Chapter 3

When I got home, I didn't mention the Morenos again.

David must have realized he’d been a bit harsh earlier. After showering that evening, he walked in carrying a cup of tea. "You're still up?"

I was sitting at the edge of the bed organizing my files. The confirmation email from the overseas university was already sitting in my inbox. The final item left on my checklist was the pre-departure medical checkup report.

Once I had that, I could leave.

David set the tea down beside me and leaned over to look. "Don't take what happened today to heart."

I didn't look up. "Mm."

He frowned slightly and pulled the laptop from my hands. "Leah."

I finally looked at him.

He sat down beside me, his tone softening. "You know I don't like it when you give me the cold shoulder."

I just looked at him and asked, "So?"

David stared at me for a moment, then suddenly chuckled and reached out to pinch my cheek. "Look at you, getting so bold. Once the wedding is over, I'll take you to the beach."

My fingers froze. That was a place I had brought up countless times—a place Eva had visited in my stead, but somewhere David had never actually taken me.

He murmured, "Just the two of us. No Eva."

If he had said this to me a little earlier, I might have hesitated to let go. But now, it only felt ironic.

A few days later, the bridal shop called to confirm my makeup trial.

The moment I hung up, a notification popped up from Eva. [Leah, I've already arrived.]

When I hurried over to the bridal shop, Eva was already sitting in front of the vanity mirror, wearing the veil with glitter pressed around the outer corners of her eyes.

The makeup artist smiled warmly. "Ms. Gray, you're here. Your friend mentioned earlier that your skin is prone to allergies, so she tested the base makeup for you first."

Eva immediately stood up, pointing to her face. "See? I tested it for you. No allergic reaction at all."

I looked at the veil on her head. It was the one I had picked out. "Where's the wedding dress?"

Eva’s face shifted slightly.

The makeup artist pulled back the curtain, revealing the main gown inside. The waistline had been temporarily pinned an inch tighter.

I walked over, my fingers touching the safety pins. "Who altered this?"

Eva said softly, "It was a little loose when I tried it on just now, so the staff just pinned it for me real quick."

I let out a cold laugh.

Her eyes immediately welled up with tears again. "I was just worried it’d feel too heavy on you, so I wanted to see if it was easy to walk in first." She panicked and hurried to take off the veil.

"Here, I'll give it back to you."

As the veil came off, David casually handed it to me. "Alright, put it on and try it out."

I didn't take it.

He frowned. "What's wrong now?"

I looked at the piece of white tulle Eva had just worn. "It's dirty."

David’s gaze turned icy. "Leah."

Eva’s face drained of color in an instant. She bit her lip, looking utterly wronged.

David stepped up to me and lowered his voice. "Do you really have to embarrass her in public like this?"

I looked at him. "Did you ever stop to think about whether I was embarrassed?"

He paused, but quickly frowned again. "Eva's been taking care of you since you were kids. Is this any way for you to act?"

After the makeup trial, the wedding planner brought over the vow journal. "Mr. Moreno, Ms. Gray, you can start writing what you'd like to say at the wedding."

Just as I reached for it, Eva grabbed it with a smile. "I know Leah isn't great at expressing herself, so let me check the format for her."

She flipped open the first page and read the prompt out loud. "'When was the first time your heart fluttered?'"

She blinked and looked toward David. "David, when was the first time your heart fluttered?"

David leaned back lazily on the couch. "High school."

Eva giggled. "It couldn't have been that day I rushed Leah to the nurse's office, could it?"

David didn't deny it. "You cried harder than she did that day."

Eva blushed. "I was terrified!"

The planner smiled fondly. "You two have such a great bond."

Once again, David offered no explanation.

As if suddenly remembering I was there, Eva turned to me. "Leah, don't get the wrong idea. I was just asking off the top of my head."

She handed the pen over. "Here, you write it."

I took the pen and paused on the first page for a very long time. In the end, I wrote down just three words.

[This ends here.]

Eva leaned in to look, freezing on the spot. "Leah, writing that is so unlucky."

David saw it, too, and his face darkened. "What on earth are you trying to pull?"

I snapped the vows booklet shut. "Nothing."

My phone vibrated in my bag, a message from the medical center. [Your pre-departure medical report has been generated. Please pick it up within three business days.]

Eva was silent on the ride back.

As we approached our building, she suddenly murmured in a small voice, "Leah, about the veil today, I'm really sorry. I won't test things for you anymore."

Hearing that, David frowned. "Her health isn't good. If you don't test things, who will?"

Eva’s eyes turned red. "But she thinks I'm dirty..."

David slammed his foot on the brake, pulling the car abruptly to the side of the road. He turned around, his eyes suppressed with rage. "Leah. Apologize."

I stared out the window. "No."

A dead silence settled over the car as Eva’s tears spilled over.

David let out a harsh, cold laugh. "Fine." He unlocked the car doors. "Then get out and cool your head."

I turned to look at him.

"Come back only when you've figured things out," he said in a heavy tone.

Eva froze. "David, don't be like this. Leah isn't in good health—"

David didn't look at her, keeping his eyes locked on me. "Doesn't she think she can handle everything on her own? Let her walk."

I pushed the door open and stepped out into the night wind.

Eva called out in a panic, "Leah, don't be mad! David didn't mean it like that—"

David didn't look back; the car door slammed shut, and the black sedan sped off into the night.

I called a cab directly to the medical center.

The nurse on duty verified my details and handed me the folder. "Ms. Gray, all your metrics are normal. You're good to go for international travel."

I took the thin stack of paper, suddenly feeling that the weight that had trapped me for so many years wasn't so heavy after all.

At 1 a.m., I dragged my packed suitcase out the door.

Before my flight took off, a stream of texts from David popped up on my screen.

[Have you cooled off yet?]

[I'm at Eva's.]

[Come over, apologize, and we can put this whole thing behind us.]

I looked at the messages, then turned off my phone.

From now on, I would never be the prop in their little love story ever again.