She fell silent for a moment, then softened, grabbing my sleeve playfully. “Alright, alright. I just didn’t think it through. I’ll repost it later. Don’t be so petty.”

Later, it seemed like she simply forgot about it. I did not want to fight with her over Gavin, so I never brought it up again. I simply printed the photo and placed it in the new home I had prepared for her.

Yet it seemed I was the only one who cared about it. It was just like our three years together. It had always been a one-man performance.

I glanced at a message from my mentor. He was still urging me to reconsider going abroad, saying my spot was still reserved.

I held the frame and looked at that photo again and again. In the photo, I was looking at her, while she looked at the moon. The moon on the sea was but a reflection of the sky; the one before my eyes was not meant to be mine.

I should have understood that long ago.

Just after replying to my mentor, I heard movement at the door. A familiar figure suddenly rushed into my arms. My body instinctively wanted to hug her back, but the emptiness inside me left me unable to lift my hands.

I stood there calmly and asked, “What happened?”

Her voice trembled against my chest. “Nothing. The business deal didn’t go well.”

She held me tightly. Her tone carried both grievance and unwillingness. “When are we getting married? Let’s set the date soon!”

Her warmth pressed against me through the fabric, and with it came the voice she could never hide. ‘I don’t believe he really doesn’t care. Do I have to make him watch me marry someone else before he regrets it?’

A sharp pain twisted in my chest. I took a deep breath and placed my hands on her shoulders, gently pushing her away. I looked her in the eye and asked calmly, “Chloe, do you really want to marry me? Are you marrying me because you love me?”

Even though I already knew the answer, asking the question felt like tearing my own wound open again and again. I told myself that if she denied it, I would let her go. I would set her free for the person she truly loved. I would bring everything between us to a final end.

Chloe’s gaze wavered. Her expression stiffened slightly. She forced a smile and replied with a helpless tone, “Don’t overthink it. Of course, I do.”

‘He’s so annoying. He’s always asking the same thing. Of course, I want to marry the person I love most. If Gavin wasn’t so stubborn… I would never have agreed…’

I released my grip on her shoulders and let out a quiet laugh. “Alright. Pick a date. I’ll prepare for the wedding.”

Her eyes flickered. It was as though she wanted to say something but swallowed it back.

I looked at her calmly, waiting for the pain in my chest to settle. Since she wanted a wedding, I would give her the grandest one of all. For her, and for the person she truly loved.