All I knew was that he didn't come home all night.

Early the next morning, Sid's voice was full of apology. "My car broke down last night, so I just made do and crashed somewhere out there."

But later, when I went over to my best friend's place, I happened to catch a few photos that the smart display had grabbed at random.

The timestamp was that very night.

Lena was curled up barefoot on the couch, binge-watching a show.

And the man cooking soup in the kitchen looked exactly like Sid.

Ten years of friendship, and Lena had always been single, never once close with any man.

She was forever telling me, in so many words, that she couldn't stand men.

Yet behind my back, she'd been sneaking around with my boyfriend for years.

I was about to step forward when, right then, my phone suddenly buzzed.

A message from Sid.

"Working late at the office, won't be back until nine tonight."

"Be good, eat dinner without me, don't wait up."

I looked up at Sid. He was carrying Lena's clogs in one hand, the other arm around her waist, the two of them heading toward the seaside bed-and-breakfast.

It was only six in the evening.

What they planned to do over the next three hours needed no spelling out.

But I didn't want to dig into it anymore.

I calmly typed back, "Sure, I've got something to take care of myself anyway."

Right after, another message from Sid popped up.

"Don't wear yourself out, baby."

"When I get back, I'll bring you your favorite mango cake."

Looking at those two words, mango cake, I couldn't help a bitter smile.

Five years.

He still didn't remember I was allergic to mango.

The one who loved mango cake was Lena.

Or maybe he'd just told so many lies.

Since this marriage wasn't going to happen, there was no point decorating the wedding home either.

I turned and flagged down a cab at the curb, and went to the apartment.

On the way I saw someone selling strawberry cake, so I stopped and bought one, eating it as I strolled unhurriedly toward the new place.

Mm. So good.

The sweet scent spread from the tip of my tongue, and even though it was sweet, my nose stung before I could stop it.

Strawberry cake, because Lena didn't like this flavor.

Every time she smelled it, she'd pinch her nose, even going so far, dramatically, as to run to the bathroom like she might be sick.

After that, Sid never bought me strawberry cake again.

He always patted my head and said, "Strawberry, blueberry, mango, it's just a different flavor, they're all pretty much the same."

"Be good. Lena's your best friend. If the smell makes her sick, we should be considerate of her."

So one line about being considerate of her.

And strawberry cake never appeared in our home again.

By the time I was nearly at the new place, the strawberry cake in my hand was nearly gone. I tossed the box away and pushed the door open.

Only to hear a faint rustling coming from inside.

My guard went up at once. I thought a thief had gotten in.

But the next second, to my surprise, Sid and Lena came walking in from the balcony, looking somewhat flustered.

"Penelope?"

Sid's eyes flickered with guilt the moment he saw me.

"Weren't you busy? What are you doing here at this hour?"

"I happened to be free, thought I'd come check on the apartment."

I pretended not to see the lipstick mark on his collar.

"Didn't you say you'd be working late till nine?"

Sid's face went slightly pale.

"Penelope, you've really got to admit your boyfriend loves you. I'd barely gotten off work when Sid called me over to help set up your new place."

"We wanted to surprise you. Didn't think you'd catch us in the act!"

Her clothes a little disheveled, Lena came over anyway and looped her arm warmly through mine.

"But it's just as well. Take a look and see what else needs decorating."

Lena patted her chest, beaming.

"Trust me, sis. I've got it all set up perfectly for you."

I glanced around. The whole bridal apartment was beautifully done.

If I were still the woman who'd been so set on marrying Sid,

I'd have been over the moon.

But now all I felt was a faint regret, knowing that in a few hours every bit of it would be reduced to rubble and trash.

"It's nice."

I turned to look at the two of them. "You've both worked hard. Go home and rest."

"I'll take care of the rest."

Lena looked a little reluctant, still wanting to stay and help, but seeing how calm my face was, she had no choice but to pick up her bag. "I'll get going, then."

"My phone's almost dead, though, so it's hard to call a cab. Mind if I borrow your boyfriend to give me a ride?"

Back when Sid was short on budget, he'd bought the bridal apartment out in the suburbs, a bit far from downtown.

Before I could even say anything, Sid was already taking her bag for her.

"Penelope, it's dark out, and this area isn't safe. I'll go drop Lena off first."

"I'll come back for you after."

It wasn't a question. It was a notification.

Without waiting for my answer, they left, one after the other.

And once they were gone, I pulled up the security feed for the apartment.

I'd had the cameras installed during the renovation.

To keep an eye on the workers and stop them from slacking off.

After the work was finished, they'd served no further purpose.

But on some strange impulse I opened the footage, and sure enough, I saw the scene that shattered my heart.

At half past, the moment the door opened, Lena's voice came through.

"What a dump of a rental. It got high ratings because it's right by the beach, but who knew the bed would be that hard? Worst stay ever."

Then came Sid's voice, warm with a smile.

"That's my clever Lena, thinking to come to the bridal apartment. It's out of the way. Penelope would never come over here."

On the feed, Sid loosened his tie with one hand while pinning Lena against the wall.

"Two and a half hours until nine. A moment of a spring night is worth its weight in gold…"

But Lena laughed and pulled him toward the balcony.

"It's just gone dark out there. Want to… try the balcony?"

The two of them shoved the balcony door open.

Kissing, stumbling backward.

I closed my eyes for a moment and exited the feed.

I already knew what was happening. Why torture myself by watching on, only to shame myself?

I watched the workers haul out all the new soft furnishings they'd just arranged in the apartment.

Only once it had all been thrown out as garbage did I let out a breath.

The workers looked dismayed. "Miss Henson, these all look freshly installed. Weren't they meant for the wedding? Why throw them out?"

"Because they're dirty."

Besides, I was the one who'd paid the down payment on this place. Since the bride had been swapped out for someone else,

it had no business being tied to me anymore.

The worker hesitated, wanting to say more, but I took out my wallet and gave them a little something for their trouble.

"Thanks for your hard work. Take the sofa and the bed too. They're yours, free of charge."

Through the cameras I'd seen that Sid had brought Lena to the apartment in secret, more than once.

The bed and the sofa were dirty too.

Even if they hadn't used them, just looking at them turned my stomach.

By past nine that night, Sid still showed no sign of coming to pick me up.

This was the suburbs, and cabs were hard to come by. Every other time we'd come to the apartment, Sid had always driven me there and back himself.

I was about to message and ask him when Lena's post popped up on my social media feed.

"Watching the night view, watching the ocean~ It really does feel different when someone's here with you."

Below it was a single photo of the sea, and in the bottom right corner you could just make out a man's hand caught in the frame.

I opened the dating app and pulled up Sid's location.

Sure enough, the two of them were still together.

My mind went back six months, to the night my appendix flared up. The pain was unbearable, and I begged Sid to take me to the hospital.

But every message I sent vanished into nothing, and he wouldn't pick up the phone.

I called Lena too. She was just as unreachable.

It wasn't until a neighbor heard me crying for help that I got hauled into an ambulance.

Only after I came out of the operating room did I see the post Lena had put up five hours earlier.

“One mention of wanting to see the aurora, and he flew me to the Arctic overnight.”

The next day, Sid finally strolled in, fruit basket in hand.

“I'm so sorry, Penelope. There was an emergency project last night, a sudden business trip, and I had to hand in my phone. I never saw your messages……”

Over and over he apologized, eyes red, and for a moment my heart softened. But later I saw the photo of the two of them in the Arctic in his album, and once again I understood.

It was just another lie.

I walked almost a mile and a half near the wedding apartment before I finally caught a cab back to my rental to pack.

I showered and went to bed alone.

Sid never came back the whole night. He didn't message me until the next morning.

“After I dropped Lena off last night, I was going to come get you at the apartment, but the company called me in for overtime out of nowhere.”

“That damn client insisted on changing the proposal again. Over and over, never-ending.”

On the video call, Sid raked a hand through his hair, agitated.

He looked like a man genuinely worn down by his work.

But I just watched, calm.

Marveling, inside, at how flawless his acting was.

“It's fine. You're busy with work. I understand.”

Sid seemed to breathe easier, and coaxed me with a soft little laugh.

“I'm not doing overtime tonight, no matter what. The second I'm off, I'm coming back to be with you. Oh, right, isn't there a movie you've been wanting to see? Let me take you……”

That movie.

I'd brought it up to Sid five times.

And every single time he'd brushed me off, saying he was too busy with work.

Until I saw in his album that he'd watched it three times with Lena.

And I wasn't waiting on him anymore.

“No need. I've already seen it.”

Sid sounded a little let down. He fussed over me with a few more reminders before he finally hung up.

Not long after, my father called again, a sob in his voice.

“Sweetheart, your dad really doesn't have much time left. Could I beg you……to come abroad and see me, just once?”

“Back then, I failed to protect your mother.”

“It was my fault……”

Listening to that aging voice on the other end, I couldn't keep the ache from rising in my chest.

My father had an affair when he was young. It blew up into a divorce, and my mother, distraught, ran out and died in a car accident. He'd regretted it ever since.

He'd fled abroad, to the place where they first met, chasing the past in vain, again and again.

For years I'd hated him for getting my mother killed.

I held firm, refusing to forgive him.

But now, with him dying, with everything we'd been as father and daughter, I couldn't bring myself to be that cruel.

“All right. I've booked a flight three days out. I'll come see you.”

Since I was done with this wedding anyway.

Taking the chance to travel abroad for a while wasn't a bad thing.

I quit my job. The day I handed in my resignation, my boss tried again and again to keep me.

“Penelope, I think very highly of your work. I didn't expect you to be so set on leaving. All I can do is wish you the best.”

“If you ever regret it and want to come back, our door is always open to you.”

My coworkers came one after another with farewell gifts, telling me how sorry they were to see me go.

Someone asked,

“Penelope, aren't you getting married next week? Why are you suddenly going abroad?”