The day I planned to propose, my girlfriend stood before our entire company and announced her wedding date—to someone else. I didn’t cry. I didn’t make a scene. I just went to find her, needing an explanation. But I overheard her talking to a friend instead. “Aren’t you afraid doing this will piss off Liam?” “I have no choice. Ethan’s family despises him. If I don’t marry him, they’ll force him to marry some fool. Besides,” she added confidently, “Liam loves me too much. He’d never leave me.” Later, my family arranged a more suitable match for me. As fate would have it, my wedding day was the same as hers. As a bride, she was riddled with anxiety, a terrible premonition hanging over her. She told her bridesmaids to keep a close watch, to make sure I didn't show up and cause a scene. That’s when one of her bridesmaids said awkwardly, “You didn’t know? Liam’s getting married today, too.” 1 “Mom, I’ll agree to the arranged marriage.” The teacup in my mother’s hand trembled. She looked at me, her face a mask of shock. “Are you absolutely sure, sweetheart?” Her concern was palpable. Just last night, a video of my girlfriend, Ava, accepting another man’s proposal had gone viral. Everyone knew the prestigious Croft family was celebrating an engagement, but the groom wasn’t me, the man she’d been with for eight years. Seeing my silence, my mother’s voice grew urgent. “Liam, marriage is a monumental decision. Please, don’t do this out of spite.” I swallowed the bitterness lodged in my throat and shook my head. “Mom, I’ve just… seen things clearly. You didn’t immediately reject the Croft family’s offer because you believe their daughter is a better match for me than Ava. I trust your judgment.” My mother let out a deep sigh. “The eldest Croft daughter is indeed an exceptional young woman. I’ve heard she’s as kind as she is beautiful, grounded and intelligent. But perhaps you should meet her first, before making a final decision?” “No. You can handle the arrangements. I’m fine with whatever you decide.” After settling things, I had a meal at home before returning to the small apartment I’d bought for myself. I never expected to find Ava there. Hearing the door open, she casually ended her phone call. “You’re back later than usual. A rough day at work?” I slipped off my shoes. “What are you doing here?” I asked. “I was just passing by on my way back from a work dinner and thought I’d pop in to see you,” Ava said, her voice as soft and sweet as ever. She moved to embrace me, just like she always did. But as she drew near, I caught the scent of a familiar men’s cologne. It was the one Ethan always wore, his signature scent. A wall of resistance shot up inside me. I subtly sidestepped her embrace, but a wave of sour disappointment washed over me. “You’ve seen me. You can go now.” Ava’s outstretched arms froze in mid-air. A small smile touched her lips. “Oh, Liam, don’t be like this. Weren’t you just complaining a few days ago that I don’t spend enough time with you? I cleared my entire evening just for you.” Yesterday, I was supposed to propose to her. I’d even called her that morning, reminding her to leave work early for our dinner reservation. I waited at the restaurant from daylight until dusk. She never showed. She never even called. Just as the restaurant was closing and I was about to go find her, I received a video from an unknown number. It was Ethan, proposing to Ava in front of their entire office. In the video, their colleagues were cheering, ecstatic. I couldn’t believe it. I rushed to her company, needing to hear her explain it herself. That’s when I overheard the conversation with her best friend. That’s when I realized that in this game of love, I had been made a complete and utter fool. Remembering her words from last night felt like a knife twisting in my heart, the pain suffocating. I looked up at the woman before me, her features so gentle, and my vision blurred with tears. A crushing weight settled on my chest, making it hard to breathe. Seeing my tears, a flicker of panic crossed Ava’s face. She fumbled to wipe them away. “Liam, what’s wrong? Did someone hurt you?” 2 Growing up, Ava was the neighborhood tomboy—mischievous, rebellious, but with a fierce sense of justice. She couldn’t stand to see anyone bullied. I was the opposite: quiet, introverted, never quite fitting in with the other kids. They found me boring and always left me out. Whenever that happened, Ava would plant her hands on her hips, her cheeks puffed out in indignation, and march right up to them. “Fine, don’t play with him! Who needs you anyway?” Then she’d turn to me, clap me on the shoulder, and grin. “Don’t worry. From now on, I’ve got your back. If they mess with you again, you tell me, and I’ll sort them out!” From that day on, she was my shadow, a little sunbeam warming my lonely world. When we got to college, I finally confessed my feelings for her, and we fell together as naturally as breathing. Our relationship made her even gentler with me. We shared everything. During our happiest moments, she would talk about the future. “You’d better give me the most spectacular proposal, Liam,” she’d tease. “Otherwise, I’m not marrying you.” I never forgot those words. Then, we both joined the student government, and Ethan burst into our lives. He and Ava were in the same major, sharing a world of technical jargon I couldn’t penetrate. At first, she would patiently translate their academic discussions for me. But soon, her patience wore thin. “If you don’t get it, look it up online,” she’d snap. “Or just don’t listen. It’s not your major, it’s useless for you to know.” She and Ethan became inseparable, talking from morning till night, in person and online. For me, she had only a few perfunctory words. Friends warned me to pay attention, to be wary of their connection. I brushed it off. I believed in privacy, even in a relationship. I trusted that she wouldn't fall for someone else. Reality slapped me hard across the face. That night, Ava didn’t leave. She said she was worried about me. I looked at her for a long time before finally saying, “Do whatever you want.” I went to my room and, just as she was about to follow, I clicked the lock shut. She stood outside the door, her expression complex. After a moment, she said, “Liam, I’ll be right out here. Whenever you’re ready to talk, I’ll be waiting.” I ignored her. A hot tear fell onto the back of my cold hand, the sensation searing. Ava, I’m done loving you. I woke the next morning with a dull ache in my temples. As I left my room, I saw Ava hastily putting on her coat. “Liam, something urgent came up, I have to go. I’ll text you the restaurant address tonight, we’ll have dinner together.” She was gone before I could even reply, a blur disappearing before my eyes. I pursed my lips and glanced at the sofa where she’d slept. In her haste, she’d left her phone behind. I picked it up, intending to get it to her later. Just then, a notification lit up the screen. Ava never used a passcode. The message was from someone named “Monkey.” It was a photo of Ethan, looking disheveled but smiling gently at the camera from a hospital emergency room. The caption read: “Don’t rush. Drive safe. I’ll wait for you right here.” 3 Now I understood why she’d been in such a hurry. A bitter laugh escaped me. I arranged for a local courier to deliver her phone to her office, then headed to my own job. I’d started at my family’s company right after graduation. My father, wanting to test my mettle, had me start from the bottom. Through my own efforts, I’d since become a department manager. As soon as I arrived, my assistant handed me a project proposal. “Mr. Hayes, this needs your attention. All the groundwork is done, it just needs your signature.” I took it and saw it was a collaboration with Ava’s family company, Hayes Industries. I had no memory of it. “Has my father approved this?” “No,” my assistant replied, momentarily flustered. “You said before that unless it was a major partnership, Hayes Industries should always be our first choice.” I remembered then. I had said that. I’d thought our families would be one, so it didn't matter who profited more. Besides, it’s not easy for a woman to run a corporation. As her boyfriend, I felt it was my duty to support her. “Let this one go,” I said. “But from now on, prioritize what’s best for our company. We go with the most advantageous partner.” After a long day of work, I decided to check out a new Chinese restaurant that had just opened. When I got there, it was packed. Just as I was about to leave, I heard a familiar voice. “Mr. Hayes, you’re here for dinner too?” I turned to see Ethan and Ava sitting at a table, smiling. When Ava saw me, her expression froze for a second before she quickly recovered. “I was just about to call you to join us! I can’t believe you’re already here. Come, sit with us.” She waved over a waiter for another set of cutlery. I hadn’t eaten much for lunch and was starving. So I stayed. “Mr. Hayes,” Ethan said, “I remember you like spicy food. Let’s order a few more dishes for you.” I glanced at the table. Everything was mild. Both Ava and I loved spicy food. She used to say that a dish without chili had no soul, that eating it was like a death sentence. Now, faced with a table of bland food, she didn’t bat an eye. She shot Ethan a playful glare. “I think you’re the one who wants it. Don’t you remember what the doctor said today? You can only have mild food for now.” Ethan just smiled sheepishly. “I’m paying tonight, I just wanted to cater to our guest. But, I’ll listen to my little boss. Whatever you say, goes.” Ava laughed, a mix of amusement and exasperation. “What ‘little boss’? That sounds terrible, don’t call me that again!” Her words were a reprimand, but her tone was fond. Watching them, the heart that had been shattered into a million pieces felt nothing at all. A moment later, Ava’s phone rang. “You two go ahead and eat. I have to take this.” As she walked away, the smile on Ethan’s face faded, replaced by a provocative stare directed at me. “You know, Liam, I’m actually impressed. You know Ava and I are getting married, yet you still cling to her. You’ve got some nerve.” Catching the disdain in his voice, I looked up. “Is stealing someone else’s girlfriend something to be proud of? Something worth showing off in public?” “You—” Before he could finish, thick smoke began billowing from the restaurant’s kitchen. Someone screamed, “Fire!” The bustling restaurant descended into chaos. Everyone scrambled to escape. I stood up, ready to leave, when a figure slammed into me. Before I could regain my balance, I heard a familiar, panicked voice. “Ethan, let’s go! It’s a fire!” Ava didn’t stop. She grabbed Ethan’s hand and pulled him out of the building. Once outside, staring at the smoke pouring from the restaurant, her heart pounded with the thrill of survival. She threw her arms around him. “Thank God… thank God we’re okay…” Then, she seemed to remember something. She spun around and saw me, standing a short distance away, watching them with cold eyes. Her voice caught. “Liam, I… I was just so scared. I didn’t mean to not call for you…” “I know,” I cut her off, my voice frigid. In that moment, as she pulled him away, I knew with absolute clarity: the girl who once promised to protect me forever was gone. Seeing I wasn't angry, she visibly relaxed and offered to drive me home. “No, thanks. Ethan looks pretty shaken up. You should probably take him home first.” 4 In the days that followed, I didn’t contact Ava. I was busy preparing for my own wedding. I received a message from the jeweler and used my lunch break to pick up the custom-made wedding rings. They were originally meant for Ava, for a proposal that would never happen. As fate would have it, just as I stepped into the store, Ethan walked in right behind me. He saw the small, elegant box in my hand and looked at the designer with an air of arrogance. “I want to see the ring he’s holding.” “I’m sorry, sir. This was a custom design for Mr. Hayes. It belongs to him.” Ethan scoffed. “A custom ring? Acting like you’re about to get married…” His voice trailed off as a dark realization seemed to dawn on him. “You’re planning to crash my wedding with this, aren’t you?” Seeing the madness in his eyes, I couldn’t be bothered to engage. “If you’re sick, get help. Don’t come here and act insane.” I turned to leave with the box. Suddenly, he lunged. Before I could react, he ripped the box open, threw the rings on the floor, and began stomping on them with his heel. That wasn’t enough. He rushed to the counter, grabbed a small mallet, and started smashing them with all his might. “Liam, you will not ruin my wedding! I’ll destroy your rings, and then we’ll see how you plan to crash anything!” “Ethan, are you crazy?”
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