Six years of long-distance. I finally waited for his job transfer. I was packing his things, my heart full of joy, ready to marry him the moment this long-distance nightmare ended. But then, I overheard his boss asking him, "Are you seriously changing your transfer location to Seattle? That's over two thousand miles away from your fiancée, Luna." "You've already kept her waiting for six years. Aren't you afraid she'll leave you if you make her wait longer?" Ethan's face didn't even flicker. "She waited for six years. Three more won't hurt." "Chloe is running her first independent project. I'm her mentor, and I don't want her struggling alone. Going to Seattle is the perfect way to support her." Chloe Bennett. The "clumsy intern" Ethan always talked about. It turned out he could uproot his entire life and relocate across the country just for an intern. Yet, during our six years apart, he told me every single year that getting a transfer was too difficult, begging me to just wait a little longer. I waited. From twenty-two to thirty. I wasted my prime years, becoming the "leftover woman" in everyone else's mouths. And in the end, for another woman, Ethan was willing to fly thousands of miles to Seattle, dismissively telling me to wait another three years. I let out a self-deprecating laugh and texted my best friend, Sienna, on Snapchat: You won. I'm coming back to New York to get married. Ethan had no idea that before I came here, Sienna and I made a bet. She bet that Ethan would break his promise again. I bet that he would keep his word, end the long distance, and marry me. I lost. I accept my defeat. Ethan, I'm done waiting for you.
The lounge was loud and lively. Today was Ethan's last day at the firm, and his colleagues were throwing him a massive farewell party. "Congrats on the promotion, Ethan! Finally reuniting with your gorgeous fiancée!" "Remember when Ethan said he'd marry Luna the second he got back to New York? Well, she's standing right here. When is the proposal, man?" "I literally saw Ethan at Tiffany's today. He definitely bought a ring!" The cheering and teasing grew louder. Ethan pulled a diamond ring box from his pocket and walked straight toward me. But he didn't stop. He walked right past me and stopped in front of Chloe. "I ruined your necklace the other day. Here's your replacement," he said softly. The room fell dead silent. Chloe gasped, covering her mouth, her eyes shining with shock and tearful gratitude. "Ethan... this is way too expensive. I can't accept this." Ethan gently patted her head, his eyes filled with tenderness. "Take it. You deserve it." Then, he turned to me, offering a casual, dismissive explanation. "Don't overthink it. It's just a replacement gift." "As for the wedding, let's wait a bit. I have to go to the Seattle branch for three years. I'll marry you when I get back." The music in the lounge seemed to freeze. The people who were just cheering shut their mouths instantly, casting awkward, cautious glances at me. Everyone expected me to throw a fit. Instead, I just curled my lips into a polite smile. "It's fine. Career comes first." Ethan froze, clearly not expecting this reaction from me. The silence was deafening. Someone quickly tried to break the ice. "Yeah, exactly! It's all corporate's decision. Ethan had no choice. Luna, don't take it personally." "If he had a choice, Ethan would be dying to stay in New York and marry you right now!" I wanted to laugh. It was pathetic. Did he really have no choice? Or did he just not want to choose me? A couple of female colleagues whispered in the corner: "But the HR memo said Ethan's original transfer was to New York. He was the one who requested Seattle." "Going to New York was a promotion. Seattle is practically a demotion. He gave up a promotion just to go to Seattle. This isn't about work. It's about a girl." "If he really wanted to marry her, why make her wait six years? You're telling me he didn't have a single chance to transfer in six years?" A sharp, bitter ache swelled in my chest. Even random outsiders could see through his lies. Ethan's promises were nothing but empty checks, and I was the fool who cashed them for six years. Chloe walked up to me, biting her lip innocently. "Luna, please don't be mad at Ethan. He's just really caring toward his team. The ring doesn't mean anything. Please don't overthink it." Ethan. What a sweet, intimate nickname. Clearly, their relationship had progressed far beyond my knowledge. Before I could speak, Ethan stepped in, shielding Chloe behind his back. "It's just a ring, Luna. Don't bully her." "If you want one, I'll buy you another one later." His tone was gentle, but his eyes held a cold, warning glare. I touched my bare ring finger, took a step back, and smiled. "No need. Someone already bought me one."
Ethan looked at me, exasperated. "Alright, Luna. You're not twenty anymore. Stop acting so childish." He thought I was just throwing a tantrum. His colleagues quickly chimed in. "Come on, everyone knows Luna only has eyes for Ethan. She waited six years for him. How could she possibly accept a ring from anyone else?" Ethan clearly shared the same smug confidence. He threw me a cold glance. "It's just three more years. I never said I wouldn't marry you. Stop making a scene." With that, he took Chloe's hand and gathered everyone around for a game of Truth or Dare. Ethan drew a "Dare." Chloe's cheeks flushed pink. "Can I ask for anything?" Ethan's smile was incredibly indulgent. "Whatever you want, Chloe." Chloe gathered her courage. "Then... I want Ethan to grant me three wishes." The crowd cheered, making wild guesses about what those wishes would be. Everyone's attention was on Chloe. I sat alone in the dim corner of the lounge, feeling like an unwanted third wheel. I didn't say a word. I stood up, slipped out the door, and walked into the cold night. Ethan didn't know that I actually did have a massive ten-carat diamond ring sitting in my purse. Before today, I was hesitating on how to return it to the sender. Now, it seemed I didn't need to hesitate anymore. When I got back to Ethan's apartment, I realized I didn't have the keys. During our six years of long distance, I visited him once a month. But Ethan never gave me a spare key. Every time, his excuse was: "You're too forgetful. Giving you a key is useless." But my memory was flawless. I had never lost a key in my life. On the contrary, it was Chloe—the girl he always described as "clumsy and scatterbrained"—who was constantly losing things. Standing in the hallway, I called Ethan three times. None went through. I waited until midnight. There was still no sign of him. I pulled out my phone and saw Chloe's Instagram story had just updated. "Wish number one: stargazing with the best guy in the world. Checked! " The photo showed her and Ethan, sitting side by side under a starry sky, their backs to the camera. I had been waiting outside his door for three hours, dialing his number repeatedly, while he was out making her wishes come true. I laughed at my own stupidity and turned to leave. Just as I reached the elevator, it opened. Ethan was holding Chloe's hand. Seeing me, Ethan seemed to finally remember my existence. "Oh, sorry. I forgot to leave you the key." Before he could finish, Chloe reached into her purse, pulled out a key, and unlocked the door with practiced ease. As the door opened, a pair of pink bunny slippers sat neatly by the entrance. Slippers I had never seen before. I looked inside. There was a pink silk bathrobe draped over the sofa. Female lingerie hung on the balcony to dry. A cute couple's mug sat on the coffee table next to Ethan's matching one. Noticing my gaze, Ethan cleared his throat. "Chloe just graduated and got scammed by a terrible landlord. She had nowhere to go, so I let her crash here temporarily." Temporarily? Does "temporarily" mean three whole months? No wonder Ethan had been refusing my FaceTime calls for the past three months, using every excuse under the sun to keep me from visiting. He had a roommate. I remained calm, looking toward the master bedroom, which was now clearly occupied by Chloe's belongings. I looked at Ethan. "Then where do I sleep?" Ethan seemed to just realize this dilemma. He fell silent. Chloe immediately bit her lip, tears welling up. "I'm so sorry, Ethan. I shouldn't have stayed here. Now that Luna is back, I'll pack my bags and leave right now. I don't want to cause trouble." She turned to pack her things. Outside, a heavy storm was raging. Ethan's eyes filled with pity. "Luna, you're only staying for a couple of days anyway. Let Chloe keep the room. You can sleep on the couch." Looking at his blatant favoritism, a sudden wave of stubbornness washed over me. "What if I say no?" I stared at Ethan, hoping—just hoping—that some part of him still cared that I was his fiancée. This was his absolute last chance. But Ethan only frowned, his voice dripping with annoyance. "Are you really going to be this petty? It's just a room. Fine, I'll book you a hotel room outside." I let out a quiet laugh. The very last shred of hope and attachment in my heart crumbled into dust. I took a step back and shook my head. "No need." "Ethan, let's break up."
Ethan's hand shook violently, but his eyes quickly turned icy. "Are you done throwing a fit?" "Just because my transfer got changed to Seattle, you've been giving me attitude since this afternoon. You skipped my farewell dinner, and now you're pulling this stunt. Don't you find this embarrassing?" My nails dug deep into my palms. "You think I'm just making a scene?" Ethan sneered. "Aren't you? All this drama just to force me to marry you." "I told you to wait three years. You can't even do that? Are you seriously that desperate to get married?" So, that was how he saw me. I laughed bitterly. "Yes, I am desperate. If you won't marry me, plenty of men will." Ethan looked at me like I had lost my mind. "Luna, you're thirty. Who else is going to marry you if you walk out that door?" "Do you still think you're some twenty-year-old girl? Nobody is going to tolerate your toxic tantrums!" "If you don't want to sleep on the couch, get the hell out!" The rain outside was torrential. Stepping out meant getting completely soaked. But I didn't hesitate. I turned around and walked out. The heavy thud of the door slamming shut echoed behind me. I didn't stop. I walked straight into the freezing rain. It was the middle of summer, but my heart felt like it was trapped in a block of ice. I dragged myself to a nearby boutique hotel, checked in, and stripped out of my wet clothes. The moment I did, all my strength vanished, and I collapsed onto the floor, burning up. Through a hazy fever dream, I felt a pair of warm arms lifting me onto the bed. A cool fever patch was pressed onto my forehead. I opened my eyes. Ethan was standing over me, taking my temperature. "102 degrees. If I had come any later, you could have died here and nobody would have known." He handed me some pills and a glass of water. I swallowed them blindly, my throat raw and hoarse. "How did you find me?" "This is the only decent hotel in this block." "Luna, running away and getting yourself sick... why do you always have to be so difficult?" His tone was soft, almost returning to how he used to treat me, as if nothing had happened. In the past, whenever we fought, he would always use this clumsy, practical way to offer an olive branch. But this time, I wasn't going to take it. I looked at him. "Didn't you tell me to get out?" Ethan choked on his words, then let out a deep sigh. "I was wrong. I shouldn't have said those things." "But you didn't have to target Chloe. She's just a kid." I scoffed, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "A 'kid' who happily lives in a grown man's apartment for three months?" Ethan's face hardened instantly. The doorbell rang, cutting off the suffocating silence. Ethan went to the door and brought back a bag of takeout. "You have a fever. Eat something light. I got you some warm soup." As he set the food down, his eyes fell on my wrist. "You're still wearing that bracelet?" It was a vintage emerald bracelet. Ethan's mother, Eleanor Vance, had given it to me the very first time I met his family. She told me it was a Vance family heirloom reserved for her future daughter-in-law. "Chloe saw you wearing it yesterday. She thought it was beautiful and wanted to try it on. Let her borrow it for a couple of days." I thought Ethan came to this hotel because he cared about me freezing in the rain. It turned out he only came to strip the family heirloom off my wrist for Chloe. A bitter taste filled my mouth. Ethan continued, "I promised to grant her three wishes, remember? This is wish number two." "It's just a bracelet. Chloe has a vintage photoshoot tomorrow, and she needs a high-end accessory to complete the look. Just think of it as a loan." Seeing my silence, Ethan's patience wore thin. "My mother gave you that. I have every right to—" Before he could finish his threat, I unclasped the bracelet. "Here. Take it." Ethan froze. My movement was so clean, so effortless, without a single shred of hesitation or care. "You're... not angry?" he asked, bewildered. I looked up and smiled. "Why would I be angry?" After all, I didn't plan on keeping anything from the Vance family anyway. A sudden, strange chill swept through Ethan's chest. He opened his mouth to speak, but his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, and his face instantly paled with worry. He grabbed his coat, ready to rush out. I grabbed his sleeve. "Ethan... what medicine did you just give me?" Ethan frowned, annoyed by the delay. "Just standard antibiotics. Penicillin." My face went completely bloodless. I have a severe penicillin allergy. On the very first day we started dating, I told him. I warned him that even a tiny dose of penicillin could put me in anaphylactic shock and kill me. My skin was already breaking out in angry, itchy red hives. My throat felt like an invisible hand was squeezing it shut, cutting off my air. I clawed at his coat, gasping for breath. "I'm... allergic. Hospital. Now." But Ethan violently shook my hand off. "Luna, enough! Chloe is alone at home and had an emergency. Can you stop being so incredibly selfish for once?!" He turned and bolted out of the room. I collapsed onto the floor, watching his retreating back disappear through the door, before my world went entirely black...
I don't know how much time had passed when I finally opened my eyes in a sterile hospital ward. The doctor standing over me looked furious. "You're finally awake. Did you not know you have a life-threatening penicillin allergy? Your heart literally stopped when they brought you in! You almost died!" I stared at the ceiling, a hollow, bitter smile on my lips. I never thought Ethan would forget my allergy. When we first started dating, he didn't know about my allergy and accidentally bought me something containing penicillin. When I had a reaction back then, he was terrified. He ran red lights, speeding like a maniac to get me to the ER. He stayed by my bedside all night, his eyes bloodshot with tears. Since that day, he threw out every single medication containing penicillin from his house. Every time he bought me medicine, he checked the label three times. His friends used to tease him, saying that even if I forgot my own name, Ethan would still remember my allergies. But in the end, love fades, and memory goes with it. After finishing my IV drips, I took a cab back to Ethan's apartment. Since I had decided to walk away, I needed to pack my things. When I entered, I saw Ethan packing a large suitcase, looking ready for a trip. He looked up and explained, "The firm gave me a two-week vacation before my transfer. I'm taking Chloe on a trip. She's always wanted to see the Southern coast." Then, he quickly added, "This is Chloe's third wish. It's just a game, Luna. Don't overthink it." I nodded, my voice completely calm. "Sure. Have a great trip." Ethan looked stunned by my easy response. His eyes drifted to the medical tape on the back of my hand. "What happened to your hand?" He still hadn't remembered the allergy. My heart didn't even hurt anymore. I slipped my hand behind my back. "Nothing. Just picking up some stuff." Ethan finally noticed how cold I was being. He frowned. "What is wrong with you lately? Are you still throwing a tantrum over Chloe?" "I told you, it's just a game. Can you stop being so incredibly petty?" I looked around the apartment. It was filled with Chloe's things. Sometimes, an apartment is just like a relationship—there was no room left for me here, and there was no room left for me in Ethan's heart. My things had been shoved into the dusty storage closet, just like I had been shoved into the dark corner of his life. "Ethan, let's..." Before I could finish, Chloe pushed the door open. "Ethan, are you ready? Our Uber is downstairs!" Seeing me, Chloe looked flustered. "Oh, Luna... are you coming with us?" I opened my mouth to say no, but Ethan cut in smoothly. "She's not coming." He turned to me, his voice dismissive. "Grab your things and head back. Chloe and I have a flight to catch." With that, he grabbed Chloe's suitcase, took her hand, and walked out. I stood alone in the empty living room. The words let's break up died in my throat. Whatever. He would find out soon enough. I started packing. The anniversary gifts I bought him, the scarf I knitted by hand, his favorite gaming console... every little piece of our eight-year history. I packed them all into cardboard boxes and sold them to a recycling truck downstairs for twenty bucks. Then, I threw every single one of my daily necessities straight into the trash chute. Finally, the most important thing: six years of long-distance. Hundreds of boarding passes and train tickets. I threw them into a metal trash can and lit a match, watching them burn to ashes. The only thing I took was a luxury vintage watch. My father had left it to me, intended for his future son-in-law. Since we were over, I was taking it back. Dragging my lightweight suitcase, I boarded a one-way flight back to New York, leaving this city behind forever. Seven days later. Ethan was on a sunny beach with Chloe when his phone buzzed. He frowned, automatically assuming it was another angry text from me. He unlocked his phone with a sigh of annoyance. But the message was from a college buddy: "Bro, the Mercer Group heir is getting married in three days. You got your invite?" An electronic invitation card was attached. Ethan tapped it open. The moment he saw the names on the card, his eyes widened in sheer shock...
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