Emma's POV

"Jason, let's go inside. I’m starving," I said, trying to keep my tone light.

Jason glanced between me and Ava, a flicker of embarrassment crossing his face. But after a beat, he followed Ava inside without another word. I took a deep breath, mentally telling myself to stay calm, and followed them.

We sat at a table together, and the tension in the air was thick. Jason suddenly started serving me food, most of it being dishes I used to love. But now, looking at them, I felt nothing but disgust.

"Emma, try this. It's your favorite shrimp paste," he said, trying to sound cheerful.

He smiled at me like he was trying to please me, but I could see a smug little glint in his eyes. I scoffed and pushed the shrimp paste aside.

"I don’t like it anymore," I snapped.

Ava, always ready to insert herself into the drama, sweetly interrupted, "Jason, I love it. Serve it to me."

Without hesitation, Jason loaded her plate with a generous portion of shrimp paste. Ava took a bite, savoring it while throwing me a look full of challenges.

"Jason, you really brought me out just to watch you two act all lovey-dovey?" I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

Jason finally set down his chopsticks, his patience wearing thin. "Emma, can’t you be a little more understanding? How can you just cancel the wedding like this? Do you know the losses this will cause?"

I raised an eyebrow, my gaze sharp. "Jason, are you worried about money, or are you more concerned about your pathetic little pride?"

His face tightened, and his eyes darted away from mine, unable to meet my gaze.

But Ava, ever the instigator, jumped in, adding more fuel to the fire. "Emma, Jason’s just trying to look out for you. This wedding’s been in the works for so long. Canceling it now? It’ll wreck your reputation."

I laughed, the sound harsh. "My reputation? Do you really think I need you to worry about that? But you, on the other hand, a mistress climbing the ranks and destroying someone else’s relationship—don’t you fear retribution?"

Before Ava could respond, a small child came barreling out of nowhere, running full speed, and collided with a waiter carrying a hot pot. The waiter lost his balance, and in an instant, the boiling soup tipped over, spilling straight toward us.

I barely had time to react when the searing heat blasted into my face.

But in the blink of an eye, Jason pulled Ava close, shielding her with his body.

"Ava, are you okay? Did you get burned?" he asked frantically, holding her protectively.

Meanwhile, I was left standing there, the hot soup splashing onto my arm. The pain hit me like a jolt of electricity.

"Ahh—" I cried out as the sharp burn quickly swelled my skin, turning it red.

The waiter, now pale as a ghost, frantically apologized, bowing over and over.

The surrounding diners began to murmur, their eyes darting to Jason and Ava.

"This guy’s really something, huh? Protecting his girlfriend like that," one of the onlookers said.

"Yeah, now that’s true love," the other one agreed.

Their whispers stung, and I felt my emotions spiraling out of control. I suddenly remembered how Jason used to do the same for me—always leaving the best for me, always making sure I was protected.

But now, he was shielding Ava.

Ava finally lifted her head from Jason’s chest, a concerned look on her face. "Jason, are you okay? Where did you get burned? Let me see!"

That was it. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. My stomach turned, and I just needed to get out of there, away from this hellish scene.

I stood up abruptly, knocking my chair over with a loud crash. The diners around us stared, but I didn’t care. All I wanted was to escape.

Only then did Jason finally notice my arm had been burned.

But instead of concern for me, he snapped, his attention shifting to the waiter and the child.

"Hey! What’s wrong with you?!" he yelled, his voice filled with fury. "Watch where you're going!"

I couldn’t believe it. He wasn’t even worried about me.

Emma's POV

"What the hell is wrong with you guys?! Can’t you see what you’ve done? You burned someone!" Jason yelled, my frustration boiling over.

The waiter was shaking, repeating apologies, while the child’s parents rushed over, clearly mortified.

Ava, on the other hand, tugged gently at Jason’s sleeve, speaking in that overly sweet tone of hers. "Jason, please don’t get upset. What if you get sick from the stress? It wasn’t on purpose, you know."

I could feel my vision darkening as I staggered toward the door, the pain in my arm intensifying with every step.

It was like flames licking at my skin, sharp, burning, and relentless. But worse than the pain was the crushing weight of betrayal that settled in my chest.

I had once believed that Jason and I were unbreakable.

But now? It felt like it was all just a lie.

Jason glanced at the burn on my arm, a flicker of heartache flashing in his eyes before quickly turning into frustration and regret.

"Emma, how are you? Does it hurt? Let’s go to the hospital right now!" he said, his voice filled with concern.

When I didn’t respond, his tone softened, almost pleading. "Emma, please. Don’t make a scene. After the wedding, you can do whatever you want, alright?"

Before I could respond, Ava chimed in with that soft, fragile voice of hers, always playing the victim.

"Emma, Jason was just in a hurry. Don’t blame him. Is your arm okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

Her fake, innocent act made my stomach turn. I shot her a disgusted look and swatted Jason’s hand away.

"Don’t touch me! You’re disgusting!" I spat.

I stumbled out of the restaurant, my stomach churning with every step. Behind me, Jason’s anxious voice called out, but I couldn’t stop. I just needed to get away from this suffocating scene.

My high heels twisted, and I almost lost my balance, barely managing to steady myself against the wall.

The burning pain in my arm flared up, like a thousand ants gnawing at my skin. I heard Jason’s footsteps getting closer, panic rising in my chest, and I pushed myself to walk faster.

But then, suddenly, the footsteps stopped. I turned around, heart hammering in my chest, and saw Jason holding Ava up, a worried expression on his face.

Ava’s face was pale, and she clutched her chest as if she was about to collapse.

She weakly leaned against Jason, her voice barely a whisper. "Jason… I… I don't feel good anymore..."

Jason quickly steadied her, concern written all over his face. "Ava, what’s wrong? Where does it hurt?"

I stood frozen, watching this ridiculous charade unfold, my heart turning to stone. Jason looked like he was about to come over to check on me, but Ava clutched his arm tightly.

"Jason, I… I feel dizzy…" she said, her body going limp as she collapsed into his arms.

Jason looked between Ava, limp in his arms, and me standing there, unable to hide the bitterness rising inside me. Finally, he made his choice.

He picked Ava up in a horizontal position and looked at me with a half-hearted apology. "Emma, you go to the hospital. I’ll take Ava, and I’ll come to find you afterward."

I felt my stomach twist painfully.

I leaned against the wall, dry heaving, but nothing came up. Just the bitter, sour taste of anger rising in my throat.

'Jason, Ava, the wedding…'

Those words spun around in my head, getting louder and louder until they landed on the image of Jason leaving with Ava in his arms.

I closed my eyes, taking a shaky breath, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. I couldn’t cry, not here, not now.

At the hospital, the doctor examined my burn carefully, his brow furrowing slightly as he inspected the damage.

"It’s a moderate burn. It needs immediate treatment," he said, his voice professional but with a hint of concern.

I nodded, but inside, I felt absolutely nothing.

Emma's POV

The nurse carefully cleaned my wound, and when the cold medication touched my skin, I couldn't help but gasp softly.

She glanced up at me, her eyes filled with sympathy. "You need to be careful with this. Wounds take time to heal."

I forced a small smile. "Thanks."

Once the wound was treated, I sat on a bench in the hospital corridor, staring out into the quiet night. My phone vibrated in my pocket.

I pulled it out, only to see a message from Jason on WhatsApp:

[Emma, Ava is fine now. How about you?]

I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh.

I deleted the entire chat history and removed his contact information. If he’d already made his choice, why should I keep holding on?

By the time I arrived at Chase's house, it was almost 10 PM.

He clearly hadn’t expected me to show up. I noticed the laptop in the living room still had an active video conference, with someone speaking on the screen.

Chase glanced at it, then at me, and gave me an apologetic look. After muttering a few words to the participants, he quickly ended the meeting.

"Emma, you’re hurt?" His voice was laced with concern as he helped me sit down and gently examined my arm.

His fingertips brushed against my skin, and I felt an electric-like sensation spread through my body.

"How could you be so careless?" he said, his tone warm, filled with both reproach and care.

I shook my head, not wanting to bring up Jason and Ava again. Those painful images would only make me even more upset.

"I’m hungry," I said, changing the subject.

Chase didn’t ask anything more. He simply walked into the kitchen, grabbed a few ingredients, and started cooking. I sat on the couch, quietly watching him move about.

Compared to the fake affection from Jason and Ava, Chase’s presence felt so much more genuine.

At that moment, everything became incredibly clear to me.

The smell of food wafted through the air, and I looked up to see Chase bringing a steaming bowl of chicken soup.

"Eat while it’s hot. You haven’t been feeling well lately, so be careful not to burn yourself," he said softly.

I took the bowl from him, feeling warmth in my eyes. "Why are you so good to me?"

I already knew the answer, but I couldn’t help but ask.

Chase was silent for a few moments, his gaze soft and deep, as though he was thinking about how to answer.

He reached out and gently pushed a strand of hair from my forehead, his fingers warm and steady.

His touch made me feel a bit shy, and I felt a flush creeping up my face without realizing it.

"Emma," he said, his voice low and sincere. "I like you. I’ve liked you for a long time."

"You’re an amazing person, Em. You’re better than anyone else. He just didn’t know how to appreciate you."

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words didn’t come out right away.

Seeing my hesitation, he smiled softly. "I know this is sudden. You don’t have to respond right away. I just want you to know that I’ve always been here."

"Chase, let’s get married."