Chapter 2

The reply came almost instantly.

"Yes."

A moment later, he sent another message:

"You're not allowed to change your mind."

I typed back one word:

"Okay."

Ethan called again soon after.

I didn't pick up.

The ringtone played over and over while my eyes drifted to the photo on the wall.

It was from two months ago—the photo we'd taken during our wedding shoot.

A photo that should have belonged to two people had a third person shoved into it.

As if it had been telling me all along how this would end.

That day, Chloe had laughed and said, "Emma, the three of us have known each other all these years and we don't have a single proper photo together. Today's the perfect chance."

The photographer at the studio had gently suggested, "For a bridal shoot, it's a bit unusual to include someone else. Maybe schedule a separate session?"

I was about to say something when Ethan's face darkened.

"What's appropriate and what's not? Who makes these rules?"

Then he turned to me.

"Emma, Chloe's been running around helping you all day, and you're so petty you won't even take one photo with her?"

Chloe jumped in immediately. "It's fine, really. Don't fight because of me."

But Ethan pulled her between us, his voice already soft.

"We've known each other this long. We really should have a photo together."

I thought it would be just one.

But by the end, my face was stiff from smiling.

Every single bridal photo of me and Ethan had Chloe in it.

When it was all over, there were photos of Ethan and Chloe. Photos of me and Chloe.

It was supposed to be our bridal shoot, but there wasn't a single photo of just Ethan and me.

As we were leaving, the photographer pulled me aside.

He seemed like he wanted to say something, but in the end left me with only one line:

"When three people walk the same road, one of them always has to step aside."

Just then, the apartment door swung open.

Ethan walked in with a red-eyed, puffy-faced Chloe and frowned at me.

"Emma, why did you say that to Chloe?"

Chloe looked at me with tears in her eyes.

"Emma, I'm sorry. Are you mad at me? If you're mad, I'll stop seeing Ethan. I promise."

Ethan pulled her close and wiped her tears with a tissue.

"Don't say silly things. She's the one who owes you an apology. This has nothing to do with you."

I watched the two of them fussing over each other right in front of me, then looked calmly at Ethan.

"You never planned to come home with me for the engagement today, did you?"

Ethan's hand paused.

Just then, his phone buzzed.

A friend's voice spilled from the speaker:

"Ethan, well isn't this something. You finally changed fiancees, and now you're actually posting on social media?"

I frowned.

In seven years together, Ethan had never once posted anything.

No matter how much I begged, he'd just say coolly, "Only immature people need social media to express their feelings."

I opened his profile.

On a page that had been blank for seven years, there was now a single photo.

Him and Chloe.

The caption was one line.

"Glad to have you."

So it wasn't that he couldn't express himself.

The person worth expressing it for had just never been me.

Looking at those few words, I suddenly felt exhausted.

I'd been able to pretend I didn't notice so many things before.

But this time, I was done pretending.