When my pilot boyfriend canceled our wedding for the 18th time, I finally snapped.

The first time, his trainee got her period, and he bailed on me just to take care of her.

The second time, she messed up a task, and all he said was, "Jan's upset", before walking out and leaving me to face our wedding guests alone like some kind of joke.

We've been together for three years, and every single time she had an issue, he dropped our wedding plans to rush to her side.

Finally, it hits me—maybe I never really mattered to him.

So I make up my mind to see the world on my own and book a flight to Pavrielle. At least this way, no one will get the chance to leave me behind again.

During our third year together, I caught Logan Mercer cheating.

The moment I heard that sugary, flirty voice on the other end of the line, I knew our wedding was off again.

Logan gave me the same apologetic look, and we slipped right into the scene we'd both rehearsed far too many times.

Looking helpless but determined, he said exactly what I knew was coming. "Sorry, Ellie. Jan hurt her wrist. I need to check on her."

I glanced down at the clueless guests waiting before the altar and forced a tight, bitter smile.

"The wedding's about to start. Must you really go see her now?" I asked.

I barely got the words out before Logan's brow furrowed in annoyance.

"A wrist injury could end a pilot's career. I'm Jan's only instructor. Her safety's on me. And honestly? The wedding can wait. Do we really have to turn this into a fight?"

I looked at Logan's icy expression and felt a tremor ripple through my chest. He was never one to talk much. But when it came to Janice Doyle, the words came easily.

At first, I figured he was just doing his job. He was her instructor, after all. It made sense for him to be a little more attentive.

But eventually, I saw it for what it was—favoritism.

I fought to hold back the tears stinging my eyes. My voice barely rose above a whisper, thick with desperation. "But this is the 18th time, Logan. I can't keep waiting. Please, just get through the wedding before you leave."

The guests had started whispering, all of them wondering why I looked so devastated on what was supposed to be the happiest day of my life.

Over the murmurs, Logan's voice turned sharp. "It's just a wedding. We've pushed it back before. One more delay won't kill anyone. But if we don't deal with Jan's hand now, her career as a pilot will be over. Are you ready to cover that kind of fallout?"

Like a sulking kid, he yanked the groom's boutonniere off and tossed it to the floor. Then, he walked out without even a backward glance, leaving the officiant frozen in stunned silence.

That was when I realized how pathetic I'd been in this whole relationship.

I actually thought begging might work, that maybe he'd finally change his mind for once. But reality kept slapping me in the face, making it clear Logan couldn't care less about how I felt.

I held myself together just enough to see the guests out, choking back the emotions that were threatening to burst out of me. But the whispers still found me.

"So Ellie was just some pathetic simp all along. And here we thought she'd scored a hotshot pilot boyfriend."

"Yeah, turns out Logan wouldn't even marry her. She practically begged for this mess."

I managed a wry smile. Those same words had become routine in the three years I'd been with Logan.

Everyone called me a simp. Even Mom and Dad were utterly disappointed in me. But I kept holding on, convinced that Logan loved me. That was the only reason I couldn't let go.

Only now did I see that they had all been right.

Logan and I had been together for three years. I once thought we'd go the distance.

But everything changed the day Janice joined the airline.

Logan, who was usually stoic, couldn't stop smiling when he told me he'd been assigned a trainee. At first, there was a hint of frustration in his voice—subtle, but unmistakable.

"The new hire's all thumbs. She can't even handle filing without screwing it up. I have no idea how she's supposed to fly a plane. And seriously, I'm not even single anymore. The last thing I need is upper management leaving some rookie to hover around and make my life harder!"

But over time, Logan started bringing up Janice more and more, and "the new hire" slowly turned into just "Jan".

What he didn't seem to notice was how his whole expression softened whenever he mentioned her, like he couldn't help it.

I saw it as plain as day. But I never said a word.

Back then, I believed that someone who'd just shown up couldn't possibly come between Logan and me, considering the relationship we'd built over three years.

But I was wrong. Completely wrong.

I glanced down at my phone. Janice had just posted on Instagram three minutes ago. The caption read, "Getting the best wrist massage from my amazing instructor. Jealous?"

The photo showed a delicate hand nestled in a man's grasp. It might've been a sweet picture if not for the matching couple's ring on his finger, identical to mine.

I kept scrolling, and there it was—Logan's comment, staring back at me. "Be that careless again and I'll break your hand myself!"

Even through the screen, I could feel the worry and tenderness in Logan's words for her.

Feeling numb, I kept scrolling as a bitter taste crept into my mouth like I'd bitten into something I couldn't spit out.

I should've seen it coming. His heart hadn't been in it since the first time he left me at the altar for Janice.

"Jan's still young. Don't you think it's a little pathetic to be this jealous at your age?" he'd muttered as he walked out on me at our first wedding.

It wouldn't have made a difference if it was Janice or some other woman. In his eyes, I was already past my prime. How could I ever compete with those who were still in the bloom of youth?

I brushed the tears from my eyes and forced down the last of my bitterness.

Then, I texted my supervisor. "Chief Blackwell, I'm resigning."

Logan had bailed on me so many times for her. All of it left me completely exhausted. There was no place for me in Logan's heart anymore, and I finally realized there was no point in holding on.

Confused, Chief Blackwell asked me what was going on.

I just told him I'd been feeling burnt out and needed some time away from work.

Back then, I'd pushed myself way past my limits just to get a little closer to Logan. That was how I landed working for the same airline as him.

This job as a flight attendant was a far cry from what I'd actually studied. The hours were brutal and the nights sleepless, but I never once complained about how exhausted I was.

Yet now, the faith I'd built my whole life around had crumbled. There was nothing holding me back anymore.

For the first time, it felt like a whole world was out there, and all I wanted was to get out there and see it for myself.

Chief Blackwell was genuinely sorry to see me go. When I told him I just wanted to see more of the world, he didn't try to talk me out of it. Instead, he connected me with an international airline based in Pavrielle.

I hadn't expected that, but I was more than happy to take him up on the offer. I was set to leave for Pavrielle the next week.

…

Logan stumbled through the door just before midnight, reeking of booze.

Pilots weren't supposed to drink, and I didn't need to ask who'd tempted him to cross that line again.

Beneath the stench of liquor lingered the smell of something familiar. It was Freesia Blues—Janice's signature scent.

When Logan saw me sitting in the living room with the lights still on, his eyes flicked with impatience. Still, he dropped onto the couch like always, clearly bracing for whatever questions I had lined up.

But I only glanced at him, then looked back down, checking things off my packing list. That was when he finally noticed the suitcase stretched out on the floor.

His body stiffened, and a note of confusion crept into his voice. "Are they sending you overseas or something? What's with all the luggage?"

I kept my eyes down, brushing him off with a vague reply. "Yeah. I got assigned overseas. I might be gone for a while."

Logan let out a relieved sigh, like a weight had finally been lifted off his shoulders.

I couldn't help the bitter smile that crept onto my face. Just a week ago, I'd taken time off from the airline to prepare for our wedding.

No airline on the planet would schedule a flight attendant to work on their wedding day. But Logan had believed it without a second thought.

That alone told me everything I needed to know about how much he actually cared.

Maybe it was my quiet compliance that unsettled Logan, but for once, there was a flicker of guilt in his voice. "You weren't too stressed about the wedding today, were you?"

After so many failed wedding days, he probably thought I had the whole thing down to a science by now.

I gave a noncommittal answer.

Logan kept talking, caught up in his own thoughts. "How long is this flight assignment? We'll get married the minute you're back, okay? I'm not going anywhere this time. I swear."

I stopped cold, my hand hovering over the half-packed suitcase. Given everything he'd done, the fact that he had the nerve to say that was ridiculous.

I couldn't hold it in anymore. "Every single time we planned a wedding, you fed me the same promise. And every single time, you ditched me for your precious trainee."

He rubbed his temples in frustration. He was about to speak when his phone rang.

Janice sounded shaken, her usually sweet voice filled with panic. "Logan, I think someone's following me. I saw a shadow. It looked like a man. I'm scared!"

Logan shot off the couch like a spring. "Jan, stay calm. Don't hang up. Send me your location. I'm on my way."

Just as he was about to bolt out the door, I grabbed his arm without thinking. "You've been drinking. You can't drive tonight!"

But Logan yanked his arm away and yelled, "This isn't your business! If anything happens to Jan, I'm holding you responsible!"

Even after all these years of dealing with his temper, I still felt a tremor shoot through me at his words.

Realizing he'd overreacted, Logan gave me a conflicted look. He drew in a deep breath and said, "I promise I'll be there on time for our wedding. I just hope you can be a little more understanding. Maybe then people will quit gossiping."

The door slammed shut behind him with a sharp, echoing bang.

My heart withered, dry and brittle like dead grass.

Our wedding would never happen again.