"Chad, slow down..." Chad let out a low laugh. "Can't keep up already, babe?" My legs went weak. I just closed my eyes and let him do what he wanted. I spent five years in a secret relationship with him—my bestie's little brother. He liked it rough, loved pushing boundaries, so bit by bit I molded myself into exactly what he craved in bed. Five years of this recklessness. Three marriage proposals. All three rejected. "Chad, my family gave me an ultimatum. I have to get married this year." His movements paused. He kissed my ear softly. "Just... wait a little longer." Then, right before Memorial Day, my bestie grabbed me, her face lit up with excitement. "Sera! Guess what I just found out! Chad—the one who never even looks at women—is planning to propose! He already bought the ring!" My heart lurched. Hope bloomed in my chest like a flower breaking through concrete. "Really? You already know?" She looked at me in surprise. "You know, too? Oh, right, she's an intern at his company. I think she was your younger classmate." I froze. The bitterness rose in my throat. I swallowed it down, agreed to my family's arranged marriage, then turned to her. "What a coincidence. I'm getting married Memorial Day weekend, too. Beach wedding. Come be my maid of honor." ... Maya—my bestie—grabbed my arm, shock written all over her face. "I've introduced you to so many guys over the years, and you turned them all down. Why the sudden wedding?" I hesitated. "Family arrangement. I can't wait anymore." Maya sighed, her heart too big to hold grudges. "Yeah, I guess. Your grandma's getting worse. She just wants to see you married before..." I looked down. My grandmother raised me. Now Alzheimer's was stealing her away, and all she wanted was to see me married while she could still understand what that meant. Chad knew. But all he ever said was "wait a little longer." Five years of hiding, and I couldn't take it anymore. Maya shoved my shoulder playfully. "Forget that. Show me a picture of your guy!" I forced a weak smile and reached for my phone. The screen lit up. A hand reached over my shoulder and snatched it away. We both whipped around. Chad stood there, holding my phone in one hand, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "Sera's got a boyfriend? Let me see too." But I could see exactly what he was doing—deleting the few photos we had together. My heart clenched like someone had wrapped a fist around it. Did he think I was about to show Maya our photos? Even now, he wouldn't let our relationship see the light of day. "You little punk, how dare you grab Sera's phone?" Maya snatched it back and shoved it into my hands. "I just wanted to make sure he's good enough for her." Chad's eyes flicked to me, loaded with meaning. "Sera's like a little rabbit. So innocent. Easy to take advantage of." Heat flooded my face. That's what he called me in bed. Said I was in my thirties, how come I didn't act like a woman with any fire in her—still playing the innocent. Maya scoffed, then suddenly looked at me. "Sera, why are your eyes red?" "It's nothing. I'm tired. I should go." I left quickly. Behind me, Maya shoved Chad. "Go apologize! I'll be right there after I pay." Chad caught up with me in the parking garage. The lights were dim. He pinned me against the car door, his chin pressed into my shoulder. "Babe mad at me? I just didn't expect you'd want to tell everyone about us so suddenly." He was too close. Close enough for me to smell the cologne I'd given him. Close enough to see the lipstick mark on his collar that wasn't mine. My heart felt like someone had squeezed it. Acid rose from my chest to my throat. I used all my strength to push him away. "Weren't you going to drive us home? Let's get in." Chad clearly froze. In five years, I'd never used that tone with him. No matter how much he played around, how wild he got, I'd only sigh softly and let him go. He paused, then opened the passenger door. But I slipped into the back seat instead. He climbed in after me, impatience creeping into his voice. "I have my own plan. I'll tell them eventually. Why the rush?" I turned to look at my reflection in the window. At the crow's feet at the corners of my eyes. My voice came out quiet. "I'm getting married."
Chad went rigid. The next second, his phone rang. A soft, sweet voice came through—Daisy. His company's intern. Five years younger than him. "Chad, I messed up a spreadsheet..." "Don't worry, I'm on my way." He hung up, pressed his forehead against mine like he'd misunderstood something. "I'm still young. I need to focus on my career. Marriage can wait." He pulled open the car door and dragged me out with him. "Something urgent at work. Go home with Maya." He circled back to the driver's seat, leaving nothing but exhaust fumes. I closed my eyes. Last time was exactly like this. He said he wanted to see the ocean. I researched beaches for weeks, found the perfect spots. He said he wanted seafood. I compared restaurants one by one, made all the reservations. At the airport, one second he was holding me, saying: "It's so great going on trips with you, babe. You plan everything perfectly." The next second, his phone rang. Company emergency. Then he walked away without looking back. I waited in the Maldives for a week. He never came. "Sera!" Maya finally ran over. "Where's that punk?" "Work thing. He left." Maya let out a cold snort. "Bet it was that Daisy again." "I really don't get it. Besides being young and pretty, what's so special about her?" Young. Pretty. I turned those words over in my mouth. They only tasted bitter. Five years ago, when Chad was chasing me, he said I was young and pretty too. Last month, in bed, he grabbed my waist with a hint of disgust masked as teasing. "Babe, you really need to work out more." Maya pulled me into a cab. Inside, she kept venting. "You don't even know—that Daisy once booked a client incentive trip and somehow ended up booking herself instead!" "Chad went to comfort her! Spent a whole week with her in the Maldives! A whole week!" My brain exploded. Maya had already pulled out her phone. "I added her as a friend. Chad tried to cover for her, said since she went to the same college as you, he couldn't be too harsh." "Look, this post." The date matched exactly—the week I was alone in the Maldives! Every location in the photos I recognized. They were from the itinerary I'd sent him. Daisy's caption read: [Day One with him!] My mouth opened, but no sound came out. Our five-year anniversary had been their first day in the light. After dropping Maya off, I said goodbye as calmly as I could. But when the door closed, I gave the driver Chad's office address. I'd been to this building many times, but they all thought I was just his sister's best friend. They didn't know he'd pin me against the couch in his office, against the floor-to-ceiling windows, on his desk—every reckless thing imaginable. The office door was half-open. I was about to push it when I heard voices inside. "Let's take a trip this Memorial Day weekend." My hand froze mid-air. Chad's voice came after a few seconds. "Perfect. There's something I need to tell you anyway." My heart contracted. I shoved the door open hard. "What a coincidence. My wedding's Memorial Day weekend too."
They both turned to stare. The air went still. Daisy quickly walked over to me, smiling. "You're getting married over Memorial Day weekend, Sera? Then, as your bestie's brother, Chad definitely has to come to the wedding, right?" "I'll catch up with Chad another time." After Daisy left, Chad walked over to me. His proposal trip ruined, he'd completely lost his gentle facade. "Why did you follow me here?" "Are you that desperate to get married? Do you have to force me into it?" Desperate. Force. My mouth opened. My chest felt like it was caving in. "Enough." Chad let out a cold laugh, his eyes drifting to the window. "Just go home." I paused, then realized—outside the window, Daisy and several coworkers were staring in. I looked down. I'd come to tell him we were done officially. But suddenly I realized there was no point in saying it. Breaking up requires having been together. And in his eyes, we probably never were. The last thread of hope inside me snapped. I turned and left. After that, Chad never came back to our apartment. I thought about all the times we'd fought before. I was always the first to apologize. He always said it was because I was the more mature one in the relationship. But I get tired too. So much so that these past few days, beyond the hurt, I actually felt... relief. Meanwhile, Maya enthusiastically helped me prepare everything. "The timeline's tight, but you're getting everything a bride deserves!" She dragged me to try on wedding dresses. That night, she posted photos of us at the bridal shop. Then, at the bar, I got the first message from Chad in days. [You really dare to try on dresses with my sister? You think you can actually tell her about us?] I lifted my drink and drained it in one go. "Maya." "Yeah?" "If I told you I dated your brother... would you be upset?" Maya stared at me for a long time, then smiled. "Actually, I suspected before. He chased you, didn't he?" I nodded. Maya suddenly threw her arms around me tightly. "It's all in the past now. You're getting married. He's about to propose. It doesn't matter anymore." Right. It doesn't matter. Five years of suppressed emotions suddenly burst through like a dam breaking. I didn't know how long had passed before I heard Maya's husband arrive. "Why'd you drink so much..." Another pair of hands lifted me up. I opened my eyes. Chad stood in front of me, brow furrowed. They left first. Outside, only he and I remained. I crouched by the curb, arms wrapped around my knees. Chad tossed his jacket over my head and half-dragged, half-carried me toward his car. But the next second, he suddenly let go. I stumbled. My knee hit the ground. I hissed in pain. A group was walking toward us—Chad's friends. Daisy was with them. Chad hesitated, then helped me up again. When they asked, he paused. "This is Seraphina. You've met her—my sister's best friend. She had too much to drink." I suddenly wanted to laugh. But then I remembered he once said my laugh lines were too deep when I smiled. So I just nodded, playing along. Cutting ties. "Here's my wedding invitation. You're all welcome to come." I pulled out the invitation we'd just printed yesterday. Inside were both the bride's and the groom's names written out clearly. The moment I handed it over, Chad's hand shot out.
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