After Jenna postponed our wedding for the tenth time, I decided to give her back her freedom. My friend’s second baby was having his one-month party; I sent my congratulations early and skipped it. My buddies invited me on a camping trip; if she showed up, I was prepared to leave immediately. My company wanted to assign me to her company to oversee a project; I resigned on the spot. Even when her parents came to my door, begging, I refused to see them. I destroyed every photo I had of her, severed all social media ties. I deleted the social media account where I’d documented our relationship, completely erasing every trace of her from my life. We’d known each other for twenty-five years, been in love for five. I used to believe we were destined to be together. Until the tenth wedding plan fell through, and I finally woke up— Love yourself before you love others. "Ethan, give me ten minutes, I'm almost there." Jenna hung up before I could reply. I looked sheepishly at the hotel staff. "My fiancée will be here any minute. Could you give us a little more time? Once she’s here, we’ll run through the rehearsal değişiklikler." The staffer offered a professional smile but looked troubled. "I'm sorry, sir, but your booked time slot for the venue is already fifteen minutes over. The next couple is waiting for their rehearsal." Over his shoulder, I saw the anxious faces of the other couple. I forced a grim smile. "Our apologies for the delay. We'll leave now." The wedding planner walked out of the hotel with me. "Mr. Hudson, even though the rehearsal wasn't completed, the deposit is still non-refundable." I managed a bitter smile. "It's fine. I'm the one who broke the contract." This wedding planning company was top-tier in Bay City, their schedule always packed. I’d paid double the deposit just to get them to work with us ten times. "You're already one of our VIP clients, sir. Feel free to contact us anytime for your next rehearsal." His words made my face burn. I practically fled the scene. This was the tenth time Jenna had missed a wedding rehearsal. The previous nine times, she’d used "emergency business trip" as an excuse to postpone the wedding. Even though the invitations had to be reprinted nine times, I’d caved every single time. But this time, I was curious to hear what new excuse she could possibly come up with. I leaned against a birch tree across from the hotel, waiting from dusk until nightfall before she finally sauntered over. "The company called an emergency board meeting. I floored it to get here. Can we still make the rehearsal?" She was still catching her breath, her form-fitting denim skirt carrying the fresh scent of shower gel. "It's too late." Jenna, who had started to pull me towards the hotel, stopped dead in her tracks. She put on an apologetic look. "The company's huge, and as CEO, I'm just spread too thin. We'll make up the rehearsal next time, okay?" I stared at her in silence, waiting for the familiar lines. Sure enough, she frowned and sighed. "I have business talks in Europe next week. Can we postpone the wedding again?" Seeing the pain in my eyes, she cooed softly, "Don't be sad. Next time, it'll definitely happen. I'll even get a psychic to pick a lucky day." "First, come with me to try on suits. I had a new Savile Row suit custom-made for you." Every time she postponed the wedding, she’d try to smooth things over with an expensive suit. Ten such custom suits were already gathering dust in my closet. I wasn't about to accept an eleventh. I pulled up a photo of an order on my phone. "You should remind Leo to pick up his custom suit." Jenna’s expression flickered, then she quickly composed herself. "It's for the company anniversary, to reward outstanding employees. Leo, my assistant, has worked incredibly hard…" I nodded, then opened a social media post she’d accidentally shared half an hour earlier—a photo from a candlelight dinner, her fingers intertwined with Leo's. "Does Ms. Yang care to explain?" Her face turned livid. "Ethan Hudson, are you actually accusing me of cheating? I was wining and dining a client to close a deal! You think everyone can just bum around like you? If I miss one day of work, the company loses millions!" I let out a short laugh. "We're childhood sweethearts, Jenna. Both our families are well-off. If you hadn't said that me taking over my family's company would mean neglecting you, why would I be stuck in a dead-end job at some small firm?" Her face turned a ghastly mix of pale and red. "Fine! So I'm the one holding you back from your grand ambitions! Let's just go our separate ways then!" I smiled and turned away, but my chest felt like a knife was twisting inside. My phone vibrated. A text from Leo popped up: [Sorry to have delayed your rehearsal, Mr. Hudson. Next time, I'll be sure to steer clear of your eleventh wedding attempt.] Every word was a poisoned barb, making it hard to breathe. She was on a date with her assistant, and she told me she was with a client. What a joke! Jenna and I were childhood sweethearts. Our parents were old friends too. Ever since we were little, our parents would tease us: "You two are the same age, practically grew up together, and you're always stuck to each other. Why don't you just get married when you grow up?" Back then, I was little and didn't know what marriage really meant. All I knew was that if we got married, Jenna would always be around to play games with me. So I'd clap my hands and cheer, "Yes, yes! I want to marry Jenna!" I even mimicked what I saw on TV and wrote her a promise note, saying I'd definitely marry her when I grew up. So, naturally, after I actually understood the meaning of marriage, my parents always used that promise note to tease me. I was thin-skinned back then, and the teasing made me flustered and a bit angry, so I started intentionally avoiding Jenna. When she noticed, she cornered me and burst into tears, demanding to know what she’d done to make me give her the cold shoulder. Those tears melted my heart, and for the first time, I felt a stir of romance. That was the day I realized I was in love with her. We finally broke through the "just friends" barrier when we were twenty and started dating. In the years that followed, I proposed, she accepted, and then she postponed the wedding ten times. By then, her star assistant, Leo, was already a fixture by her side. They spent far more time together day in and day out than she and I did. I kept telling myself their closeness was just for work. But today, I wasn't willing to lie to myself anymore. The constant buzzing of my phone snapped me out of my thoughts. I composed myself and answered, "Hello? Mike, what's up?" "Good news! My second kid's one-month party is this Saturday. Bring your fiancée and come grab some food." I was about to say I'd go alone, but then I remembered: Mike was my boy, but his wife, Emily, was Jenna's best friend. "Has Emily told Jenna yet?" "They're on the phone right now. What, you and Jenna aren't together? You finished rehearsal and went your separate ways? You'd pass up a perfect chance to get close, buddy?" Mike sounded puzzled. I gave a bitter smile. Everyone knew I was whipped for Jenna; that's why they'd assume that. I mumbled an affirmation, said I'd be there, and hung up. To "celebrate" tonight, I'd arranged for a bottle of rare vintage wine through a friend. I went to the wine shop, picked it up, and drank the entire bottle by myself. The live feed from the security camera on my phone showed Jenna. She'd hired movers and was in the process of moving her things out of our place. Maybe she realized I was watching, because she looked right at the camera and said, "What, spying on me? Afraid I'll steal your stuff?" I chuckled and switched to voice. "You misunderstood. I just wanted to remind you to take those suits you got me, the ones in the bedroom, with you too." Jenna gritted her teeth, furious. I closed the video feed and answered Mike's call. Before I could say anything, he asked coldly, "Did Jenna postpone the wedding again? She didn't show up for the rehearsal today either, did she!" When I stayed silent, he got even more agitated. "You're getting screwed over and you don't even fight back! Just wait, I'm gonna go teach Leo a lesson!" It wasn't that I didn't know how to fight back; I'd just completely given up on her and didn't want to get dragged into any more drama. It took a lot of convincing and reassurance before Mike finally calmed down. "It's probably for the best that you and Jenna are done. I've seen for a while that her heart wasn't in it with you. I just didn't say anything because we're all so close." I chuckled. "Just don't let our mess affect your relationship with Emily." "No way. Me and my wife? We're solid." After hanging up, I stumbled home. Looking at the empty apartment, the weight in my chest finally lifted a little. I did a walkthrough, found a photo album and a bottle of perfume she’d left behind, and tossed them out the window. Then I collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep. To avoid Jenna at the one-month party, I took Friday off and went over to Mike's place early. Mike opened the door, put a finger to his lips for silence, and pulled me into his small backyard. Jenna was there, dangling a toy for the baby, chatting with Emily. "I moved all my stuff out this time. I dare Ethan Hudson to yell at me again after this. He really needs a reality check, acting like he's hot stuff! He’s gotten way too big for his britches!" For years, I’d been submissive and coddled Jenna's princess tantrums. I never thought it would give her the mistaken impression that I was naturally timid. Mike frowned, looking even angrier than I felt. I patted his shoulder and gave a helpless smile. Jenna’s phone rang, interrupting their conversation. She answered with a smile, nodded to Emily, and hurried towards the front gate of the house. Mike and I quickly ducked out of sight. Once she was gone, I followed her. "Leo, didn't I tell you to take the day off? Why aren't you resting?" Leo, without a care for who might see, pulled her into his arms. "I missed you. Thinking about how you kept postponing your wedding with Ethan for me… it just drives me wild. I can't stand being away from you." Jenna playfully tapped his chest. "Well, it was your idea, wasn't it? You're so naughty." My blood ran cold. Even though I'd suspected this was the case, hearing it directly from the two of them still sent a pang through my heart. Leo pinched her cheek. "You still like me, even if I'm a little naughty. Besides, you were the one who told me you didn't want to marry him. I just came up with the plan. You agreed to it." An intimate vibe flowed between them. If they weren't right at Mike's front gate, I swear those two would've started an R-rated scene right then and there. It took all my strength to hold Mike back from rushing out. Only when we heard an engine start and the car drive off did he finally explode, cursing me for being a pushover. "Why are you taking this crap! Just go deck him!" I shook my head, my face pale. "There's no point anymore. It's over, and that's good enough." The next day, Saturday, I didn't show up for the party. Around lunchtime, Jenna called me. "Ethan Hudson, is this how you treat your friends? Skipping their big celebration? You have no class!" I knew she was just trying to get a rise out of me, so I didn't say anything. After a moment, she continued. "I forgot a limited-edition perfume. Don't even think about keeping it to mope over me. Bring it to me right now." "Threw it out." I hung up on her. I thought she’d be furious, but a second later, I got a text from her. [Playing hard to get, are we? Pathetic! Fine, throw it out! I don't want it anymore! And don't you dare come looking for me again!] Saturday night, Leo, to thank everyone for attending the baby's party, suggested a group hike for Sunday. Everyone in the group chat was enthusiastic. I was about to decline when I saw Jenna post that she had something on Sunday and couldn't make it. Only then did I agree to go. The next day was bright and sunny. I was by the stream, grilling skewers, sunglasses on. A few of Jenna’s close friends sidled up to me, their expressions disdainful, and asked slyly, "Valentine's Day is coming up, Mr. Big Shot Ethan. I bet you've got another ridiculously expensive gift for our Jenna, right? What is it? Show us, let us girls take a look." They didn't know Jenna and I had broken up. They still thought I was the same old simp, free for them to tease. I ignored them, deliberately fanning the charcoal to make the fire hotter. The smoke got to them, and they ran off, cursing. The skewers were almost done. I was about to sprinkle on some cumin and take them to the table, then I remembered Jenna and I were over. Why should I care about her preferences anymore? I went back and loaded them up with chili powder. I had just put the skewers on the table when I saw Jenna approaching. I took off my apron and turned to leave. At the same time, I heard a friend's voice behind me, talking to her: "You're late, so you have to chug one as punishment! Oh right, I forgot you don't drink beer. Get Ethan over here to drink it for you." Then my friend called out my name from behind. Without looking back, I said flatly, "I don't make a habit of drinking for strangers." Jenna’s hand, reaching for a glass, froze mid-air. She narrowed her eyes, her gaze dark and unreadable as she watched me walk away. I took a personal day on Monday and went back to the office on Tuesday. I’d barely clocked in with the facial recognition scanner when my boss clapped me on the shoulder and led me to his office. Standing in front of his desk, I listened to him spin a fantastic tale of opportunity for me. Goosebumps rose on my skin. I had no idea what scheme this old exploiter was cooking up now, but I was sure it wasn't anything good. His next words confirmed my suspicions. Somehow, he’d heard that my fiancée was Jenna, and he claimed he wanted to give me an opportunity for an "office romance" by assigning me to her company to oversee a project. Nice words, but this rinky-dink company had no collaborative projects with Yang Corp. The Yang Corporation was a major player in Bay City, a real heavyweight. They wouldn't even look twice at a small enterprise like mine. He was just saying that because he wanted me to use my connections to bring in a project for him. I refused. The boss, still not giving up, kept trying to brainwash me. I was about to tell him off when Jenna’s call, unbelievably, came through to his phone. The boss answered, all smiles and bows. After hanging up, he said to me, "Ms. Yang says there's a small project she wants to collaborate with our company on, and she specifically requested you to be the liaison." I let out a cold laugh, ripped off my ID badge, and slammed it on his desk. "I'm done! I quit!" I turned off my phone and went out of state to clear my head. I only turned it back on a week later. The sheer volume of text messages almost crashed it. A quick glance showed they were all from Jenna. I opened the most recent one: [Ethan Hudson, I give up, okay? Turn on your phone and call me back!] I hit "delete all." The next second, her call came through again. "Ethan Hudson, you finally decided to turn on your phone! Do you have any idea I've been going crazy trying to find you these past few days?!" "Where are you right now? Send me your address immediately!"
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