Chapter 3

Mom jumped up from the couch to hit me.

I shut my bedroom door. She stood outside, cursing me out for over an hour.

I put on my headphones and packed my things—sunscreen, motion sickness pills, and band-aids.

The next afternoon, I went out to pick up the last few supplies. When I came back, I heard laughter coming from the living room as I stood in the hallway.

"For this segment of the engagement party, how about we put in a few live little loaches in Aria's champagne glass? The moment she takes a sip, she'll see them swimming right by her mouth," Vivian said, then laughed.

Oliver was silent for a long moment.

"What's gotten into you now?" she asked, slightly annoyed.

He sighed and finally replied, "Fine. But this really is the last time."

Mom was laughing along beside them.

"It's just a little prank to teach Aria a lesson. After all, she's been running her mouth too much lately."

To them, my engagement party was just a set-up for a prank.

I stood at the door without moving, listening for a long time. It wasn't until the laughter died down that I turned around and went downstairs, circling around the back entrance.

That evening, Vivian suggested throwing Oliver a bachelor party.

I said I didn't mind.

At 2:00 am, I went to pick them up. They were both drunk.

Outside the VIP room at the club, Vivian was draped over Oliver's shoulder. She was sobbing so hard that her makeup had become ruined. She said, "If you hadn't gone and confessed to Aria out of spite back then, we wouldn't have wasted all those years."

Oliver covered his eyes with one hand.

"I regret it too. I was drunk that day. When I saw her standing alone in the rain, I just felt so sorry for her. I shouldn't have spent seven years with her out of pity."

I leaned against the doorframe.

Seven years ago, I sat crouched at a bus stop in the pouring rain, crying my eyes out.

Oliver had come running through the rain and held me, saying, "Aria, I've liked you for a long time."

Back then, I felt like no water in the world could ever scare me again. As it turned out, his feelings in that moment were nothing more than drunken pity.

I sent them both back to their own homes.

The next morning, Oliver and Vivian went to the hotel to "decorate".

Mom sent a voice message to the family group chat.

"Aria's getting engaged today. She gets a little nervous in the spotlight, so please be patient with her."

Before heading out, Oliver smiled and said, "Aria, there's no need to hurry. You can take all the time you need to get ready."

I nodded.

On the other end of his phone, Vivian was shrieking, "There aren't enough loaches! Go buy a few more live ones!"

I didn't go to the hotel. Instead, I hauled my suitcase downstairs and met up with Sage. Then, we caught a cab to the dock.

As we crossed the bridge over the bay, my phone signal faded bar by bar until it was gone. The last message that came through was a voice message from Vivian.

"Get over here quick! We've got a surprise for you!"

In the background, she was stifling a laugh.

I turned off my phone.

The ferry set off. The land behind us grew smaller and smaller.

…

Meanwhile, the doors to the hotel ballroom were pushed open. Vivian shrieked with glee and flung a glass full of muddy loach water toward the entrance. But the only person standing there was the hotel manager.

"Ms. Hart instructed me to inform you all that she won't be coming. She wishes everyone a wonderful time."

Oliver's smile froze on his face.

The wine glass slipped from Mom's hand and crashed onto the table.