Lyssandra's POV

“Eira, does it hurt so much? I’m taking you to see a doctor instantly!”

The doorway finally fell silent.

My heart sank to the depths.

After eight years of knowing each other and ten years of love, we had reached this point of disconnection.

I took out my phone and booked a ticket for the day of the wedding.

With just barely 3 days left, it was just enough time to clear the slate from everything that has to do with the past.

Kellan was right; Life is in phases. One must look forward. From this moment, I would detach all ties with the joys and sorrows of the past!

— —

I threw away and burnt some of the wedding supplies I had conscientiously bought and prepared.

This house, which was never truly mine, was now devoid of any trace of me.

In the end, only the tickets I had cautiously preserved as a diary of love remained.

With a moment of reluctance, I threw each one into the rising and glowing flames of fire.

Each consumed by the flames depicted an integral part of me that loved Kellan.

When the burning finally collapsed, only a pile of ashes and acrid smoke remained.

It was just like the love I had given over these eight years.

The following morning, the scent of a sumptuous breakfast woke me up.

“Kellan, hurry up and get ready. I’ve already prepared breakfast.”

“You can proceed to eat. Enjoy your meal. I’ll take breakfast to Eira, you don’t have to.”

“Okay.”

Kella muted , his hand holding the thermal container.

"You don't have to scold yourself, Eira doesn’t accuse you."

"When you're done having breakfast, let's pick out a new engagement ring for the wedding.

The stackable one had some problems and won’t arrive in time for the wedding day."

"Okay."

He enjoyed playing the role, so I would just go along with it.

Perhaps sensing my lack of euphoria, Kellan hastily brought out the first aid kit and applied medication to my bruised knee.

“Lyssandra, we've known each other for quite long. We've been in love for years. Everything I’ve done is for your good. I don’t want us to have a wedding where you have partial or no family present.”

“You mentioned not finding a maid of honor? I’ve taken the liberty of asking Eira to be your maid of honor.”

“Okay.”

Kella spoke with discretion but when he saw my hasty contentment, disbelief filled his eyes.

He then took my hand and pressed a warm, caressing kiss on it.

After delivering breakfast to Eira, he didn’t return.

As I scrubbed my palms with fervor, his call came in.

“Lyssandra, finish eating and come downstairs . I’ll be waiting in the car for you.”

When I came down, I headed towards the car. I instinctively opened the front passenger door, only to find Eira already occupying it.

Without uttering a word, I took a seat in the back.

Kellan glanced at me a few times and seemed quite pleased with my understanding and reservation.

“Lyssandra, Eira is into interior decorations and she designs jewelry. She's a professional. With her here, she’ll definitely help you pick out a ring you’ll love.”

I just used gestures and body language to respond. I closed my eyes, pretending to rest.

When I unconsciously opened my eyes, I saw Kellan gently pinching Eira’s cheek.

In the rearview mirror, our eyes met and he quickly started to explain.

“Eira had something on her face, so I was just helping her wipe it off.”

I closed my eyes again and kept them shut until we arrived.

As we stepped into the jewelry gallery, the luxuries of jewelry found inside were beautiful and magnificent.

The customer's service representative saluted us. Eira, who was standing close to Kellan, with great passion and energy.

“How may I be of assistance to you today sir? Are you looking for something unique and gorgeous for your loved one?”

Eira and Kellan went rosy.

Ansel expeditiously pulled me closer.

“Why are you so drifted afar off? Come over and pick out a ring!”

The customer's service representative rosied deeply and quickly brought out the rings for me to make a choice from.

But Eira barged in and took the lead, inspecting each one with a critical eye.

“This is too small”

“This one’s color isn’t right and catchy.”

–– —

None of the other rings measured up when compared to the one Eira was holding.

The customer's service representative gazed at me, visibly uncertain of how to proceed.

Eira, however, pretended as if she hadn’t noticed and ultimately chose a rather unadorned ring.

“Lyssandra, let’s go for this one for now. It’ll work for the wedding. I’ll design a better one for you later,” she said.

The customer's service representative, clearly uncertain and uncomfortable, awkwardly praised Eira for her “classic” taste.

Eira, with a hint of pride, thrust her hand in front of me.

“It's obviously magnificent . It’s custom-designed by my fiancé.”

Kellan stood calmly beside her, staring at how she flaunted the ring without stopping her or showing any sign of discomfort.

His smile, however, seemed to bloom with the spring breeze.

“Then we'll definitely go with the one Eira picked!” he said.

Skipping even the fit assessment process, Kellan paid for the ring at the spot.

He took out the ring and, with an empty stare , slid it onto my finger.

The process was not formal—There was no kneeling, no roses, or even a proposal.

This time, the ring was small, barely fitting.

I knew, without a doubt, that Eira deliberately did this.

As a professional designer, Eira could accurately gauge the ring size at a glance.

Such a significant mistake was impossible.

I didn’t bother pointing it out and simply removed the ring.

The customer's service representative kindly suggested that I choose a different style, but I turned it down.

“Let’s just buy this one and get it over with. No need to make it more complicated.”

Kellan, hearing this, was explicitly dissatisfied. It was obvious from his tone.

Lyssandra's POV

“If you’re not happy with it, we don’t have to buy it. Eira can help you get a unique one later,” he offered.

I shook my head faintly and declined.

“No, this one is fine. Am okay with it.”

Eira, however, looked deeply pertinent, her eyes brimming with tears once again.

“Lyssandra, I’m going straight to the studio to work on the design. I’ll make sure you have a perfect and unforgettable wedding!”

With that, she zoomed off.

No matter how much Kellan screamed after her, she didn’t look back.

“Lyssandra, what’s the matter with you? It’s just a ring—why are you making a big deal out of nothing ?”

I was flabbergasted.

“What am I making a fuss about?”

He glared at me, gritted his teeth together and pulled me out of the store.

“I have a client to see. We can take the wedding photos later.”

“Or, you could take your lone photograph first and I’ll have the designers Photoshop my suit onto them for the wedding.”

“Okay.”

Kellan’s explanations got caught in his throat.

He looked at me for a long moment before gently embracing me.

“Lyssandra, I promise, once I’m done with work, I’ll take you on a honeymoon trip and we can do a travel-themed bridal photoshoot.”

To me, his dismissive promise of a honeymoon felt like an embarrassment.

He had no time to visit me , but he had ample time to accompany Eira to the mountains far outside Shadowvale to see the penguins and to the icy plains of the mountains to watch the northern lights.

Seeing his location and profile picture hurrying towards Eira’s Interior decoration studio, I went back into the store and returned the ring to the customer's service representative.

As I expected, Kellan didn’t return home for that day.

He was accompanying Eira to the beach for their wedding photos.

And indeed, he had someone photoshop our faces onto their wedding pictures.

Resolute to avoid the wedding, he’ll probably only come back for my mom's death anniversaries.

I went to the cemetery with bouquets of orchids and pansies to pay her a visit.

I also added the caretaker on the chatterbox to manage things in the future.

“I’ll cover the management fees for my mom from now on. Just refuse any payments from Mr. Kellan Zane.”

The caretaker was dumbfounded after checking the system.

"Miss Rowena, the management fees for your mom's grave have been overdue for three months. We've tried contacting the family, but the phone has been unreachable."

Realizing that I had lost my initial contact after traveling to Crimson Moon pack. I couldn’t help but feel frustrated with myself.

Kellan no longer cares about me; how could he not remember my deceased mother?

I paid the outstanding fees and also made an advance payment for five years, then left feeling betrayed.

But just as I was walking out of the cemetery, I heard a voice I’d never forget in this lifetime.

“Kellan, it’s impressive that you remember today is Eira auntie's memorial day! If the old woman knew you came to keep her company for a drink, she’d probably be floating up from the grave.”

I turned around stiffly and saw Kellan, flanked by Eira, her mother and her sister climbing the steps.

“Auntie, this is what I should be doing.”

“Don’t be silly, call me ‘Mom’ in a few days!”

Kellan chuckled heartily and, without hesitation, called her "Mom."

With tears building up in my eyes, I quietly went to meet my friends.

I hit the nail on the head and told them that the proposal and wedding was canceled.

They were dumbfounded. They exchanged glances and then cautiously asked me,

“Lyssandra, you already k

now?” I was puzzled why they also knew.

In a moment of fury, they pulled out photos of Kellan and Eira together at the clinic for their pre-marital checkup.

Lyssandra, we obliged your decision to attend the wedding. I’d love to see what a wedding without a bride looks like—Eira showing up to steal the wedding will be a huge joke!”

Their words stirred up hope and liveliness in me. It made me somewhat look forward to it.

The day before the binding ritual and wedding, Kellan returned with a pair of brand-new running sneakers.

I asked him gently, “Aren’t you the one who hates running sneakers?”

He was speechless for a moment, then patted my head.

He chuckled and said, “Tomorrow, I’ll need to run fast with the bride on my back!”

He wasn't referring to me. That I was aware of.

The amusement and smiles that suddenly appeared on his face wasn’t because of me either.

It seems that spotlighting me in a wedding larceny to prove his love for Eira will give him unrivaled fulfillment.

The next day, I walked around the wedding venue.

Enormous placards and larger format posters had magnified every trace of photo-editing on the wedding pictures.

I pulled out a pair of scissors, extracted my bright and youthful appearance and then took a cab to the train station.

When the train was filled. They gave a signal of its departure.

As we started the journey,I tried switching off my phone. At the moment Kellan's calls started flooding in.