Chapter 5

Standing behind the monitor, I watched them embrace on screen.

I felt so silly, stuck in the shadows behind the camera, watching someone else live out the life that was supposed to be mine.

Once the director called cut, everyone crowded around the monitor to review the footage. The snow, the white gown, the ring—the imagery was breathtakingly cinematic. Julian and Evangeline looked so genuine that it felt impossible to fake.

Julian suddenly walked over to my side.

As if terrified someone might catch us, he discreetly reached out and slipped his fingers into mine.

Then, slipping a second ring box from his coat pocket, he murmured, "Willow, that was just for the campaign. This one's yours."

I had waited so long for this exact moment, for him to step away from the lens and choose me with absolute certainty. Yet as he slid the band onto my ring finger, not a single ripple of emotion stirred within me.

The ring slid loosely down my skin. It was a full size too big, exactly Evangeline's size.

Julian froze, sputtering out a quick explanation under his breath. "I must have picked up the wrong size. I'll exchange it when we get back."

I stared at the ill-fitting ring, too exhausted to even force a smile.

A shout called out from down the snowy trail, "Julian! Let's hit the afterparty!"

Julian glanced back at me. "Willow, I'm going to head over first. Finish up the edits, then come join us, okay?"

I gave him a soft nod. "Okay."

That was the last time I would ever say 'okay' to him, because I was never going back.

While they were at the afterparty, I returned to the hotel alone to pack my bags.

On my laptop, every project file and edit was neatly cataloged. Opening the channel dashboard, I systematically revoked every administrative access tied to my account.

By midnight, I was sitting alone on an outbound flight.

Outside the window, the snow-covered landscape slowly shrank into the distance. I didn't look back once.

This was the last love story I would ever write for them, and the final scene I would leave behind for Julian. Wherever I landed next, be it a snowfield or coast, I would never come back to him.

Meanwhile, back at the celebration, Julian opened the final video file. His fingers suddenly faltered on the trackpad.

He stared fixedly at the words "Final Cut", his heart skipping a heavy, unexplainable beat.

A second later, a notification chimed on his screen.

The instant Julian read the message, the easy smile froze on his face. He jolted upright, and the color drained from his face.

It was an automated system alert from the channel dashboard.

[Willow Foster removed themselves as Channel Admin.]

[Channel ownership, script archives, and raw assets transfer complete.]

Julian stared at the lines, the buzz from the alcohol vanishing instantly.

Beside him, someone raised a glass. "Julian, tonight's final edit is absolute art! This Jeline proposal shoot is going to break the internet!"

Julian didn't answer. His eyes were locked on the screen as a hollow void opened in his chest. It felt as though the foundation of everything he’d built had just been pulled out from under him.

He immediately dialed my number.

The first call went unanswered, as did the second call.

By the third try, the only response was the robotic automated operator informing him the phone was switched off.

Julian stood up abruptly, his chair clattering backward onto the floor.

Evangeline jumped, startled. "Julian, what's wrong?"

Without looking at her, he grabbed his car keys and bolted out the door.

When he burst into the hotel room, it was pitch black and silent.

My luggage and primary camera were gone. The only thing left on the nightstand was the ill-fitting ring resting on a simple note.

[Julian, the final cut is uploaded. From now on, write your own love stories.]

Julian stood frozen in place, motionless for a long time.

In that moment, he finally remembered how the ring had slid loosely off my finger when he put it on earlier.

At the time, he had simply said, "I picked up the wrong size. I'll exchange it later."

But he had never stopped to think that the ring I had waited so many years for could not be so easily dismissed with a comment about a wrong size.

More absurdly, he had bought it in Evangeline's size.

Julian gripped the edge of the table, his knuckles turning white from the strain.

His phone vibrated in his palm. It was from the manager.

[Julian, what's going on with Willow?]

[She stripped all her admin permissions.]

[Who's supposed to handle the scripts for the next few shoots?]