Chapter 3

Russell stopped, his hand resting still on the bathroom doorknob.

He turned around.

That superficial, patronizing gentleness finally peeled away from his face.

"Seren, stop this nonsense." He massaged his temples with a heavy sigh. "Marriage is a huge deal. You don't just set a date out of spite to throw a tantrum."

"October 28th," I added calmly, finishing my sentence. "The venue is booked. I've already picked out the dress."

He let out a sudden, harsh scoff. "Did Mia say something to you today? Just because she eloped on a whim, she thinks everyone else should be just as impulsive?"

"Seren, be rational. Don't let her mess with your head. We've been together for so long..."

"Russell," I cut him off, my voice steady. "The invitations go to print tomorrow."

The muscle in his jaw twitched.

"Do you really think this is going to work, Seren? It just makes you look childish and totally unreasonable!"

He took a step toward me. "The startup is finally at a critical growth stage. Pulling a stunt like this now will only distract me and ruin all my timelines and projections."

"Are you really that desperate for a wedding ceremony?"

Once upon a time, this kind of cold, dismissive attitude from him would have made me panic.

I would have scrambled to explain myself, terrified of losing him, and eventually backed down.

But now? There was only a dead calm left in my chest.

His attention had always been expensive.

It had to be heavily invested into crucial pitches for the company, and of course, saved for his "highly capable" executive sssistant, Lila.

Late-night check-in texts from her, surprise birthday cupcakes delivered to his desk, and those "accidental" half-day spa trips tacked onto the end of their out-of-state business conferences...

What was left for a relic like me, the girl who built servers with him in a dusty garage, was practically zero.

I met his furious gaze and simply nodded.

"Yeah. All my friends are married. I want to settle down too."

With that, I turned around and walked straight into the bedroom, leaving him standing there.

On the nightstand sat a bridal magazine from six months ago.

The cover text was bold and glossy: The Ultimate 3-Month Wedding Prep Checklist for Brides-to-Be.

I had bought it with so much excitement back then.

I read a few pages before he shut my dreams down with a careless, "There's no rush, Seren."

I never opened it again.

In the dark, I lay in bed, staring at the shadowy ceiling.

My phone buzzed gently against the mattress.

The screen lit up with an iMessage from Mia:

[You asleep? I'm so annoyed. Just thinking about that girl's face makes my blood boil. What the hell is Russell's problem?]

What was his problem?

Nothing, really. It's just that in this world, not all waiting pays off.

Sometimes, you just have to cut your losses and choose peace.

Another flurry of texts came through:

[We swore our weddings would be a week apart max, remember?]

[Who knew your man would be so blind. You literally caught the bouquet at my wedding today, and he still didn't take the hint! You guys have been together for eight years, not eight months!]

[Whatever. I'll let you off the hook this time. I give you permission to break the promise.]

My fingertips paused over the glowing keyboard.

A faint smile touched my lips:

[Bestie, when have I ever broken a promise to you?]

[Get your dress ready. I'm still walking down the aisle next week.]