After fulfilling his first love's wish, I became the bride he lost forever.

At the party celebrating my upcoming wedding to Oswald Harding, his ex-girlfriend suddenly flew back into the country.

Dawn Henson stood in the doorway, dragging a suitcase behind her, a gentle smile on her lips.

"Don't ask me something as silly as why I came back. I wanted to see you. It's that simple."

The noisy private room went dead quiet in an instant.

Dawn smiled, unbothered, and fished a worn, glossy die out of her pocket.

"This. You haven't forgotten it, have you?"

Oswald's eyes softened in a heartbeat.

"I remember. You made it yourself."

The smile at the corner of her mouth deepened.

"Then you must still remember what you promised me."

"If you rolled six pips, I'd grant you one request, no questions asked."

Dawn tossed the die onto the table.

It settled. Six pips facing up.

She lifted her eyes to Oswald.

"My request is this: be my lover for seven days. Give our five years together a perfect ending."

Everyone thought Oswald would refuse.

He was silent for two seconds, then nodded and agreed.

I thought to myself: it was about time I took back my own die.

——

The whole room fell into a deathly hush.

Nina was so furious she slammed the table, shot to her feet, and shouted, "Dawn, are you sick? Oswald's marrying Millie Fox the day after tomorrow! Who exactly are you trying to disgust with this little act?"

Oswald frowned and looked over at me.

I understood that look perfectly.

He was waiting for me to speak up and tell Nina to shut up.

But I said nothing.

A second ago, I'd thought he would refuse too.

After all, I'd been with him for three years.

I stuck with him through his poorest days. I pulled him out of the shadow of a breakup.

Even when his mother had surgery, I was the one at the hospital, cleaning up after her, waiting on her hand and foot for a whole month.

And the day after tomorrow was supposed to be our wedding.

Nina turned to glare at Oswald again. "She's lost her mind, and so have you? Do you even hear yourself? What do you mean, 'fine'?"

"You and Millie fought your way all the way to a wedding, and you do this? Did you spare a single thought for how Millie feels? Are you even a man?"

"Stop yelling."

Oswald waved her off, his gaze landing on my face.

He reached out to take my hand. I stepped away from him.

His expression darkened.

His tone was the kind you'd use to coax a child, but laced with an authority that left no room for argument. "Millie, don't be difficult. A promise I made back then can't just not count. A man keeps his word."

"It's only seven days. Think of it as giving her a dignified goodbye. It's better for everyone."

"I'll talk to the hotel about the day-after-tomorrow wedding, push it to the eighth day. It's just a few days' difference, no real impact, hm?"

"Be good. Don't give our friends something to laugh about."

Be good.

Those two words again.

For three years, every time he went to clean up one of Dawn's messes, every time he dropped me to go see her friends, every time he chose her over me, he said the same thing.

Telling me to be good.

Telling me to be understanding.

Telling me not to cause him any trouble.

I looked at that die on the table, the one carved with a little red bean, and suddenly I smiled.

Oswald thought I was throwing a tantrum. He frowned, about to say something more.

Instead, I picked up my bag and stood.

"Sure. I have no objection."

He blinked, caught off guard, as if he hadn't expected me to agree so readily.

A flicker of surprise crossed Dawn's eyes too.

I raised my glass to him, my voice as calm as if I were remarking on the weather. "Since the wedding's off for now, there's no reason for me to stay here. I hope you two have fun."

With that, I turned and walked out of the room.

Behind me came Oswald's voice. "Millie, where are you going? Don't be angry. I'll come find you the moment I'm done."

I didn't look back.