Chapter 3

Camilla's POV

At three in the morning, a knock on the door woke me. Before I could fully come to my senses, Antonio walked in.

"Simona wants some of the oatmeal you make. Go make her some."

I looked him in the eye. "I was sleeping."

He came over and kissed my forehead. "Well, you're awake now. It won't take long. Be good."

I had no choice but to get dressed and head to the kitchen. By the time I finished making the oatmeal, morning had already come.

An email suddenly arrived on my phone. It was from the hospital where I'd been receiving treatment, reminding me to prepare for the next stage of treatment.

I ignored it and went back to my room, hoping to get a little more sleep.

When I woke up again, the cabin was strangely quiet. I opened the door and stepped outside, only to realize the place was completely empty. Everyone was gone.

It wasn't until I checked my phone that I saw the message Antonio had left me.

It read, "Camilla, you were still asleep, so I didn't wake you. The guide said there's a good chance we'll see the northern lights tonight, so we went on ahead. You worked hard last night. Get some rest. I'll take you next time."

I stared at my phone as tears suddenly spilled down my cheeks.

It was always like this. I was always the one left behind, followed by a casual promise of "next time".

I closed Antonio's messages and opened the ones Simona had sent me.

They read, "Camilla, I'm so sorry. I wanted to wake you, but Antonio was worried because you didn't get enough rest. I'm so jealous of how much he cares about you. Make sure you get plenty of rest!"

As I read her messages, it felt as though there was a gaping hole in my chest.

I had just wiped away my tears when Antonio called.

"Camilla, the designer just called. Your dress and Simona's are ready. Take a look at them. And while you're at it, confirm the schedule for the engagement party."

Before I could say anything, he hung up.

I looked around the empty cabin, then picked up my phone and called the event coordinator at the hotel. "Cancel the engagement party next week."

Only after ending the call did I open the email from the designer. Inside were photos of the finished dress.

Originally, there had only been one for me. But after Simona casually mentioned how pretty it was, Antonio had the designer rush a second dress for her in the same theme.

I told the designer to send my dress directly to Antonio.

I didn't want the dress anymore. And I didn't want the man it was meant for, either.

Just as I finished taking care of everything, another message from Simona came through.

This time, it was a photo of her and Antonio together. The green northern lights shimmered overhead as they stood pressed close to each other.

"Camilla, what a shame! Our guide managed to find the northern lights tonight. I wish you could've been here with us."

I stared at the two of them in the photo. They looked more like a couple than Antonio and I ever did.

I wondered what Antonio would feel after I died.

I wondered if he would regret everything he'd done, or if he would simply be relieved that he could finally devote himself to taking care of Simona.

None of them came back that night.

The only thing Antonio sent me was a message. It read, "We're not coming back to pick you up. Pack your things and head back to Bellarosa on your own."

I wiped away my tears and booked myself a flight to Westmere.