Chapter 3

The next morning, Carly placed a new appointment card for a high-end tailored suit in front of me.

The appointment was set for Sunday at 3:00 pm in a private VIP suite, with the lead designer providing full service.

She'd even prepared breakfast—a cup of black coffee and three boiled egg whites, slightly more calories than my usual intake.

"I came on too strong yesterday." Carly pushed the plate toward me. "If you don't want to link the smart scale, you don't have to. Just log your measurements and body fat once a week before the wedding and send them to me."

Those three egg whites felt like her concession.

I picked one up and took a bite.

The long-forgotten natural taste of food bloomed across my tongue. For a split second, I actually thought that as long as she showed up on time today, maybe we could still talk this through.

As Carly watched me finish, her expression softened.

She reached over to adjust the collar of my tracksuit. Her movement was so practiced it made my throat tighten.

At 9:00 am, Aiden called.

His voice leaked through the earpiece, saying the auto show had changed venues at the last minute, and that he couldn't find the entrance.

Carly was silent for a second before grabbing her car keys. "I'll just get him inside and leave. I'll be at the restaurant by 11:00 am."

I didn't stop her, merely placing the wedding menu tasting confirmation sheet into my bag. "I won't wait past 11:00 am."

She turned back at the entryway. "You weren't like this before."

"I used to finish workout sessions on an empty stomach just to wait for you."

After the door closed, half a cup of her unfinished coffee remained on the table.

My instinct was to pour it out and wash the cup, but halfway through reaching out, I pulled back.

…

At 11:00 am, I was the only person sitting in the restaurant.

By 12:00 pm, two rounds of cold appetizers had been cleared away.

The manager came over to ask if they should start serving the dishes.

I glanced at the empty head seat and told him to bring everything out. I also added roast beef, a beef burger, and a dessert to the order.

Carly's call came in just as the first dish was set down.

"Something came up at the auto show. Go ahead and confirm the presentation. You don't need to taste the food. The chef will follow standard recipes, so there won't be any issues."

"You promised you'd be here by 11:00 am," I said.

"Aiden's in a bad mood. I can't just abandon him here. Be mature about this and help me finish up the tasting process."

The waiter lifted the lid off the plate, and the rich scent of roast beef hit my face.

"Carly, I'm eating."

The line went dead silent.

"Eating what?"

I picked up a piece of roast beef coated in thick, savory sauce.

"The things you strictly forbade me from touching."

Her breath hitched.

"Daniel, don't throw away your hard-earned muscle over a temper tantrum. Stop right now. Go to the gym and do two hours of high-intensity cardio, and I'll recalculate your calorie deficit when I get back."

The manager handed me another document, gently reminding me, "Ms. Stein confirmed suit measurements in advance, specifying that there can be no waistline expansion before the wedding day. There's also a pre-wedding body management agreement here that requires your signature."

The document laid out strict dietary rules for every meal between now and the wedding.

I had to weigh myself and measure my body fat every morning on an empty stomach.

If I exceeded my calorie limits, I'd have to cut carbs the next day.

Three days before the wedding, I had to start cutting water and flushing out sodium.

At the bottom was Carly's digital signature.

She had approved all the terms on my behalf.

I flipped to the final page and pushed the paper back to the manager. "I'm not signing this. Cancel the wedding, too."

Carly heard it over the phone. "Daniel, are you out of your mind?"

"The deposit refund is short by 11 thousand dollars."

"I'll handle it. Don't sign anything right now. Wait until I get there."

I hung up and signed my name on the cancellation request.

The manager reminded me that once the processing began, the wedding date would immediately be released to other guests.

Between the suit shop losses and the wedding deposit, I had effectively wiped out almost all my wedding savings.

My hand trembled as the pen glided across the page.

It wasn't about losing the money.

I had trained like an ascetic for six years for this wedding. And now, even calling it off meant giving up a piece of my own life.

I finished the plate of roast beef and beef burger.

The long-absent rush of heavy carbs and fat made my stomach, which was accustomed to bland food, cramp in sharp waves, yet I still ate the entire dessert.

The cream was sweet—so sweet it felt sickening.

Right then, a text message from Aiden popped up.

"Danny, Carly actually prefers a normal body with a bit more weight on it. She just said I look great like this. You don't have to push yourself so hard or suffer so much just for the wedding."

In the attached photo, Carly's jacket was draped over his shoulders.

Carly's hand rested on the back of his chair, barely a palm's width away from him.

I swallowed the last bite of dessert and opened the wedding cancellation status page.

My request was already granted.