Today, I had a follow-up appointment at the hospital.

As soon as I finished checking in and looked up, I saw someone who shouldn't be there.

Wendy froze, clearly not expecting to run into me. She forced a smile and started to say hello, but before she could finish, a man appeared behind her, nearly out of breath and struggling with the two large bags in his hands.

It was so ridiculously coincidental.

That man was my boyfriend of seven years, Jason.

I clenched my fists and tried to keep my voice steady as I forced down the bubbling emotion inside of me.

"What a coincidence, right?"

Jason immediately began a round of explanations, but the more I listened, the colder my smile became.

"You couldn't just ask her questions over the phone? You had to bring her here yourself, running around the hospital looking for someone she knows?"

"She wants to take care of her skin before the wedding. She's never been to a hospital before, so she's nervous about getting lost in all the procedures. I'm only tagging along to help her out, that's all. Is there a problem? Or maybe it's suddenly a problem for you to see me standing next to another woman? Kate, you're not like this in the past," Jason babbled on.

Before he finished, Wendy stepped forward and offered an apologetic smile.

"Miss Kate, I'm really sorry. I should be coming on my own, but Jace is just too soft-hearted. He saw me alone and thought I might get confused, so he offered to come along. Next time, I'll manage by myself. I won't bother you two again."

Jace?

That nickname was like a thorn in my eye, prickling me.

Wendy continued, pretending to be concerned. "Um, sorry to ask, but what brings you to the hospital today, Miss Kate?"

She was obviously trying to change the subject.

Jason took the bait and turned to look at me, a hint of suspicion in his eyes. "Are you here for more diet pills? You haven't been skipping meals again, have you?"

I forced a smile. At this point, there was no need to diet anymore. But seeing the frown on his face, I decided to just be honest.

"It's a breast issue. The doctor said I need regular checkups."

Wendy made a small exclamation, putting on an understanding face. "I see! But it's actually really common, so don't worry too much."

Hearing that, Jason's frown finally relaxed. He glanced at my medical reports, then wrinkled his nose in annoyance. "Is all this really necessary? You went through all these tests for something so minor?"

With that, he turned to leave.

I just stood there, and when I saw him walking off, I couldn't help but call after him, "Since you're already here, can't you stay and finish the appointment with me?"

He glanced at his watch, suddenly sounding impatient. "Kate, you didn't tell me ahead of time. I really can't stay. A meeting's going to start back at the company soon. I'll pick up your favorite honey egg tarts on my way back tonight."

I opened my mouth, but in the end decided to say nothing.

That night, I didn't touch the honey egg tarts he brought home. When he wasn't looking, I tossed them straight into the gray trash bin in the kitchen.

It wasn't because I didn't like them, but the doctor had made it clear. It would trigger hormonal issues and would only make my condition worse.

If I let this drag on any longer, forget about recovery. I might be looking at surgery by next spring, with no guarantee that I would even make it.

So, I made up my mind. I needed to take a break. That same day, I started drafting my leave request for work.

The next morning, Jason stormed in like a whirlwind, his face dark as thunder. "When did you put in for leave? Why didn't you tell me? You picked the worst possible time to take leave. Who's going to handle Wendy's wedding now?!"

That was when I realized Wendy's wedding plan still wasn't finalized, and she was still unsatisfied.

But I was at my limit. My head was buzzing, and my whole body felt drained. I had nothing left to give, and I couldn't keep pretending to be okay for other people's sake.

So I told him exactly what the doctor said.

He listened, and his face changed. His voice softened, and he pulled me into his arms.

"This is my fault. I've been so caught up in work, I never noticed how exhausted you've gotten. But please, just hang in there a little longer. Once this is over, I'll take you to the beach. Just the two of us."

My eyes stung, and tears wanted to fall. I thought about the previous times I had begged him to come with me to the medical checkups, and how he had always said, "I'll go next time."

I could feel myself being suffocated.

Seeing how uncomfortable I was, he lifted me onto the bed, pulled a fever patch out of his bag, and pressed it gently to my chest, rubbing circles over it, his eyes full of concern.

It was easy to forgive when you were at your most fragile.

For a moment, I remembered when we first started dating—how he used to stand outside my dorm with flowers, promising he would never marry anyone but me. That warmth crept through my body, and I let out a long sigh before nodding.

A genuine smile finally broke through on his face.

For the next three days, he cleared his schedule and made time for meals and walks with me. It was almost like we were back at the start of our dating.

But Wendy still turned down every proposal.

Until about a week later, when she reached out and told me the plan was settled.

She sent a stream of images, and as I scrolled through them, my heart sank and sank.

Wasn't this… Wasn't this my secret design for my own dream wedding? From the vaulted European chapel to the lace-trimmed gown, even the floral arrangements were the same.

My mind went blank, and I rushed back to the studio to check my files.

That was when I realized that I had left my computer unlocked while I took a shower on a certain day. Jason had been sitting at my desk and ended up opening my personal folder.

He thought it looked quite special and then sent my private design to Wendy. She had fallen in love with it instantly and hung onto it like it was a treasure.

I hurried to explain to my team that this was a personal project, never meant for clients.

Everyone tried to comfort me, saying, "It's your idea. Nobody can really steal it from you."

But Wendy, standing in the corner with red eyes and a trembling smile, said softly, "So this is Kate's dream wedding... I won't take it, then. But, if it's not too much to ask, can I come see it in person on the big day? It's just so beautiful."

All her envy and disappointment showed through.

Jason, who had been lost in thought, suddenly looked up and said in a strangely calm voice, "Kate, why don't you just let her use the design?"

I was stunned, my hands icy cold.

He frowned slightly when I didn't answer. "It's not like we're in a rush. You can always design something even better next time. Helping a client isn't really a loss, is it?"

The room fell silent.

I glanced up at my colleagues. Some were shocked, some sympathetic, while some looked like they wanted to speak but couldn't.

That was the last straw, the one that broke the camel's back.

I quickly lowered my head, blinked away the tears, then looked up at the man who once told me I was his only one.

And then, I forced a smile and said gently, "Sure."

I had dreamed about this wedding more times than I could count.

For five whole years, I revised and refined it. I stayed up countless nights to piece together my vision of perfection. Nobody knew every detail better than I did, from every angle of the lights to every shade of the flowers. I memorized them all by heart.

Today's rehearsal brought out a crowd. Officially, it was just a rehearsal, but the scene was as grand as the real thing.

Jason even called in a pretty well-known photographer from his circle. I knew him as well, and his name was Zeke Wood.

Zeke walked over with a big smile as soon as he spotted me.

"Congratulations! I knew something's up with him lately! He even asked me where to buy a Cartier ring. Said he wanted to pick the perfect one. Don't worry, I'll make you look like a movie star today. You'll be absolutely stunning!"

I didn't say anything; I just gave him a faint smile and motioned toward the bride's hand.

There, on her finger, was a brand-new Cartier wedding ring. The same style that had just been released.

Zeke followed my gaze, and his smile froze.

The soft music kept playing. Confetti and flower petals drifted down from above.

But inside me, something was being torn out, piece by piece.

Zeke just stood there, speechless. He didn't know where to place his hands.

Jason quickly noticed and pulled him away, his face red.

I overheard a low exchange in the distance.

"What are you thinking?! This is crossing a line… No matter what's going on, you can't do that in front of her. She's right there. How can you just pretend nothing happened?"

It sounded like Zeke was quietly scolding Jason.

Not long after, the lights dimmed.

In the center of the stage, Wendy appeared, arm in arm with a man in a white suit. She had changed into another wedding dress. It was discreet but lovely, with lace and pearls along the hem, making her skin smooth and radiant.

Jason couldn't take his eyes off her.

In that moment, everything became painfully clear. My heart felt like it was being wrapped tighter and tighter, to the point of suffocating.

Under the soft blue glow of the chandelier, guests whispered over champagne, their faces full of admiration.

Someone couldn't help but sigh, "This is just too romantic. I almost want to get married myself after seeing this."

"If you didn't know Miss Kate was standing there, you would never guess the groom actually belonged to someone else."

That came from one of Zeke's friends from the industry. "You know, everyone says Wendy was his first love. If her family hadn't stepped in all those years ago…"

"Alright, that's enough. His girlfriend is right here. Let's not talk about this."

I smiled and nodded, pretending not to hear a thing. But the longer I smiled, the more my lips started to tremble.

So, as it turned out, I was just a stand-in all along.

I looked around at this dreamlike wedding scene. Everything was so familiar, but it all felt like it didn't belong to me. All the things I used to look forward to now cut deep into my heart.

I quietly slipped into the shadows at the edge of the room without anyone noticing. My whole body was tense, but the tears kept falling despite how disgraceful it was. My chest ached as if it had been torn open.

I pulled out my phone and sent my boss a message.

"Something urgent came up. I'm leaving early."

I got in the car, my mind blank. Suddenly, I remembered what the doctor had said and patted my chest, whispering to myself.

"Don't cry… The doctor said I can't have any strong emotions… No crying…"

Eventually, the sobs and hiccups faded.

Suddenly, it hit me just how cruel life could be.

From the glove compartment, I pulled out the scans from my last appointment along with the diagnosis. Late-stage breast cancer. I looked over them again, page by page.

I closed my eyes and took a long, deep breath.

Time to accept it.

My hands were shaking as I picked up my phone and typed, then hit send.

"Jason, let's break up."

I was about to leave after packing my things when I ran right into Jason at the door, who just wanted to come in.

The moment it opened, I was hit by a powerful scent of sweet perfume mixed with alcohol.

Jason frowned, his tone tinged with confusion. "It's late. Where are you going?"

He didn't ask anything else. He probably ignored my earlier message, like always.

I shrugged and couldn't be bothered to explain. I calmly said, "Check your phone."

He unlocked his phone, and his face immediately darkened. He rubbed his temples, sounding irritated, as if I were a child throwing a tantrum.

"Are you upset because I asked you to hand over that project? Or are you using a breakup to push me into proposing? Didn't I already say—"

I cut him off. "You've got it wrong. Marriage doesn't matter to me anymore. Since you're here, let's just make it official. I've packed everything. We're done."

I turned, wanting to leave, but he grabbed my wrist.

"Fine! I'll marry you right now, alright?" Jason was becoming somewhat annoyed. "It's been delayed for so long, anyway. If you really care about this, why did you use this to provoke a reaction from me? Are you happy now that you get what you want?"

I looked at his impatient expression and felt a chill in my heart. I thought back to the beginning, when things were so sweet.

On our second anniversary, after I had given myself to him, he held me tight, promising me, "As soon as my career's stable, I'll propose right away."

He promised a proposal I would never forget. He wanted me to stand in a garden full of white hydrangeas, with me smiling as I said yes.

Those youthful promises were so passionate that they always made us believe they would come to fruition.

But as the years passed, our apartments got bigger while our relationship just grew colder. My desk was filled with bottles of pills that he never even noticed.

I let out a soft, bitter laugh.

"I'm not acting. And there's no need to pretend anymore. Honestly, I should have realized a long time ago that our wedding was never going to happen."

Before he could speak, I pulled my hand free and walked out.

At the door, I paused and looked back.

"At the end of the day, you need to have some boundaries. She's about to get married. No matter how hard it is for you to let go, you shouldn't go meddling at someone else's wedding."

With that, I dragged my suitcase out the door without looking back.

Behind me, his expression was dark.

But I never looked back.