Chapter 3
Nina’s heart jolted. She quickly turned her head to hide the blood.
But Julian was already striding toward her. Without a word, he snatched the catalog from her hands.
He stared down at the page, brows tightening at the crimson smudge spreading across the glossy photo.
That’s when she realized-
He wasn’t worried about her. He was annoyed about the stained book.
“Sorry,” Nina said, voice trembling. “I didn’t mean to ruin it.”
Samantha rushed over with tissues, giving Julian a playful scold. “Seriously, you care more about the paper than her nose? Nina, are you okay? Do you want to go to the hospital?”
Nina shook her head and took the tissues, pressing them to her nose. “It’s just a sinus thing. Dry air. I’ll be fine in a minute.”
She wasn’t about to drop the word terminal in front of her ex and his fiancée on their wedding week.
Julian didn’t respond. He just stared at her pale face, something unreadable flickering in his eyes.
Nina headed to the restroom to get the bleeding under control.
When she came back out, Samantha had already changed into another wedding gown.
It wasn’t the one she had insisted on earlier. She had picked a different style–sleek, modern, and dramatic. She did a slow spin in front of Julian, smiling brightly.
“Well? Do I look good?”
Julian looked at her like nothing else in the room existed. “You look amazing.”
His gaze held her reflection like it was the only thing in his world.
Nina felt her chest tighten.
She turned to leave. “I should get going. I have something to take care of.”
“Wait!” Samantha called after her. “Julian and I don’t really have any friends here in Aspenridge. We were lucky to run into you. I know it’s a lot to ask, but… would you be my bridesmaid?”
Nina’s fingers twitched.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I’m flying back soon. My travel window’s almost up.”
There was no way she could stand at the altar next to her ex–smiling, holding flowers, pretending to celebrate his new love.
Samantha pouted, clearly disappointed. “Aww, that’s too bad. Well, maybe we’ll hang out again before you leave.”
Nina forced a thin smile. “Sure.”
She grabbed her purse and walked toward the exit. Just before the doors slid shut behind her, she couldn’t help but look back one last
time.
Julian was sitting on the couch.
He never looked at her. Not even once.
Just like the day he left her behind.
The automatic doors hissed closed with a soft click, clean and final.
Like a seal between two separate worlds.
Outside, the streets were quiet. People passed by with relaxed smiles, as if they lived in a universe where hearts never broke and
Chapter 3
3.95%
memories didn’t ache.
Nina kept walking until she spotted a bar tucked into the corner of a cobblestone alley.
She hesitated–then pushed the door open and stepped inside.
She hadn’t touched alcohol since her diagnosis. Once, she used to love drinking. Loved the fire it left in her throat and the way it made everything feel just a little bit lighter.
But after just one bottle, her stomach churned.
She staggered toward the counter to pay.
That’s when she saw it.
A photo wall behind the bar–rows and rows of happy couples.
The bartender, a big guy with a bushy beard and a warm smile, chuckled as he cleaned a glass. “Take a picture with your sweetheart
here and your drinks are on the house.”
Nina gave a soft laugh and shook her head. “I’m alone.”
But her eyes locked on a frame at the very top of the wall… and froze.
It was a picture of Julian and Samantha.
The date printed at the bottom read:
March 11, 2024.
Nina’s heart plummeted. Her mind went blank.
That date…
That was before they broke up.
Before he said goodbye.
Before he walked away.
A chill crept into her veins, slow and merciless.
The bartender kept talking, but Nina heard nothing.
She walked out in a daze.
A man followed her out, catching up with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Hey, I’ve been watching you since the moment you stepped in. Want to come back to my place?”
She shook her head. “No, thank you.”
But he grabbed her arm. “C’mon, don’t be like that.”
“Let go of me!”
She struggled, but he yanked harder, trying to pull her toward a nearby car.
Then-
Someone grabbed the man by the collar and slammed him back with a brutal punch.
“Get lost,” Julian snapped, voice colder than ice.
The guy scrambled away.
Julian turned to Nina, frowning. “Bars like this aren’t safe. If you don’t even have basic awareness, maybe you should just go back home. Save everyone the trouble of rescuing you.”
Nina stared at him.
Chapter 3
3.95%
She didn’t blink. Didn’t breathe.
Then, quietly, “Thanks.”
Her voice cracked.
“But I guess,” she added, “it’s lucky I ended up in that bar tonight. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have had the chance to play hero.”
Julian narrowed his eyes. “Say what you really mean.”
She smiled bitterly.
“March 11th, 2024,” she said softly. “I didn’t know you were already with Samantha back then.”
Her eyes burned red.
“Julian… I didn’t think you were the cheating type.”
Julian’s expression darkened. He didn’t answer.
Nina’s hand trembled. She pushed him–hard. “Say something!”
But Julian didn’t flinch. He just stepped back, eyes cool and distant. “You saw it yourself, didn’t you?”
One sentence. That’s all it took to shut her down completely.
She stared at him in disbelief.
He met her eyes without hesitation. “Yeah,” he said. “I cheated. I fell for Samantha before I broke things off with you. That’s your answer. Happy now?”
Nina’s lungs collapsed in on themselves.
The pain was sharp, like something had pierced through her ribcage.
She couldn’t speak. Couldn’t even breathe.
She thought nothing he did could hurt her anymore.
She was wrong.
Tears spilled down her cheeks, no matter how hard she tried to hold them back.
She wiped them away with the back of her hand. “Okay. I get it.”
She turned to leave, but the world tilted.
Her legs gave out beneath her, and she crumpled to the ground.
Somewhere far away, she heard Julian calling her name.
When she came to, she was in a hospital bed. The ceiling above her was blinding white.
She turned her head–and saw Julian standing beside her.
He was holding her medical chart. His face was carved from stone.
Cold. Expressionless
Chapter 3
