“Don’t dwell on what happened yesterday. I’ve already apologized to Scarlett on your behalf.”

“Okay.”

“Scarlett said weddings are just a show, nothing to stress about. Our bond is so strong that we don’t need these formalities to prove anything. Let’s keep it simple.”

“I’ll follow your lead.”

Hazel had already made her decision. This wedding would go down as the simplest one in history.

No wedding photos. No marriage certificate. No officiant.

And no bride.

After hanging up, Hazel stood up, her hand steady as she grabbed a marker and slashed “Wedding Photoshoot” off her calendar.

Ambrose’s work always consumed him, and Hazel had always been careful not to disturb him, especially when he was busy. While she’d been planning the wedding, she’d bought a special wish calendar, pouring her dreams into it. Each event was a marker of hopes she longed to fulfill, one last grand gesture for a once-in-a-lifetime occasion.

Now, those dreams were swallowed by thick, regret-laden strokes of ink, leaving nothing but a void of unspoken sorrow.

With a deep sigh, Hazel glanced around the room, the glaring red of wedding decorations mocking her every move. It had taken her the entire day to strip the room of its once carefully arranged decor.

By evening, however, Ambrose's name was everywhere.

“To win a smile from his beloved, the CEO spends 8 million on a vintage pearl brooch.”

The photo was grainy, but the woman beside Ambrose was assumed to be Hazel.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips. So, this was where all the money that was supposed to be for their wedding had ended up.

But it didn’t matter anymore. Hazel had long since shut the door on any sadness tied to Ambrose.

Over the next few days, he didn’t come home. Hazel didn’t ask where he was or make any arrangements for him as she once would have. Instead, she handed in her resignation, said her goodbyes to a few close colleagues, and quietly began telling her friends of her plans to leave the country.

Her friends exchanged knowing glances, their sighs blending in perfect unison.

"We had a feeling this was coming," one of them murmured softly.

Without a word, one of them opened Ambrose's social media feed and handed the phone to Hazel.

"To the outside world, it might look like these pictures are of you," she said gently, "but we all know it's Scarlett."

Only then did the truth sink in. Ambrose had been with Scarlett this whole time. Though he rarely updated his social media, his posts had been flooding in, each one more frequent than the last, each one dedicated to her.

They visited amusement parks, tried on wedding dresses at bridal shops, and shared quiet moments under the moonlight atop a mountaintop.

Ambrose's love for Scarlett was as clear as day, laid out for the world to see. The only thing he’d done to hide it was block Hazel from seeing it all.

Her friends exchanged concerned glances, the silence stretching on too long.

"Hazel, are you alright?" one of them finally asked, her voice laced with worry.

"There’s no need to waste your tears on someone like him," another chimed in. "Ambrose doesn’t deserve your love. Once he sees the truth about Scarlett, he’ll regret this for the rest of his life."

Hazel offered a faint smile, her eyes drifting to the lively streets outside the window.

"It’s fine. I don’t care anymore." Her voice was quieter, almost resigned. "But I do need a favor…"

In just a few days, she would leave this place, cutting ties with the past. She no longer had the luxury of drowning in heartbreak over Ambrose.

When Ambrose finally returned after days of silence, Hazel couldn’t muster a reaction. She remained distant, her indifference cutting through the tension.

Ambrose, for his part, was lost in his world. Even when he finally stepped inside, his eyes never left his phone, his fingers moving rapidly across the screen, oblivious to everything around him.

Hazel sat quietly beside him, her laptop open as she transferred the surveillance footage onto a USB drive. She had a surprise in mind that would leave a mark before she walked away.

Halfway through the transfer, Ambrose suddenly looked up, his gaze scanning the house. "Why does it feel so empty in here all of a sudden? Didn’t you decorate?"

"You told me to keep things simple."

Hazel wasn’t concerned. She knew Ambrose's eyes had long stopped seeing anything that didn’t involve Scarlett.

However, Ambrose’s gaze lingered on the countdown calendar in the living room this time. He let out a soft laugh. "Time flies, huh? Only seven days left until our wedding."

Hazel stood up and walked over to the calendar. With a quick motion, she tore off two pages.

"Our wedding is in five days."

The two pages she tore off had wishes written: “Ride a Ferris wheel together” and “Watch the stars together.” These were things Ambrose had already done with Scarlett.

A strange pang tugged at Ambrose’s heart, like a fleeting shadow of something important he’d missed. He opened his mouth to say more, but Hazel’s phone buzzed, cutting through the moment.

Noticing her mother’s name on the screen, Hazel excused herself and stepped onto the balcony to answer.

When she returned, Ambrose was already lost in his world, his eyes glued to his phone as he typed away, undoubtedly chatting with Scarlett.

“Who called? I thought I heard something about a visa,” he asked casually, barely looking up.

“Nothing important—just work,” Hazel replied, her tone light and dismissive.

Ambrose exhaled in relief. “Good. Don’t go planning any honeymoon trips. I won’t have the time.”

“I know,” she said softly.

Since Scarlett’s return, Ambrose couldn’t bear to be away from her, not even for a moment. It was clear he had no time or space for anyone else.

They sat in strained silence, the tension in the room growing heavier with every passing second. Ambrose shifted uncomfortably, an inexplicable unease curling in the pit of his stomach.

Hazel had always carried herself with a quiet grace, a sensibility born not of choice but necessity. Unlike other girls, she never indulged in tantrums or petty whims.

But Ambrose knew the truth; her calm demeanor was a mask, a defense she had perfected over the years.

Beneath it all, Hazel was just a fragile, love-starved girl, yearning for affection she rarely received.

In the past, every time he stepped through the door, she would rush into his arms, her eyes alight with joy as she eagerly shared every detail of her day.

She would chatter endlessly, filling the silence with her stories, oblivious to whether he was listening or not.

Now, the quiet was deafening. It pressed down on him, feeling unnatural and wrong. Ambrose set his phone aside, his gaze shifting to Hazel.

“You’ve worked so hard preparing for the wedding. Once this is all over…”

But Hazel cut him off, her tone steady yet pointed. “Where’s your wedding ring?”

He froze, caught off guard by the sudden question. “I’m not sure… I must’ve lost it somewhere.”

The memory crept back into his mind unbidden. It had been the night of their engagement. Scarlett had seen the ring and been upset.

He had slipped it off to calm her down, setting it aside without a second thought.

Ambrose opened his mouth to explain, guilt flickering in his eyes, but Hazel interrupted him almost dismissively. “If it’s lost, it’s lost. Just buy a new one.”

She didn’t linger on the matter. In her heart, she knew the truth. Once she left, Ambrose would undoubtedly replace it with a stunning diamond ring for Scarlett.

This ring, their ring, had been destined for the trash heap from the moment Scarlett had stepped back into his life. Whether it was now or later didn’t make a difference.

Ambrose had grown used to Hazel’s endless understanding, her boundless patience that bordered on self-sacrifice.

Yet, for the first time, her indifference rattled him. It was as if he hadn’t just lost a ring but something intangible, something far more valuable.

The unease gnawed at him, relentless and unfamiliar. Determined to ease the weight pressing on his chest, Ambrose resolved to make things right with Hazel.

“Since the office is quiet today, how about I take you out to choose a new ring? Something grander to reward you for all the effort you’ve put in these past days.”

Hazel frowned slightly, her instinctive response on the tip of her tongue. She was about to decline when his phone buzzed, its screen lighting up with a message.

Ambrose glanced at it without a second thought, his expression shifting subtly. He shot to his feet, already heading for the door. But halfway there, as if struck by a fleeting memory, he turned back. Leaning in, he pressed a kiss against her forehead.

“Sorry, love, I’ve been caught up with so much lately I haven’t had the chance to give you the time you deserve. I swear, I’ll make it up to you once this hectic stretch is behind us. I’ll make you the happiest woman alive.”

In the ten years they had been together, Ambrose had never spoken with such tenderness to Hazel.

He understood that women often craved sweet words, but Hazel had always been the exception. She was far too sensible, too independent, to need his coaxing.

Naturally, his efforts had always been reserved for Scarlett, the woman who thrived on attention, who could cry at the slightest slight and demand his comfort.

Yet now, guilt gnawed at him. The growing unease over his neglect of Hazel had prompted this sudden attempt to treat her better, hoping to ease the weight pressing on his conscience.

But Hazel gave him nothing in return, no smile, no frown. Her face was a blank slate, concealing any trace of emotion.

Once Ambrose left, Hazel walked to the bathroom, her footsteps steady but deliberate. Slowly, methodically, she washed her face, rinsing away every trace of Ambrose’s fleeting touch as if cleansing herself of his presence.

Belated love. Hollow compensation after betrayal. Hazel didn’t want any of it.

The days crept by, and soon, it was the eve of the wedding. The calendar had thinned to just two fragile pages, one hanging by a thread. Today’s wish read, “Have a family reunion dinner together.”

For over twenty years, Hazel had carried this hope silently in her heart. Yet, deep down, she knew it was a futile dream. Her mother would never forgive her father, just as she could never forgive Ambrose.

Refusing to linger on these thoughts, Hazel brushed on light makeup, slipped into her favorite white dress, and stepped out. She watched a movie alone, ordered a couple’s meal for one, and rode the Ferris wheel in solitary silence.

When the Ferris wheel reached its peak, the sun dipped low on the horizon. The golden hues of the sunset bathed the city she had known since childhood in a tender glow. A soft breeze kissed Hazel’s face as she stretched out her arms, feeling as though her memories were unraveling and scattering into the evening wind.

As night fell, Hazel bought herself an ice cream and left the amusement park. She sat on a nearby bench, savoring the cold sweetness while gazing up at the starry sky.

The stars above had always been her solace. On those countless nights when she was cast out of her home, it was a younger Ambrose who had held her hand, lying beside her on the grass as they stared up at the heavens.

But none of that mattered now. People came and went, but the stars never faltered. No matter where she went, those same shimmering lights would always follow her, unchanging and eternal.

After finishing her ice cream, Hazel stood and began walking home. The stars above twinkled softly as her phone buzzed with a message from Scarlett.

[Dad’s sweet-and-sour fish is amazing! You’ve probably never had it, right?]

Hazel opened the attached video. It captured a lively family dinner scene. Ambrose and Scarlett sat at the center of the table, surrounded by festive red decorations. Laughter echoed in the background as their families chatted about the upcoming wedding.

Scarlett’s petty provocation didn’t anger Hazel. She had endured countless jabs like this throughout her life. Instead, she found it absurd.

Wedding plans? Whose wedding were they truly planning? Hers or Scarlett’s?