Chapter 3

"Joyce, I looked everywhere for you. So this is where you were hiding?"

Luther still looked shaken.

He couldn't find me, and it had thrown him into a panic.

Something like this had happened before.

Once, my phone died and Luther couldn't reach me. He went half out of his mind, putting up a huge reward and sending people all over the city to look for me.

Back then, I'd been secretly thrilled about it for a whole month.

Now all I felt inside was numbness.

Looking at that anxious face of his, I turned away without thinking.

He hooked his arm through mine and smiled.

"Did you forget what day it is today?"

I looked at him, puzzled.

Luther touched my forehead, a little curious.

"You. You don't even remember your own birthday?"

If he hadn't said it, I'd have forgotten I had a birthday at all.

The scent on him, something like heather blossom, sent my stomach churning.

I shifted my feet and eased him away without a word.

"Sorry. I made you worry."

He didn't notice anything off about me and just smiled.

"We've been together too long for you to be this polite. Come on, let's go cut the cake together."

Halfway back to the party, as he pulled me along, my phone buzzed.

"Do you know why this hotel tower is named 'Rosalind'? Because Luther bought the whole thing ages ago as my birthday present."

"I hear today's your birthday too, big sister? I've got a big surprise waiting for you."

Two messages from Rose, one after the other, plus a lewd video.

This wasn't the first time she'd sent me things like this, and I doubted it would be the last.

I skimmed them fast, then killed the screen.

Walking behind Luther, I noticed him suddenly go still, eyes fixed on his phone.

"Are you feeling all right?"

"No... it's nothing..."

Right when everyone was waiting for me to blow out the candles, out of the corner of my eye I caught Luther looking distracted.

There was something strange in his face.

"Joyce, wait for me a second. I'm going... to the restroom."

He didn't wait for my answer. Luther hurried off.

Five minutes later he came back to his spot, looking perfectly normal.

"Sorry, something urgent came up. Go ahead and make your wish."

He apologized, but he didn't dare meet my eyes.

I nodded, closed my eyes for a moment, then blew out the candles.

The smile went back up on Luther's face.

"Joyce, what did you wish for just now?"

I smiled, giving nothing away.

"If I tell, it won't come true."

He had no idea my biggest wish was to leave him forever.

In front of everyone, Luther kissed me on the cheek, then took a small ornate box from an assistant.

"Look, see what I got you?"

"I had this watch custom-made for you by a world-famous master watchmaker. It took a whole year."

The moment I saw what was inside the box, the last shred of illusion in me shattered.

Luther saw the cold look in my eyes and felt a flicker of unease.

"What is it? You don't like the present I got you?"

I forced a smile.

"I like it. Why wouldn't I?"

Now I finally understood the "surprise" Rose had mentioned in her message.

Inside the box, besides the watch, were the stockings Rose had just shown me in the video, and... a used condom.

The surprise was too big. It caught me off guard.

Back in the room, resting, I got another taunting message from Rose.

"Well? Happy with the surprise I set up for you?"

"You'll never imagine what a man who swears he loves you to the bone is like on the other side. From now on, every private meeting I have with him, I'll share it with you."

"Joyce Dickerson, you're a total failure. The one Luther really loves is me!"

I turned off the screen.

I stared at my reflection in it for a long time, saying nothing, letting the tears in my eyes run freely.

Luther, who had vanished for a while, suddenly came into the room, and the sight of my red-rimmed eyes scared him into rushing over to hold me.

"What's wrong, Joyce? Are your eyes bothering you again?"

His concern didn't look faked.

I looked at this man in front of me, so familiar and so strange, nothing like the one flushed with lust in that video.

The color that hadn't fully faded from his face, the kiss marks half-hidden at his collar, all of it told me his disappearance just now had clearly been to go find Rose.

I honestly couldn't imagine how he could come off a scene of passion and then show up in front of someone else, unflushed, heart steady, calmly caring like nothing had happened.

Wave after wave of exhaustion washed over me. I rubbed the tight space between my brows.

"It's nothing. I'll be fine after some rest."

...

That night, a rare shower of shooting stars crossed the sky.

Luther, delighted as a child, dragged me up to the rooftop.

He made his wish to the falling stars:

"I, Luther Sanchez, love Joyce Dickerson most in this life! In this life and this world, may I grow old with her!"

"Tomorrow we're going to pick out the wedding gown. Are you excited, Joyce? Nervous?"

I looked at how earnest his face was, and my heart filled with nothing but pain.

His love for me was beyond doubt.

But his betrayal was a thorn buried in my heart, bleeding.

The love between us was more like the shooting star crossing the sky right now.

So dazzling.

And so brief.