Chapter 5

When Jane stepped into the bridal boutique, she found Liz sitting quietly on the couch, flipping through a bridal catalog. She looked calm and composed, almost too composed.

Jane glanced around but didn’t see Zac. Her brow furrowed as she walked over. “Where’s Zac?”

“He left.”

Jane’s expression darkened. “He just left you here by yourself?”

Liz lowered her gaze. Her fingers absentmindedly traced the image of a wedding gown on the page. She didn’t answer.

Seeing her like that, Jane felt a mix of frustration and sadness. She decided to shift the mood. “So? How was the fitting?”

“I liked it. I even took some pictures.”

“Show me.”

The moment Jane saw the photos, her eyes lit up. “Wow. You look incredible. That dress is made for you. When I get married, you’re designing mine too. No backing out.”

A faint smile touched Liz’s lips. “Deal.”

Jane zoomed in on one of the photos and let out a low whistle. “Honestly, Zac doesn’t deserve you. He must’ve saved the world in his last life to land someone like you.”

Liz’s smile faltered. The truth was, Zac had never really wanted this wedding. She was the one who kept pushing for it.

Noticing the shift in her mood, Jane put the phone down and studied her. “Did you two fight again?”

Liz didn’t want to worry her. She shook her head. “No. I’m just a little tired from the fitting.”

“That’s nothing compared to the actual wedding day. You’ll be changing outfits, giving toasts... Oh, and are you inviting your family?”

At the mention of her family, Liz’s hands tensed slightly. “I haven’t decided yet.”

“Alright. No pressure. You still have time before the invites go out.”

Liz gave a small nod. In truth, she wasn’t even sure the wedding was still happening. After everything that had unfolded earlier that day, she wasn’t sure if she even wanted it to.

Later, as Jane finished trying on her bridesmaid dress and got ready to leave, she noticed Liz’s ankle was swollen.

“What happened?”

“I twisted it in heels.”

Jane frowned. “That looks pretty bad. Let me take you to the hospital.”

Liz shook her head. “It’s alright. I’m not that fragile. I’ll put some ointment on it and rest. It’ll be fine in a few days.”

“You’re way too hard on yourself. Back in college, you wouldn’t even get a flu shot without Zac sweet-talking you for half an hour. That was the real ‘fragile’ you.”

Liz paused, then gave a bitter smile.

Back then, she had allowed herself to be fragile because Zac loved her and made her feel safe.

Now, all that care and attention belonged to someone else. If she showed weakness now, Zac would probably just see her as needy and overdramatic.

On the way home, Jane stopped by a pharmacy to pick up something for the swelling. She dropped Liz off at her apartment and made her promise to use it regularly before heading out.

Once she was alone in the quiet apartment, the scene at the bridal boutique replayed in Liz’s mind. Her eyes gradually lost their light.

Zac hadn’t come back since that argument. And unlike before, Liz hadn’t chased after him with calls or messages. Neither of them had reached out. They were locked in a silent standoff, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

On the tenth day of silence, Liz tossed another piece of jewelry into the trash.

This time, it didn’t sting quite as much.

Maybe if things kept going like this, she would finally let go. Maybe then she would be strong enough to walk away.

Because she was tired of hoping, only to be disappointed over and over again.

*

That afternoon, Jane dropped by after a meeting.

“So, how’s wedding prep going? Need any help?” she asked as she kicked off her heels. “There’s only a month left, but I still haven’t seen an invite. And Zac doesn’t seem to be doing much either.”

Jane had never been a fan of their relationship. But Liz was her best friend, and if Liz had her heart set on marrying Zac, she would support her no matter what.

Liz looked down and pressed her lips together. “The wedding might get postponed.”

Jane’s head snapped up. “Postponed? Don’t tell me Zac’s trying to back out.”

“No... We just had a fight.”

“A bad one?”

Jane knew Liz. She could tolerate a lot. If she was even hinting that things were off, it had to be serious.

Liz hesitated. “Yeah. Kind of.”

Jane sighed, but before she could say more, something in the trash caught her eye. Her gaze shifted, then widened in disbelief.

“Wait... Is that your sleep bracelet? You threw it out?” Her voice rose in shock. “What the hell did you two fight about?”

Back when Liz struggled with insomnia and the doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong, Zac had gone above and beyond to help her. He had found a company that made custom sleep bracelets, supposedly designed to promote calm and rest. He had it shipped in from overseas, and even flew out to pick it up himself.

Liz wore it every single day for over a year. She treated it like a lifeline—so much so that she never even let Jane touch it.

And now it was sitting in the trash.

Liz gave it a brief glance, but said nothing. Her expression was unreadable.

“I’ll let you know if the wedding date gets confirmed,” she said quietly.

Jane studied her for a moment. Liz looked exhausted, emotionally and physically drained.

She stood up, her voice softening. “Alright. Just... if you need anything, call me, okay?”

“I will.”

*

Three days later, just before dinner, Liz got a call from a colleague.

“Miss Smith, your friend and your fiancé’s secretary just got into a fight at a restaurant!”

Startled, Liz fumbled with the knife she was holding and sliced her finger. Blood welled up at the tip.

She quickly jotted down the address, rinsed the cut, wrapped her hand, and rushed out the door.

When she arrived at the restaurant, she ran straight into Zac at the entrance.

He didn’t even glance at her. His expression was ice-cold, his eyes unreadable. Without a word, he brushed past her and walked inside like she wasn’t even there.

Liz paused to steady herself, then followed him in.

Jane was seated by the window, arms crossed and wearing a faint, icy smile. Across from her sat Xena, looking disheveled and on the verge of tears.

Next to Xena was another woman around the same age, whispering in her ear and shooting daggers at Jane every few seconds.

Zac strode over to the table. The moment he got close, Xena stood up and flung herself into his arms, her voice trembling with emotion.

“Mr. Lincoln… Tiana and I were just having dinner when Miss Stone walked up and slapped me. Twice.”

Zac turned to Jane, his eyes blazing. His voice came out low and sharp.

“I want an explanation.”

Jane didn’t flinch. She leaned back in her chair and gave a slow shrug, her tone laced with sarcasm.

“So do I. Why would you bring your mistress to a wedding dress fitting with your fiancée?”