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."