Chapter 4

The day before I was set to leave, I received an unexpected message.

It was from the bridal boutique.

The assistant told me that the custom wedding dress I had fallen in love with six months ago had finally arrived.

My fingers hovered over the screen. My mind drifted back to six months ago.

After Ethan promised to marry me, I had been so excited. I spent every night planning—the venue, the flowers, the dress...

But Ethan's patience had slowly worn thin.

Once, when I tried to hold up a tuxedo sketch next to him, he had shoved me away impatiently.

"Chloe just lost her relationship, Hazel! She's incredibly fragile right now. Planning a wedding in front of her is just rubbing salt in her wounds!"

"We can talk about the wedding later!"

I had been silenced. I never brought up the wedding again.

But I had secretly put down a deposit on that dress.

The assistant said it was a highly sought-after designer piece that required months of pre-ordering.

I thought by the time the dress arrived, Ethan would finally be ready to marry me.

My phone buzzed again with another text from the assistant.

"I am so sorry, sweetie. Another lady just saw the dress in our shop and fell in love with it."

"She's offering to pay extra to rent it for a pre-wedding photoshoot today."

Along with the text, she sent a short video.

In the video, a girl was twirling in my dream wedding dress, and a man was watching her with absolute adoration.

The man said, "Chloe, you are the most beautiful bride. I am honored to be your groom."

I froze.

The girl was my "heartbroken" best friend, Chloe.

And the man in the groom's tuxedo was my boyfriend, Ethan.

So, he wasn't against wearing a wedding suit.

He just preferred wearing it with Chloe.

Bitterness flooded my chest. I wiped a tear, feeling a sudden surge of cold rebellion.

I transferred the remaining balance of the dress to the boutique immediately and texted back:

"I do not agree to rent it to her."

"Because she is a homewrecker trying to steal my relationship."

Within seconds, my phone rang.

Ethan's voice boomed through the speaker, furious.

"Hazel! How could you be so malicious and slander an innocent girl?"

"Apologize to Chloe right now, or I'll have my lawyer sue you!"

I let out a cold laugh.

"Do you swear to God she hasn't crossed the line in our relationship?"

Ethan hadn't realized I was the owner of the dress. He choked for a second before finding his footing again.

"Chloe was just sad because she felt like she'd never get married. She just wanted to borrow the dress to take some photos with me as a comforting gesture!"

"Hazel Miller, she is your best friend! How could you spread such disgusting rumors about her?"

Not a single explanation. Only anger and accusations directed at me.

"You're right. It's my fault," I said, feeling a genuine sense of clarity.

"I shouldn't have asked my boyfriend for a private date. I shouldn't have cared that my boyfriend was taking wedding photos with my best friend."

"And most of all... I shouldn't have stayed with you."

"Let's break up, Ethan."

I said every word clearly. It felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. It hurt, but the cancer was finally gone.

Ethan went silent. The line was so quiet I could hear both of our ragged breathing.

Suddenly, Chloe's voice squealed in the background.

"Hazel! Please don't break up with Ethan! This is all my fault!"

"I'll just end my life! Then you two can be happy!"

A loud scream echoed through the phone, followed by the sound of the device crashing to the floor.

Ethan was screaming Chloe's name in pure panic.

Then, his voice came back on the line, dripping with venom.

"Hazel Miller! If anything happens to Chloe, I will make you pay!"

A long time passed before the shop assistant carefully picked up the phone and whispered to me, "Um... the lady just hurt herself..."