Chapter 3

I had just set my phone down when the front door opened.

Ryan rolled a suitcase into the entryway, then took Claire's coat and hung it up before finally looking over at me.

After a short pause, he said, "Claire has a live-in caregiver staying at her place, so there isn't enough room. She'll stay here for a couple of days."

My eyes dropped to Claire's suitcase.

It was the exact same style as Ryan's, right down to the matching leather luggage tag.

Somehow, even that made them look like a pair, while I was the one who didn't belong.

"Okay."

I spoke quietly, then turned toward the bedroom. Ryan grabbed my wrist before I could walk away.

"Let Claire have the master bedroom. She can't sleep on a firm mattress."

I stared at him for a second, almost too stunned to respond.

Back when we had nothing, Ryan and I used to squeeze onto a twin bed. Night after night, I barely moved because I wanted him to sleep comfortably.

I ended up hurting my back so badly that even now, a firm mattress left me aching all night.

For a moment, I almost asked if he remembered.

Then I realized I didn't care anymore.

So I just nodded. "Fine."

Another red dot appeared on the scoring app, probably rewarding me for being so "understanding."

I didn't even open it. I deleted the app for good.

The next morning, Ryan knocked on my door and told me he had a surprise.

Before I could say much, he practically dragged me into the car. He didn't take off the blindfold until we reached our destination.

The second I saw the sea of white in front of me, my breath caught.

Ryan wrapped his arms around me from behind, his warm breath brushing my neck.

"I've always wanted to see you in this. Now, I'm getting closer and closer to making that happen."

I stared at the wedding dress and remembered all the times we walked past this boutique and I stopped to admire it through the window.

Back then, we shared the same scarf against the cold. Ryan held my hand and promised that one day, he would buy that dress for me.

Eventually, he could afford it.

But thanks to that ridiculous bet with Claire, even marrying him became something I had to earn with enough points.

I lowered my eyes, about to say something, when Claire suddenly stormed into the bridal shop.

"Ryan, why are you letting her try on wedding dresses? She doesn't even have enough points yet! And I'm the one who should be wearing…"

Her voice trailed off under Ryan's cold stare. Then she reached for the dress like she was about to rip it.

I rushed forward and grabbed her wrist.

Not because I cared about the dress, but because I recognized the bracelet around her wrist.

"Where did you get that? That was my mom's. Give it back."

Claire glanced down at it in disgust.

"This old thing? I found it in that beat-up wooden box in your room. I went through the whole thing. Most of it was junk, so I threw it out. This bracelet was the only thing that looked halfway decent…"

My chest tightened so hard that I could barely breathe.

That box held everything Mom left behind.

My eyes burned as I reached for the bracelet.

Claire suddenly called out, "Ryan, if you can get her to give it to me, I'll let you add points to her score!"

Ryan hesitated for a second, then stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me, holding me back.

"Julia, it's just a bracelet. If you get a few more points, we can finally have the wedding."

Something inside me snapped. I bit down hard on his arm, and everything I had held in for the past three years came pouring out.

"Why the hell does your ex get to decide whether I'm allowed to have my own wedding?"

The scene quickly drew attention. Customers and employees all turned to stare.

Ryan's face darkened. "What did you just say?"

I looked at him, and this time, I felt nothing. "Ryan, I'm not marrying you."

Every word hit him hard. His face went stiff.

"Fine. Just don't regret it." He grabbed Claire by the arm. "If you don't want the wedding, then Claire can do the bridal shoot with me today."

Claire could barely hide the smug look in her eyes. She walked toward me, pretending to take off the bracelet.

The second she got close, she suddenly stumbled backward as I pushed her.

The bracelet hit the floor with a sharp clatter, and the clasp snapped apart.