"Aren't you going to marry an old man from abroad? Don't be angry. I have rescheduled our wedding. It will be next Monday. It won't change this time. I also asked my mother to notify all my relatives. My mother said they would kill me if I changed my mind this time, so don't worry."

His words reminded me of the last wedding he canceled. It had been planned so simply that only his parents and a few close friends were informed. At the time, he claimed that if you couldn't marry the one you truly loved, the size of the wedding didn't matter.

I had only discovered the truth about the canceled wedding through his group's chat logs, realizing it was yet another instance of his indifference. Still, I had foolishly clung to the hope that he at least cared for me.

Just like I saw a question before, "What has the other person done for you that makes you feel like you can trust them for the rest of your life?"

I immediately thought that when I was working part-time in college, I was almost raped. When Calvin found out, he beat the man half to death. The man threatened to put Calvin in jail.

Calvin shook his fist fiercely at him and said disdainfully, "Even if I'm imprisoned for the rest of my fucking life, I'm going to beat you up. Do you know who the person you touched is? I can't bear to touch her."

That was the most touching time for me, because indeed, as Calvin said, I was with him when I was eighteen years old. Even though we both went to college and were in love for four years, he always respected me and never went too far. That time was also the first time I felt loved and protected since losing my parents.

When I fell asleep at night, Calvin hugged me and said inadvertently, "Lana, don't be angry anymore. You also know that I like to play, but I promise that I will calm down in the future."

I stayed silent, letting him hold me. What he mistook for anger was actually disappointment—a disappointment so deep that I knew I couldn't wait for him to change anymore.

The day to go abroad was getting closer and closer. Seeing that I hadn't paid much attention to him recently, Calvin felt that I might still be angry about canceling the wedding.

So he formed a bureau, called his small group and said he would bring me into them. And to show their sincerity, they also pulled me into their small group. I thought it was pointless and wanted to refuse, but Calvin forcefully pulled me away.

When I arrived at the private room they had reserved long ago, everyone warmly invited me to sit down. Sheryl was the only one missing among this group of people.

I didn’t want to ask more questions, but in the face of the enthusiasm of everyone today, I guessed that Calvin must have said hello in advance. In the past, they didn’t welcome me.

Sheryl had the strongest reaction. Therefore, I thought her not coming today also showed her attitude to me.

But as soon as I sat down, Calvin whispered in my ear that he was going to pick up Sheryl. He was secretive and said that Sheryl was procrastinating so he hadn't arrived yet.

But after he left, Sheryl's second brother Shawn crossed the crowd and sat next to me and told me directly. "Lana, to tell you the truth, If Sheryl isn’t here, it’s because we don’t want you here. Be smart and stop making things difficult for everyone. Today, we're just playing along with Calvin. That's how it'll always be. There's no comparison between you and Sheryl. Just like Calvin will always only choose Sheryl forever, no matter what."

I silently drank the wine from the glass. On the outside, I was calm and unconcerned, but inside I felt extremely uncomfortable. I took the little bit of pity that Calvin gave me as salvation, but when I compared it to Sheryl, I was still shattered.

When Calvin came back, he brought Sheryl with him. I didn’t know what benefits Calvin promised her, but she sat next to me with a smile as if the tension between us didn’t exist.

"Hold your glass and I apologize to you," Sheryl said with a smile.

"Lana, don't worry about the last game. We were just playing around. Don't blame them. We're used to playing like this. So it's not serious or serious at the moment. You're so generous and you won't be angry with us. After drinking this glass of wine, you'll be a member of our small group from now on."

After she finished speaking, the others also raised their glasses and apologized to me one by one.

I smiled and drank the wine in my hand, accepting it happily—not to become a member of their small group, but as a symbolic farewell banquet they had unknowingly given me. From now on, I wanted nothing to do with them.

Usually, I didn’t drink, but after just one glass, I felt extremely uncomfortable. The others were still drinking, laughing and enjoying themselves, but Calvin and Sheryl had disappeared.

I didn’t care what they were doing. But staying in the private room felt suffocating—the alcohol's scent was making me nauseous. I stood up, swaying slightly and staggered toward the door.

The moment I opened it, a cool gust of wind hit me, clearing my head a bit. I pulled out my phone, intending to message Calvin that I was leaving. But then, I heard voices—Calvin's and Sheryl's—coming from nearby.

Curiosity got the better of me and I followed the sound to a dimly lit corner. It was definitely them. The dim corridor lighting cast shadows, but I could see them hugging, oblivious to my presence.

"Sheryl, why have you refused me all these years? Doesn't that ring prove my heart?" Calvin asked softly.

Sheryl replied with equal softness, "Calvin, don’t be like this. I just want to treat each of you equally. Why don’t we just keep this relationship as it is and stay good friends for life?"

Their words were like those of close friends, but their actions spoke of something far deeper, something meant only for lovers. My heart twisted with anger and disbelief at their blatant betrayal, but it was Calvin's next words that truly broke me.

"Sheryl, if you agree to marry me, I’ll cancel the wedding again for you. Can you promise me that?"

Sheryl shook her head. "Calvin, if I agree, it’ll be unfair to the others. If we are successful, then we’ll be together. But how can I face them if we fail? I don’t want our small group to fall apart because of us."

I couldn’t listen anymore. I turned and walked silently toward the other corridor, swallowing my tears and fury.

When I got home, I threw my things into a suitcase, changed my plane ticket and decided to leave a day earlier than planned. Calvin had rescheduled the wedding for the day after tomorrow and my original flight was for tomorrow. But staying near him even one more second made me sick.

By the time I arrived at the airport, it was still hours before my flight at six in the morning. I hailed a taxi and left in the dead of night, hoping to leave all the pain behind me.

Not long after settling into a chair at the airport, my phone buzzed with a call from Calvin.