The day my boyfriend Jaylon Patel and I had planned to register our marriage, he didn't show up.

His first love, Nadia Bernard, posted an absolutely stunning photo of herself in a wedding dress, and it went viral instantly.

Everyone was praising and celebrating the unique way the genius designer expressed his love!

One of Jaylon's friends mocked me deliberately, saying, "Now this is what a perfectly matched relationship looks like!"

I smiled, keeping my composure, and replied, "An even match in shamelessness? Of course, they're perfect for each other in that aspect!"

***

On the day we were supposed to register our marriage, Jaylon never showed up.

I called him countless times but couldn't reach him.

It wasn't until I saw that trending video…

In the video, Jaylon was helping Nadia into a one-of-a-kind wedding dress.

I had seen that dress before. Jaylon had spent three years designing it, and there was only one like it in the world!

He had once told me that a creation full of love should be given to someone special.

And I always believed that someone was me. I waited for the day he would put that dress on me for our wedding.

But as it turned out, Nadia was the special one all along.

Jaylon lowered his head and kissed Nadia on the forehead. "Nadia, let today be our anniversary for watching the sea together. From now on, we'll watch the stars together in every corner of the world!"

She shyly leaned into his chest, with the endless ocean stretching behind them.

At that moment, my limbs went numb, like I had fallen into an ice cellar.

While I was waiting for Jaylon to register our marriage, he was off making eternal promises with his childhood sweetheart.

The way Jaylon gazed at Nadia in the video, full of deep affection, was completely different from how he ever looked at me.

I lowered my head, forcing back the sting in my nose, and shifted my gaze away from the screen. I couldn't bear to watch it any longer.

I called him again. This time, he picked up.

His voice sounded a little impatient. "Why are you calling me?"

In the background, there was a clear sound of noisy exclamations.

I ran my fingers over the two diamond rings I had bought for us and felt the bitterness well up in my chest.

Maybe I was the only woman who had to buy my wedding rings by myself.

I choked up, my voice trembling. "Where are you right now?"

"A client's outfit needs to be urgently tailored, and I'm in the studio working on it."

He must have stepped away from the crowd because the noise faded, and the line became quiet.

His voice was completely steady, as if he didn't feel guilty about lying at all.

I looked up at the wedding dress in the shop window and smiled in resignation.

"Jaylon, I'm letting you go. Let's break up."

"Aurora, what's with you now? Why are you acting crazy again?"

I shook my head with a bitter smile. "Congratulations, great designer. Your wedding dress, filled with all your devotion, has now been witnessed by the world."

Without waiting for his reply, I hung up the phone and headed home.

I didn't hesitate to toss the rings that had become an eyesore straight into the drain.

To hell with it all, him and that shameless woman.

I packed up my things and moved out of our apartment.

We had lived there for five years, and every corner was filled with happy memories. Standing in the entryway, I waved one last goodbye.

I headed to the address my colleague had sent me for the dorms. To take care of Jaylon, I had been commuting three hours on the subway every day while living in our apartment.

Every morning, I spent an hour making him breakfast just because he had stomach issues.

But he didn't care about his health, let alone the person who looked after it.

Once I moved into the company dorm, I unpacked, took a long shower, and slept soundly.

The next morning, my alarm woke me up, and then I found my phone flooded with messages.

"Aurora, where did you go? Are you still angry?

"I'm at the Courthouse. Where are you?

"You didn't even come back home? What are you trying to do?"

Jaylon still hadn't taken my words seriously, thinking it was just another tantrum.

I couldn't be bothered to reply, so I washed up and headed to work.

This had happened too many times before. It was so many, in fact, that I lost count.

The incident I remember most vividly was during a game at a party. Nadia had drawn the card for a dare to kiss someone, but Jaylon wouldn't let her kiss another man.

With a sweet smile, she said, "Then can I kiss you, Jaylon?"

Jaylon had been silent for a long time. I clutched his sleeve, begging him not to do it, but he still wrapped his arms around Nadia and whispered.

"Aurora, Nadia's family is strict. I'm afraid her parents won't spare her if she does, so I have no choice..."

How ridiculous. As if, with Jaylon around, her parents would magically approve of anything she did.

We had a big fight over it, but it changed nothing.

He said, "Nadia and I have long since transcended ordinary love."

After that, I never bothered him about his relationship with Nadia again.

Every time he chose Nadia, he'd send me whatever gift I had been wanting, like it was his way of making up for it.

As if those gifts could help me keep fooling myself into thinking Jaylon still cared about me, still loved me.

When you love someone, your eyes can filter out all the lies.

I had been lost in the fantasy I created for myself, unable to break free.

But now, I woke up.

I had just submitted the proposal and was heading out when I saw Jaylon, who had been waiting for me by the company's entrance.

Despite the cold wind, he still looked sharp and stylish, his charcoal-gray leather jacket making him stand out. He was wearing a scarf that looked like a torn piece of cloth, a unique touch.

I recognized it immediately as the one Nadia had knitted for him by hand. He had once complained that it was too ugly, but every fall and winter, he wore it almost every day.

The girls from a nearby company were whispering to each other, marveling at his looks. In the past, I would have been secretly pleased, maybe even gotten jealous and shooed him away.

But things were different now. I looked straight ahead, determined to act like I had not seen him.

Yet he spotted me instantly and caught up with me in a few quick strides, his tone casual and light.

"I have a work event tonight. Come with me."

I chuckled softly, "Why do you not ask Nadia?"

I used to cling to Jaylon all the time, but after Nadia inserted herself between us, I got used to being on my own.

Jaylon rubbed his nose. "She's attending as a client tonight."

I smiled bitterly to myself and nodded. "Fine."

Though we sat close together in the car, there was nothing left to say.

I glanced at the fuzzy cover on his steering wheel and was surprised.

"Since when did you put on a steering wheel cover?"

It even featured Micky, Nadia's favorite character.

Jaylon smiled, his eyes filled with warmth. "I just thought it was nice. It feels cozy."

Really? But the one I bought for you before, you just tossed aside.

I said nothing more as we drove to the hotel. When Nadia saw Jaylon, her face lit up with a big smile, but when she noticed me beside him, her expression cooled immediately.

"Jaylon, you're finally here."

I did not know what to say, so I found a corner and sat down. Jaylon naturally sat next to Nadia.

At the dinner table, everyone showered Jaylon with compliments for the wedding dress he had designed that had taken the internet by storm. They asked if there was truly only one of its kind.

Jaylon nodded firmly, looking at Nadia with doting eyes.

"Since the inspiration came from Nadia, only she deserves to receive that sentiment."

The others looked at Nadia with even more envy, praising her for being lucky enough to be treated this way by a famous designer like Jaylon.

These people deliberately ignored me. Even though they knew I was Jaylon's girlfriend, they still believed I was the one clinging to him, thinking it was lucky enough that I could even be with him.

I used to try my hardest to prove myself, desperately seeking recognition from them through various social gatherings.

But they only smiled politely, while behind my back, in the restroom, they mocked my lack of taste and how I did not belong.

From inside a stall, I realized that they had never respected me from the bottom of their hearts. No matter what I did, it was all in vain.

How naive I had been, thinking I had only just figured it out.

Quietly, I sat in the corner, watching them fawn over Jaylon and Nadia as if they were the perfect couple.

Jaylon even picked out the cilantro from Nadia's dish. He had always hated to do it and never went out of his way for anyone.

I never ate cilantro before either, but he had forced me to get used to it simply because he liked it.

But now, he carefully picked out every piece, as if handling an important task, before gently offering the dish to Nadia like he was spoiling a child.

Nadia looked at him with happiness all over her face.

So, Jaylon was capable of being accommodating and considerate to others after all.

It would be a lie to say that it did not hurt to see this.

Even though I had tried to convince myself I had let go, a wave of bitterness and sorrow surged through me, overwhelming me.

A woman I vaguely recognized beside me noticed my expression and decided to stir the pot.

"Mr. Patel, you cannot play favorites like that. Your girlfriend is sitting right there watching you."

Jaylon's hand, halfway to picking up more food, froze. It seemed he had only just remembered something as he glanced at my empty plate.

He forced a smile. "What do you want to eat? I can order more."

"There is nothing I want. I am full," I said, setting down my fork and knife, my expression blank.

"I remember you like spicy seafood. How about I order it for you?"

"I do not like it anymore."

"Then fish?"

"Really, no need."

Jaylon's expression darkened. He had never encountered such resistance from me before.

He stared at me, disbelief in his eyes.

I met his gaze without flinching.

"I do not want anything, Jaylon. You do not need to force me."

"Aurora, are you upset?"

Nadia frowned, looking pitiful.

"Please do not blame Jaylon. You can have mine. I have not touched it."

She appeared so generous, making me look like the petty one.

"What could I possibly blame him for? You are overthinking it. I have work to do, so I will head out."

I wiped my mouth, got up, and grabbed my bag to leave.

"Why are you leaving? Are you jealous because Jaylon made a wedding dress for Nadia?"

Someone suddenly said, his tone full of disdain.

Nadia seized the moment and quickly added, "Is that what it is, Aurora? Please do not be mad. I was just feeling down after breaking up with my ex that day. I did not mean anything else."

But Jaylon was unhappy. "Aurora, it was just a wedding dress, and you are upset again? Why do you always have that same bad temper?"

The atmosphere in the room grew tense. Everyone was watching us, their eyes shifting between Jaylon and me.

Behind him, Nadia had a look of quiet satisfaction, like the victor of the night.

I found it laughable. Why were they treating me like the one in the wrong? But they were the ones who had crossed the line.

Time after time, Jaylon never acknowledged his mistakes.

Just like before, when he hurt me, he would conveniently forget all about it and go on acting like nothing had happened.

I shook my head with a smile, completely indifferent. "I am not upset. The wedding dress is beautiful and suits her perfectly. You two should be together."

With that, I grabbed my bag and walked out.

Just as I was stepping outside, I overheard Nadia barely suppress her delight. "Jaylon, you should go talk to Aurora. I think she has misunderstood something."

"Why should I care? She is getting too big for her britches."

His words pierced me like thorns, leaving my heart raw and bloodied.

How shameless had I been before, allowing him to hurt me like this so blatantly?

I wandered down the street, the cold wind harsh against my face.

But my heart hurt far worse than anything else.

A loud bang rang out, and the night sky exploded into fireworks. Couples passing by stopped to admire them, looking blissfully in love.

For a moment, I saw a reflection of the way Jaylon and I had once been. Back then, we only had eyes for each other, with no room for anyone else.

But when had things become so hopeless?

Tears blurred my vision, and I stopped at a stall to buy a lollipop.

When I took a bite, all I could taste was bitterness.

I remembered how, back when Jaylon and I used to eat them together, he would scold me for having bad teeth and tell me not to eat too many sweets. Back then, the lollipop was so sweet.

Had my sense of taste changed?

I stood there in a daze, unsure if I should keep eating.

But the couple beside me shared their lollipops, taking turns with each bite, laughing happily together.

It seemed the problem was me. I smiled bitterly to myself.

With nothing left to see, I went home. As soon as I opened the door, Jaylon's calls bombarded me. He seemed incredibly displeased.

I had no interest in responding and went about my business. Even into the early hours of the morning, he did not stop.

Before I went to bed, he sent one final message that felt like an ultimatum. "That dinner tonight was unpleasant. Find a time for us to eat together, and apologize to them."

I swiped away his message and opened my social media. Sure enough, I saw that Nadia had just posted a new picture.

It showed her sitting on a chair, changing her shoes, while a pair of large hands gently supported her feet as though handling a treasure.

The slender, strong fingers bore a scar. No one knew better than me that those hands belonged to Jaylon. The scar was from when he had once cooked for me.

Her caption read: [I never thought someone would still treat me like a child even after I've grown up. Thank you to my personal designer!]

I raised an eyebrow and replied with a smirk: [Congratulations! How wonderful for you.]