Before boarding the plane, I told Florence everything. When she heard about my situation, she waved it off and organized a party for me.

She invited all our old friends, saying it was to welcome me and chase away the bad luck. We were in high spirits, enjoying ourselves, when suddenly the door swung open.

A sharp scream echoed through the room.

"Woah, it's Ambrose Steele!"

"Oh my god, it really is Ambrose!"

"Quick, pinch me—am I dreaming?"

Ambrose chuckled and said, "I was just next door for a business meeting. Heard you were having a party, so I thought I'd drop by and join the fun."

His face held a gentle and refined smile, but his gaze landed in a corner of the room.

Coincidentally, Florence and I were sitting in that exact corner.

Our eyes met briefly, and I quickly looked down, feeling somewhat flustered.

Florence leaned in close to my ear, and she whispered in a teasing tone, "Mabes, do you think he's here because of you?"

I must have been a little drunk because, for a moment, I found the man walking toward us incredibly attractive.

He was noticeably taller than Ralph, and his tailored suit accentuated his refined figure. I could almost imagine the solid muscles beneath his clothes.

"Mabes, look—he's coming over!" Florence's voice snapped me back to reality.

I quickly averted my gaze and interrupted her. "Flo, stop talking nonsense. I haven't been in touch with him for years."

She grinned mischievously, stood up, and whispered in my ear, "You may be indifferent, but his feelings are clear."

Ignoring my awkward expression, Florence boldly called out, "Ambrose, would you mind giving Mabes a ride back to her hotel?"

I glanced at Ambrose politely, assuming he would decline. But as our eyes met, he smiled and said, "Sure, leave it to me."

"Ambrose, thank you so much!" Florence exclaimed.

After he agreed, she leaned into me again and whispered, "Mabes, forget that trashy Ralph. He's not worth it.

"Look at Ambrose. He probably has some serious skills. Maybe it's time you tried something new?"

I glared at her in exasperation while stealing a glance at the man sipping his drink nearby, praying he didn't hear her.

"Flo, stop talking nonsense!"

"I swear on my honor—he's definitely here for you."

Afterward, Ambrose really did take me back to my hotel.

I unbuckled my seatbelt and thanked him, "Thank you for bringing me back."

Ambrose smiled at me before replying, "Mabel, there's no need to be so polite with me."

I paused mid-step as Ralph's words with his friends from earlier suddenly flashed in my mind.

On a strange impulse, I turned around and asked, "Ambrose, would you like to come up for a cup of coffee?"

The hotel was bustling at night, and the hallways were filled with couples lost in their affection. He followed behind me, but he suddenly grabbed my hand and cornered me against the wall.

He kissed me. Already tipsy, his kiss left me somewhat breathless.

"Ambrose, there are so many people here..." I stammered, unsure if my face was burning from embarrassment or alcohol.

He glanced around, then wrapped me protectively in his arms.

As the door to the room opened, Ambrose pushed me against it, tilting my chin upward. "Mabel, you can still stop this if you want."

"Why?" I looked up at him, stood on my toes, and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"You've kissed me and held me already. Isn't it a little late to say that now?"

His long fingers traced over my flushed cheeks. "Mabel, you're not getting away from me now."

Our first time didn't even make it to the bed. The cold, hard wall dug painfully into my back, and I bit his neck in frustration.

"Ambrose, do you even know how to be gentle?"

His heated hands rested on my back, and his voice was low and restrained as he whispered in my ear, "Mabel, I'm sorry… I can't hold it back anymore."

It didn't take long for me to understand exactly what he meant by that.

Afterward, he carried me to the bathtub, holding me as he carefully cleaned me up. Watching the seriousness on his face, I couldn't help but ask, "Ambrose, how long has it been since you've been with a woman?"

His movements were so gentle, as if he was afraid of hurting me.

"You're the only woman I've been with," he said.

The curiosity on my face instantly vanished, and I was surprised by his response. After a long pause, I felt an unexpected wave of emotion crash over me.

"Ambrose, I..."

I started to lose control of my emotions. Maybe I shouldn't have dragged him into this mess.

"Ambrose, about what happened tonight..."

Seeing my tears, he clumsily tried to wipe them away. "Mabel, it's not your fault. I couldn't control myself."

"I should have said no to you."

"Mabel, what's the point of saying that now? It's already happened."

His words only deepened my guilt, making me want to crawl into a hole and slap myself a couple of times. The more I thought about it, the more I felt like I needed to leave immediately.

He seemed to sense my intentions. Leaning down, he cupped my face with both hands.

His expression was soft and his gaze was steady as he muttered, "Mabel, now that you've slept with me, you'll have to take responsibility for me."

"Mabes, when are you coming back?" The text on my phone was from Ayla Jenner, a friend of mine from Swelgan.

Staring at the screen, I realized that, in truth, I hadn't thought about going back for the past three days.

"I'm not coming back for now," I replied.

Almost immediately, another message arrived. "My birthday is in ten days. I'll wait for you to come back."

"Don't wait for me. I'm not coming back," I answered firmly.

On the other side of things, Ayla glanced cautiously at Ralph. "Ralph, why don't you call Mabes? Maybe she'll come back if you do."

Ralph's expression was dark as he took a sharp drag from his cigarette. "Whether she comes back or not has nothing to do with me. Let her die out there for all I care."

"Ralph, Mabes must still be hurting," Ayla said hesitantly.

"She burned her wedding dress and left the ring behind. This time, it seems like she's really heartbroken…"

"We broke up. She can do whatever she wants." Ralph snapped.

With a loud bang, he kicked over the coffee table and glared at the others as his anger boiled over. "Shut up, all of you! No one is allowed to look for her. Even if she dies out there, it's none of my business!"

After that, Ralph drowned himself in drink, glass after glass, ignoring everyone's attempts to stop him. Finally, someone couldn't stand it anymore and snatched the glass from his hand.

"Enough! You just had your stomach pumped yesterday! Do you have to treat your life like it's worthless?

"She's only been gone a few days, and you're already destroying yourself. Why don't you just call Mabes and fix this?"

Ralph's expression darkened even further.

Under the silent stares of everyone present, he grabbed a bottle, chugged it down, and smashed it on the table before storming out.

The cool night wind did nothing to calm Ralph's blazing fury.

"Mabel, you've got guts. You're really playing for keeps this time, huh?" he muttered to himself.

The next moment, he stared at his phone which was devoid of any calls or messages from me. His temper flared, and he blocked her number in one swift motion.

"Mabel, you'd better not come back! This time, I won't relent even if you come crawling back!"

…

Ambrose found me at my studio.

Back in college, I had opened my own fashion design studio and had enjoyed some modest success.

But I gave up my dreams for Ralph and followed him to Swelgan.

Now, with a decent amount of savings in hand, I discussed things with Ambrose and decided to reopen my studio.

"Mabes, what do you feel like eating for lunch?" Ambrose's gentle voice drifted into my ears.

It was as if he had some kind of magic—his presence instantly calmed my restless mood.

"I'm about to lose my mind sketching these drafts. You decide."

Tossing my pencil onto the table, I tidied up a bit, then grabbed his arm as we left the studio.

I assumed he'd take me to a fancy restaurant. After all, Ambrose didn't strike me as the kind of person who would eat at a roadside stall.

This food stall had been my favorite place to visit when I was still in school. The storefront was old, but it was always bustling with customers.

The only thing that seemed out of place was Ambrose in his tailored suit, sitting among the worn-down chairs and tables.

He didn't seem to notice my surprise, nor did he mind the dated furniture. He sat down naturally, as though he'd been coming here all his life. I was about to take a seat myself when he stopped me.

"Wait a moment."

I looked at him, confused, thinking perhaps he had changed his mind about the place. But then I saw him take a napkin and carefully wipe down my chair.

"You're a lady. You should always look your best," he said.

At that moment, I couldn't help but recall what he told me the other night, and I started to doubt it. "Do you really not have an ex-girlfriend?"

It wasn't that I didn't believe him—it was just hard to imagine someone as exceptional as him not having admirers.

He didn't answer right away. Instead, his hand paused mid-pour as he looked directly at me.

That was when our eyes met.

His gaze was so sincere that I suddenly felt flustered. I quickly picked up the water he had just poured and brought it to my lips.

He was so thoughtful and gentle. It was hard not to feel moved. But his kindness also stirred a deep sadness within me.

When I first started dating Ralph, he had been just as considerate. Nonetheless, that tenderness disappeared over time.

In its place, I found myself constantly trying to please him, terrified of making a mistake and angering him.

He often commented on how I had no friends and no work to keep me busy, and that my life revolved around him. Yet, I learned to cook because of his sensitive stomach and took care of him like a hired nanny.

Looking back now, I finally understood why his friends looked down on me. I had loved Ralph so much that I'd lost myself. I'd do whatever he told me to do without any complaints.

How could anyone love a woman who didn't even love herself?

The food stall was located on a lively street filled with snacks, near a university. The street was crowded with couples coming and going.

I used to dream of Ralph taking me to a place like this, but he always dismissed it as dirty.

"Your food's here!" The server's cheerful call interrupted my thoughts.

Ambrose remained quiet, only speaking once the server finished setting down the dishes.

He suddenly looked at me seriously and said, "Mabel, whether you believe me or not, you really are my first."

"But back in school, there were so many girls around you. And wasn't there one girl who was always by your side? Wasn't she your girlfriend?"

"Are you talking about Chelsea Summers?" He glanced at me with a small smile and continued placing food onto my plate.

"She's my neighbor. We grew up together, that's all."

"So, all these years, you never met anyone you liked?"

This time, Ambrose didn't avoid my question. Instead, he earnestly shared his past. "I went on a blind date once, but our personalities didn't match."

The meal was awkward, to say the least. On the way back to the hotel, I thought about his words earlier and decided to believe him.

As soon as I opened the door, he didn't leave. Instead, he leaned in close, and his warm breath brushed against my ear.

"Mabes, it won't be the same this time."

Before I could fully understand what he meant, his overwhelming kisses had begun to consume me.