Chapter 4

A crease formed between his brows as he wrapped his coat around me.

"It's freezing. Why are you dressed so lightly?"

Ignoring his concern, I pressed on, "Are you searching for something?"

"Yeah, I need to borrow your wedding dress. Lydia wants to wear it for her big day."

He added, as if I might have forgotten, "It's the one you wore at your own wedding."

I just stared at him silently.

How could I forget? He had crafted that dress with his own hands for me.

From sketch to final stitch, it had taken two whole months.

He had done it all because I once said, "I wish for a wedding dress that's one of a kind".

However, there he was, ready to hand over the dress he made for me to perfect another woman's wedding.

A laugh almost escaped me, but I held it back and asked instead, "Does the dress mean that much? Why does it have to be this one?"

My question seemed to strike a chord, and he stopped what he was doing.

When he finished the dress, he had promised, "This dress will forever be yours alone".

I held his gaze. He wavered for just a second before he blurted out, "It's a masterpiece—the only one like it in the world. Lydia adores it. Her heart is set on getting married in this dress."

As I looked down, he reassured me, "Don't worry, I'll give it back to you right after the wedding. Then, you can ask for anything you want."

However, it was just another perfect lie, and it hit me hard, once again.

On our wedding day, Ashton could not take his eyes off me.

Later, he carefully stored the wedding dress away like a precious keepsake.

"Why do you care so much about this dress?" I joked.

He replied earnestly, "It's because you made it uniquely beautiful. I want to keep this memory alive forever."

However, swayed by Lydia's simple "I like it", he gave it to her without a second thought.

The dress was no longer a cherished memory. It was just a trinket to make Lydia happy.

"It's late. You should get some sleep. I've got to head out," he said, oblivious to my feelings, and took the dress with him.

I dropped my coat to the floor, my gaze falling on the empty cabinet, my heart heavy with disappointment and grief.

"It's okay. I'm in the same boat. Once he's done cleaning up his mess, all will be well," I told myself.

It was nothing more than being cast aside.

When my memories were wiped clean, I was finally able to move on.

Lost in thought, a sharp pain suddenly pierced my mind, and another piece of my memory vanished.

I snapped out of my sadness.

The following day, Noelle mentioned that Ashton was swamped with wedding preparations for Lydia, a spectacle to rival our own.

I nodded, lost in thought. Despite his tight schedule, he still managed to have meals sent to me three times a day.

He was so thorough that he even took care of me. What a two-faced hypocrite!

On the day of the wedding, Noelle dragged me along to witness the spectacle.

Before the ceremony began, we found ourselves tucked away in the farthest corner, catching sight of Ashton and Lydia, arms entwined, the center of attention amidst a circle of giggling bridesmaids.

One of them murmured, "I can't believe it. Ashton threw a wedding just as lavish for Macie once. Who would've thought Lydia would strike it so lucky?"

Lydia's grip on Ashton's arm tightened when she heard my name.

Ashton cleared his throat and replied, "Macie and I are divorced. Today's about Lydia. Let's not dwell on the past."