Halfway through the yacht party, someone fell overboard. When Julian Sterling jumped in without a second thought, I honestly believed he was just trying to save a life. That was until I saw him clearly through the water, wrapping his arm around the girl’s waist, pressing his lips to hers, kissing her for a full three minutes. The crowded deck fell into a dead silence. Everyone’s eyes secretly darted back and forth between them and me. When the two of them finally climbed back onto the deck, I recognized the girl. I looked at him and asked, "You knew she could swim, right?" Julian wrung the water out of his white shirt. When he looked up at me, his eyes were filled with nothing but cold impatience. "I was saving a life, Nora. Can you stop being so jealous all the time, especially in front of everyone?" The girl huddled behind him, wrapped tightly in a beach towel, her eyes red and tearful. I took off my engagement ring and placed it gently on the table. "Fine. You save lives, and I’m in the way. I’m leaving." I was twenty-two that year. He thought I was just throwing a temper tantrum, that I’d crawl back to him in a few days. Five years later, I had my wedding on a tropical island. Julian crashed the venue. In front of hundreds of guests, his voice was hoarse as he begged me: "Nora, can’t you just listen to my explanation for once?" I lifted my veil, looked at him, and smiled. "Explain what? Explain how you gave her mouth-to-mouth underwater for three minutes?" I raised my hand and pointed to the ocean behind me. "This sea is much cleaner than your yacht, Mr. Sterling. Don't dirty my wedding dress."
When Julian rushed into my wedding venue, he still had that same arrogant, self-assured look on his face from five years ago. "Nora, haven't you made your point by now?" He wasn’t asking a question. He was making a statement. He scanned the crowd of guests, a careless, dismissive smirk playing on the corner of his lips. "You can still call this off. It's not too late. I can pretend none of this ever happened." Ethan Vance’s hand had been resting gently on my waist, but when he heard those words, he let go. He took half a step back, giving me a full step of space to handle this. I lifted my veil and looked straight into Julian’s eyes. "What did you just say? Say it again." Julian stood there with one hand stuffed casually into his suit pocket, his chin tilted slightly upward. He was confident to the point of arrogance. "I said, you’ve been throwing this tantrum for five years. That’s enough. Come home." He emphasized the word "home," as if those four letters alone were enough to make me bow my head. I laughed. I raised my left hand, flashing the diamond ring on my ring finger right in his face. Julian’s gaze locked onto the ring, but the smirk on his face didn't fade immediately. "You're actually going through with this?" His voice went up an octave. "Nora, just to get back at me, you’d go this far?" I ripped the veil off my head, letting the white lace drift lazily to the ground by my feet. "Five years. More than eighteen hundred days. Do you really think I have the time and energy to play games with you?" Julian’s Adam's apple bobbed. He stared into my eyes, then at Ethan, before finally letting his gaze drop back to my face. "Isn’t this all because you wanted me to beg? Fine. I’ll beg. Take off the ring and come with me." He actually reached out as he spoke, palm face up, completely convinced that I would place my hand in his. "Julian, listen to me very carefully." My voice wasn't loud, but I enunciated every single word. "The most real, most certain decision I have ever made in my life is marrying Ethan today. Do you get it now?" Julian’s outstretched hand froze in midair. "Are you going to walk out yourself, or do I need to have security help you?" Two security guards in black uniforms quickly stepped up from the sides of the aisle, grabbing him by his arms. He shrugged violently, throwing off the guard on his right, but the one on his left held on tight. "Let go! I can walk!" Once Julian was dragged out of the venue, Ethan leaned down and took my hand again. "Let's continue." I squeezed his hand back. His fingers slid between mine, locking us together with just the right amount of pressure. The wedding march started playing again. As soon as Julian was kicked out of the resort, he violently kicked a nearby trash can, sending it flying. He cursed loudly and kicked it again. "How dare she!" He hissed the words through his teeth, his eyes bloodshot. "She wouldn't dare. She’s just testing me. She’s waiting for me to run after her and apologize. She’s waited five years just for this moment." His assistant stood nearby, his lips parting slightly, but he didn't dare say a word. Julian yanked open the car door and threw himself into the backseat, slamming the door so hard the entire SUV shook. "Back to the hotel!" The moment he stepped into his penthouse suite, he started smashing things. The assistant stood at the door, clutching a thick stack of files, too terrified to enter but not daring to leave. Julian turned around and noticed the files in his hands. "What's that?" The assistant hesitated before placing the documents on the only table that hadn't been flipped over. "Mr. Sterling, these are the records you asked me to keep regarding Ms. Hayes over the past five years. One report for every month. They are all here." Julian stared at the stack of papers, motionless. "When did I ask you to track her?" "Five years ago. The day Ms. Hayes left." The assistant quickly retreated to the door after saying this. Julian stood before the stack of files. He reached out and picked up the top one. The date printed on the cover was exactly five years and three months ago. Sixty months. Sixty reports. Every single envelope was still perfectly sealed. He had never opened a single one.
Julian sat alone in his dark hotel room for the entire night. When dawn finally broke, he picked up his phone and made a call. "Run a background check on Ethan Vance’s company. I want to know every single business deal he is currently working on." The line went silent for a second, probably because the person on the other end was shocked he was awake at this hour. Not daring to ask questions, the person gave a quick confirmation and hung up. He stood up, walked to the window, and ripped the curtains open. The morning over the island was gray and foggy. Three days later, I returned from my honeymoon. The moment we landed, my phone rang with a call from my office. I was standing by the luggage carousel, clutching the phone between my ear and shoulder, leaning down to lift my suitcase off the belt. The bag was heavy. On my wrist, I was wearing a seashell bracelet Ethan had braided for me at a local beach market. "Nora, Sterling Group just reached out. They want to collaborate on a new project, and they specifically requested you to lead the negotiations." My hand froze on the handle of my suitcase. I didn't answer immediately. "Reject it." "But they’ve already sent over the letter of intent. The terms they're offering are incredibly generous." Ethan pushed the luggage cart over and looked at me. He must have read the situation on my face. He stopped the cart, gently took the phone from my hand, and hung up. "Then let's negotiate. In his boardroom. Your turf." He said it so casually, like he was just deciding what we should have for dinner. I looked at him. He leaned down, tucked the phone back into my bag, took my suitcase, and held my other hand. "Let's go. The car is waiting outside." A week later, I was sitting with my team in the main conference room of the Sterling Group. When Julian pushed the door open, he was dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, his hair styled flawlessly. There was no trace of the desperate man from the wedding. He walked over and sat directly across from me, separated by a long mahogany table that could easily seat twenty people. "Nora, it's been a long time." He called me by my name, a polite smile on his face, but his eyes were locked onto my face, never wavering for even a second. "Mr. Sterling, let's get straight to the project." I flipped open the contract, pen in hand. No small talk. No pleasantries. He glanced at me, opened his own file, and began outlining the proposal. As he spoke, his fingers kept spinning his pen. I knew that habit all too well. He only spun his pen when he was incredibly nervous. Five years ago, during his first major presentation to the board of directors, he had spun his pen just like that for the entire meeting. His palms had been dripping with sweat afterward. Back then, I had been sitting in the very front row. Every time he looked down at me, the pen would spin even faster. "All the conditions are listed in the appendix. What do you think, Nora?" "The terms are acceptable, but the timeline is too short. I don't take on rushed projects." I pushed the contract back toward him. When he reached out to take it, his fingertips brushed against the back of my hand. I pulled my hand back instantly. He didn't pull the contract away right away; his hand lingered in place for a second before slowly retracting. "Then we’ll extend it by two months. You call the shots." He agreed so quickly that his VP sitting next to him visibly flinched. The VP leaned in, wanting to say something, but Julian shot him a warning glare, forcing the man to swallow his words. Once the meeting was adjourned, Julian ordered everyone else to leave. Only the two of us remained in the massive boardroom. He stood up, walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window, and kept his back to me. It took a long time before he finally spoke. "Your hair is much longer now." He didn't turn around. His voice bounced off the glass pane, sounding muffled and heavy. Five years ago, he loved twisting the ends of my hair around his fingers. Back then, it barely brushed my shoulders. He always said it was too short and begged me to grow it out. Later, during my first winter in London, I cut it all off into a sharp bob. The hairstylist had asked if I wanted to keep some length, and I had said, "No, make it as short as possible." After it was done, I stared at myself in the mirror for what felt like an eternity. Then I stood up, paid, and walked out into the freezing London rain without once looking back. "Mr. Sterling, please have your team email the revised contract to my office." I packed my documents and started walking toward the door. His voice cut through the silence behind me. "Nora. Five years ago... do you really not want to hear a single word of my explanation?" I stopped at the threshold but didn't turn around. "You already explained. You said you were saving a life." "I was telling the truth! She was drowning! If I hadn't jumped in, she would have—" "She can swim." I turned around to look at him. "Chloe Bennett knows how to swim. I told you this five years ago. You told me I was just being jealous and dramatic. Are you seriously going to stand there and use the same excuse today?" He remained silent, his lips pressed into a tight line. He was gripping his pen so hard his knuckles turned white. Engraved on the cap of that pen were his initials. It was a birthday gift I had given him five years ago. I had searched through almost every engraving shop in the city just to find that specific vintage font. Now, the black lacquer on the pen was chipped, revealing the dull metal underneath. "Sign the contract or don't. That's up to you. But Julian, stop using business as an excuse to talk to me about the past." I pulled the door open and walked out, the freezing AC of the hallway hitting my face. As the elevator doors closed. I leaned back against the mirrored wall, closed my eyes, and let out a long, heavy breath.
The revised contract sat in my inbox for a whole week. Marked as read, but unanswered. I had my assistant follow up once, and the reply was that Mr. Sterling was out of town on business and would review it upon his return. I archived the email and put it out of my mind. On the eighth day, Julian called me directly, suggesting we meet in person to go over the final details. His tone was strictly professional. He made reservations at a private, high-end restaurant—the very one he used to love going to five years ago. "Mr. Sterling, contract negotiations should take place in a conference room." "This place is close to your office. Think of it as a casual business lunch. Why? Are you afraid to have a meal with me?" When I arrived at seven in the evening, he was already seated in the private dining room. Four dishes were set on the table, every single one of them my old favorites. He stood up to pull out a chair for me. I ignored his gesture, pulled out the chair directly opposite him, and placed the contract on the table. "Business first." He glanced at the document but didn't open it. "You haven't ordered yet." "I'm not hungry." He flipped through a couple of pages of the contract, then closed it, finally looking me dead in the eye. He wore a dark gray button-down, sleeves rolled up to his forearms. On his wrist was the luxury watch I had gifted him five years ago. "What exactly do you want, Nora?" The way he asked made me feel like he was looking at a stubborn child throwing a tantrum. He sounded exhausted but patronizing. He was still so damn confident, fully believing that I was still in love with him just like five years ago. "I want to sign this contract, and then I want to leave." "You know damn well this isn't about the contract." He leaned back in his chair, locking his fingers together on the table. "When you were on your honeymoon, I went to London. I visited the coffee shop where you used to work. I ordered every single type of coffee you used to brew. I stood under your old apartment building for an hour, looking up at your window. The lights were out." "Nora, I know you had a hard time over there. Come back to me. I won't let you suffer ever again." I picked up my water glass and took a sip, the bottom of the glass hitting the table with a sharp clink. "Julian, I had a wonderful time in London. I didn't suffer. I just grew up. And my growing up had absolutely nothing to do with you." Suddenly, the door to the private room was pushed open from the outside. Chloe Bennett stood at the entrance. She was wearing a emerald-green slip dress, her makeup much heavier than usual. Her eyes swept over Julian before locking onto me. "Julian, you told me you had to work late tonight. I didn't realize you were 'working' here." I recognized that voice instantly. Five years ago on the yacht, she had huddled behind Julian, wrapping herself in a towel, looking so helpless and sweet. Now, she looked at me with a cold, humorless smile. "Nora's here too? Aren't you newly married? How do you have the time to have private dinners with another woman's fiancé?" Julian frowned, reaching up to brush her hand off his shoulder. "What are you doing here?" "Am I not allowed? I'm your fiancée. When my man is having a private dinner with another woman, of course I’m going to show up." She pulled out the chair right next to Julian and sat down, pouring herself a cup of black coffee. Her movements were elegant, as if she were attending a gala. I leaned back, watching her little performance. "Ms. Bennett, Mr. Sterling invited me here tonight to discuss a business contract." "A contract?" She let out a soft laugh, turning her head to look at Julian. "Julian, if you really can't let her go, just tell me. I'll pack my things and move out. After all, it's been five years, and you clearly have no intention of marrying me anyway." The room went dead silent for three whole seconds. Julian leaned back, his brow furrowed deeply, his lips pressed into a hard line. He didn't say a single word. Chloe’s expression flickered for a fraction of a second, but she quickly forced her smile back on and turned to me. "See? He has nothing to say." She stood up, picked up the bottle of red wine from the table, and leaned over to pour some into my glass. But her hand tilted suddenly, and the red wine splashed all over the side of my dress. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! It was an accident." She grabbed a few napkins, bending down to wipe it off. I took the napkins from her hand and dabbed the stain dry myself. Then, I stood up and pushed the contract right in front of Julian. "This contract is void. Sterling Group doesn't need to contact me for any future projects. Have your assistant reach out to my company's sales department through the official channels." I threw my purse over my shoulder. As I reached the door, I turned back to look at Chloe. "You just said he had no intention of marrying you for the past five years. Let me tell you why." "It's not because of me. It's because you're too easy to keep. You’ve stayed by his side for five years without demanding anything in return. He gets all of you for free. So, why would he ever bother marrying you?" The fake smile on Chloe’s face shattered completely. I didn't stay to watch Julian’s reaction. I pulled the door open and walked out. The bright lights of the restaurant hallway blinded me for a second. Behind me, I could hear Chloe’s muffled screams coming from the room. She was shouting something. But the heavy door shut, and I couldn't care less.
The moment I stepped out of the restaurant, it started to rain. The cool drizzle hit my face, instantly clearing my head. As I stood under the awning waiting for my ride, my phone lit up with a text on Snapchat from Ethan. "Are you done with the meeting? I can come pick you up." I typed back: "No need, I’m almost home." Before my ride could arrive, the restaurant doors behind me flew open. Chloe stepped out in her high heels, her pace slow and deliberate. She wasn't carrying an umbrella, and Julian was following close behind her. She stopped just two steps away from me, looking me up and down with a condescending smirk. "Nora, does your new husband know you're out having private dinners with your ex-boyfriend?" She dragged out the word "ex-boyfriend" slowly, dripping with malice. I ignored her, looking down at my phone. The driver was two minutes away. "I'm talking to you!" Her voice got louder, her tone dripping with the spoiled attitude of someone who always got her way. "You left so easily five years ago. Why are you back now pretending to negotiate contracts? Are you really here for business, or are you just looking for an excuse to see him?" I looked up at her calmly. "Your fiancé was the one who initiated this contract. If you have a problem with that, take it up with him." Chloe laughed, glancing back at Julian, who was standing silently in the rain, before looking back at me. "He reached out, but you could have said no. Or maybe, you just couldn't bear to cut the cord completely either." She took a step closer. The rain clung to her eyelashes, but her arrogant smile didn't waver. "Nora, I know girls like you. You claim you’ve moved on, but you leave a hundred doors wide open." I slid my phone into my pocket and shifted my umbrella slightly. "Are you finished?" "No," she said, tilting her head. "I'm just curious. Does your husband know you're alone with Julian tonight? Or did you lie to him?" Just as the words left her mouth, a sleek black sedan pulled up to the curb. Ethan got out, holding a large umbrella. He walked straight over to me, took my umbrella from my hand, and naturally wrapped his other arm securely around my waist. "Finished?" "Yeah." Only then did he turn to look at Julian and Chloe, giving them a polite nod. "Mr. Sterling, Ms. Bennett. It's getting late. You should head inside." Chloe’s eyes locked onto Ethan’s arm around my waist, her smirk faltering. "Mr. Vance, you got here fast. Do you actually know who your wife was having dinner with tonight?" "I do," Ethan replied, his tone perfectly calm. "Mr. Sterling invited her to discuss a business contract. I was the one who encouraged her to come." Julian stepped out from behind Chloe. He stood fully in the rain, no umbrella, water dripping down his forehead and soaking his face. He stared at Ethan’s hand resting on my waist, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Ethan, I need a few minutes alone with Nora." "No," Ethan’s voice left absolutely no room for negotiation. "If you have anything to say, Mr. Sterling, you can schedule an appointment at our office during business hours. Right now, it's personal time, and my wife needs to rest." Julian’s jaw clenched tight. "Nora, can you please ask him to give us a second? I only need five minutes." Before I could even open my mouth, Chloe let out a sharp laugh. She turned to Julian, her voice finally losing its sweet, fake tone. "Five minutes? You chased her to her wedding, you followed her on her honeymoon, you crashed her dinner, and now you’re asking for five minutes? Julian, do you even hear yourself?" Julian didn't look at her. His eyes were glued to me. Water dripped from his lashes, but he didn't even blink. "Nora, I won't try to explain what happened on the yacht five years ago anymore. I just want to ask you one question. If I hadn't jumped into the water back then, would you still have left?" The sound of the rain suddenly felt deafening. I looked at Julian. His expensive suit was soaked and clinging to his shoulders, his hair plastered to his forehead. He stood there in the downpour, waiting for an answer that was five years too late. "Yes." My voice was quiet, but firm. "Even if you hadn't jumped, I would have left. Because from start to finish, you never once asked me how I felt standing on that deck, watching you kiss another woman." Julian’s shoulders slumped instantly. The smirk on Chloe’s face vanished completely. For the first time, the cracks in her arrogant facade showed. Ethan pulled me a little closer to his side and looked down at me. "Ready to go home?" "Let's go home." We turned and walked toward the car. Behind us, Chloe’s voice erupted, screaming at Julian. "Are you happy now?! Did you hear her?! She would have left you anyway! You wasted five years of your life waiting for nothing!" Julian didn't reply. I got into the passenger seat, and Ethan started the engine. The windshield wipers began to sweep back and forth. My phone screen lit up. It was a text from Julian. Only one line. "You're right. I never asked you. Is it too late to ask now?" I stared at the text for a long time. "Cold? I can turn up the heater," Ethan’s voice drifted over from the driver's seat. I locked my phone, flipped it face down on my lap, and shook my head at him. "No, I'm good." The car turned the corner, and in the rearview mirror, the two figures under the rain grew smaller and smaller until they were completely swallowed by the storm.
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