Main Story: Anya's POV

No one knew I had been to Oakmont. I returned quietly to the house Eli and I shared in Marrowfield.

Once inside, I gathered every gift he had ever given me—necklaces, watches, and even the Valentine's Day card he'd written by hand. One by one, I tore them apart.

My mind was empty, yet the tears came relentlessly.

I rose to my feet, dragging the custom-made white wedding gown from the closet and laying it out across the living room floor.

Without a second thought, I grabbed a pair of scissors and cut through it.

After today, there was no turning back.

I packed up all the remnants of what I'd destroyed and shoved them into the attic.

Later that night, I picked up my phone and found myself scrolling through a young woman's social media account. She had been documenting her secret crush.

Her latest post pinned her location to Newstone, Oakmont.

The caption read, "My dream guy is getting married. I'm going to give it one last try before the wedding. Let's go!"

She had posted a picture of a man from behind.

The moment I saw it, I knew exactly who he was.

It was Eli.

Later that night, I got an unexpected voice message from Carter.

"Do you know where I am right now? Oakmont."

"Carter, I couldn't care less where you are. Don't reach out to me again."

Just as I was about to block him, another message came through.

"Anya, the Eli you've been searching for all over Marrowfield is now in Oakmont with his new lover. He only got close to you to get back at me.

"He's not worth it."

I clenched my jaw and called him back. "Tell me everything."

There was a long pause on his end. "I've stayed single all these years. I don't entertain flings. But you—"

I cut him off sharply. "Carter, this has nothing to do with you. My feelings for you are long gone."

He suddenly changed the subject. "I just took a photo."

Without warning, he hung up.

I opened the message.

In the photo, Eli's shirt was unbuttoned, a stark departure from his usual attire of glasses and a crisp white lab coat.

Under the streetlight, a young woman clung to his arm, whispering in his ear.

He was smiling, his hand gently brushing through her hair.

I clicked on her Instagram profile. The latest post was a picture of them together, with her boldly kissing his cheek.

The caption read, "Our first date. This is just the beginning."

The trust I had clung to for three years shattered in an instant.

Caught between laughter and tears, I collapsed onto the bed, memories of our first anniversary flooding through my mind.

That morning, I had woken up to my favorite flowers on the bedside table. Every bloom came with a note, each one a confession of Eli's love.

When he saw me stir, he leaned in close, gently coaxing me to get up.

Looking back now, it felt like a memory belonging to someone else.

A piercing headache gripped my mind. My body went cold, and my vision blurred. I struggled to hold on before everything faded to black.

Through the fog, I could've sworn I saw Eli rushing toward me.

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a hospital bed.

Eli was slumped at my side. His white shirt was crumpled, exhaustion weighing him down.

His voice was rough, laced with reproach. "I leave for a few days, and you manage to land in the hospital with a 104℉ fever. Do you ever think about taking care of yourself?"

His face was etched with concern.

How ironic.

When he had disappeared, I was the one spiraling, convinced something had happened to him.

Even after a whole day of searching, I couldn't stop refreshing the news, dreading the moment I would see a report about some tragic accident.

I had neglected my own health, consumed by the fear of losing him.

But on the other side, he was outside another woman's apartment, kissing her goodbye.

"Do you realize your mistake now?" Eli asked. With a faint smile, he pulled a thermos from behind him and opened it. "Come on and drink some soup. I put a lot of effort into making it."

He said nothing else, his every gesture as affectionate as it had always been.

I sat across from him, silently observing as he took care of me.

But deep down, all I wanted was to demand the truth.

"Eli, I heard everything that night," I mused inwardly.

"I never forced you to marry me. After three years together, why don't you trust me?

"How can you look me in the eye and act like nothing ever happened?"

Main Story: Anya's POV

"Baby, why are you looking at me like that?" Eli asked, his voice laced with a hint of nervousness. "Why are you crying? Was the soup too hot?"

He pulled me into his arms, gently patting my back. "I'm sorry. It's my fault. I shouldn't have blamed you.

"With my dream of marrying you just around the corner, I couldn't help but get cold feet. I disappeared for a few days, and I know it made you feel insecure. Can you understand where I'm coming from?"

The lie was flawless.

He gently kissed my forehead and whispered, "In just four days, it will be our wedding. I won't leave you again. We'll grow old together."

Inwardly, I knew that day would never arrive.

Eli wiped away the tears on my cheeks. "I'll go take care of the discharge paperwork for you."

He hadn't even bothered to take his phone with him, still playing the role of the "devoted lover".

The screen continued to light up with incoming notifications.

It was the same woman I had seen on Instagram just yesterday.

She'd sent a barrage of messages.

"Eli, I got home safely! Thank you for seeing me off."

"Could you send me an invitation to your wedding? I just want to see you happy."

"It's late, and I can't sleep. I made some soup. Can I bring it to you tomorrow morning?"

Eli replied to the last message, "Could you bring it now? Take it to the inpatient department at Pinebrook Hospital."

As I glanced at the thermos on the table, a wave of nausea washed over me.

"Are you sick, Eli? I'll stay and keep you company."

"I'm in the lobby."

The screen went dark.

As I stepped out of the hospital room, I saw Eli and the woman in a secluded corner of the lobby.

She sat there, her arms wrapped around her knees. Her eyes were slightly swollen, and she carried herself with a gentle, docile air.

I watched through the crowd as she gestured excitedly, laughing so hard that she nearly doubled over.

At one point, she gently nudged Eli's arm.

He responded by tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

From last night's kiss to today's affectionate gesture, it was clear that she had won Eli's heart.

After all, who could resist a sweet, thoughtful woman who loved so completely?

I lowered my gaze, a bitter smile forming at the corners of my lips.

As I turned to walk away, I caught sight of Carter in the dim yellow light.

He emerged from the shadows, his eyes glinting with disdain as they shifted toward Eli.

"So, is this your fiance?" he asked.

I met his gaze without flinching. "Mind your own business."

"Anya, why did you pull away from me back then?" he asked, staring at me.

After a decade spent pursuing him, this was all it amounted to.

How cruelly ironic.

I stayed silent. It was clear he couldn't admit he'd lost.

"Are you seriously going through with marrying him?" Carter asked sharply.

"That's none of your concern," I replied.

"I moved on from you a long time ago," I added nonchalantly.

As our paths crossed, he asked, "What if he betrays you? Will you still accept him?"

No. I couldn't.

My eyes fell to my clenched hands.

The ache would eventually subside.

Only three more days remained. I could make it through.

…

"I... I accidentally ripped the wedding dress," I whispered, my eyes locked onto Eli's. "This can't be a good sign, can it?"

He took my hand, his tone soft and reassuring. "Don't say that. It's just a dress. We've got plenty of other options.

"It's no big deal. We'll go pick out a new one tomorrow, okay?"

I had waited nearly a year for this dress. It had just arrived yesterday and was custom-designed by my favorite designer.

When I went for the fitting, Eli wasn't there.

But now, I didn't even want it anymore.

"Eli, if you're going to play this role so seriously... then I'll step into character as well," I thought.

The next day, we went to a high-end bridal shop in Sapphire Grove.

Naturally, none of the dresses fit. I'd known that from the start, yet I still asked Eli to spend the entire day with me shopping.

Sitting in a cafe, I gazed out the window. "What a disaster. I can't believe I ruined it all myself," I murmured, letting out a sigh.

Eli placed his coffee cup down. "It's fine. We still have time," he said nonchalantly.

I turned to face him. "If we can't find the right gown... maybe we should postpone the wedding."

His expression shifted in an instant.

Before I could even react, he was on his feet, the table tipping over.

The cups hit the floor, shattering into jagged pieces.

Main Story: Anya's POV

Eli instinctively shielded me. "Are you okay?"

I shook my head, trying to look innocent. "Why did you react like that?"

He pulled me into a tight embrace. I could hardly breathe.

"Please, don't joke about our marriage," he whispered. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this day."

His voice deepened. "Don't downplay this, baby. I've waited three years for us to get here."

I managed a bitter smile.

This was clearly a script Eli had orchestrated all along.

From attending dress fittings to designing the invitations, he played his role to perfection. He guided me through every detail of the planning, raising my hopes higher with each step.

Once I was fully invested, he'd strike the final blow.

I was just going along with his performance.

So why did he look so on edge?

…

Later that night, we arrived home.

Eli grabbed my legs and pinned me against the door the moment it clicked shut. I barely had time to take off my shoes.

His breath scorched my skin. Each kiss was fierce and reckless, consuming me completely.

I turned my face slightly and whispered, "Eli, I'm not feeling well. Can we skip tonight?"

His body froze for a moment. In the silence that followed, he held me gently.

Resting his chin on my shoulder, he murmured, "Why don't you sit down for a bit? Once I finish showering, I'll whip up something for you."

His phone lay nearby. I couldn't resist picking it up.

One by one, messages from that young woman appeared on the screen.

"Eli, your invitation still hasn't arrived. I'm getting impatient."

"Your mom said I can come to the hospital tomorrow. I got the job! Yay!"

"From now on, I can leave work with you every day. I'm so happy…"

I quietly set the phone down and made my way to the study.

Flipping my diary open, I let my thoughts spill onto the page.

"3 Days Until the Wedding"

"The custom wedding dress I'd waited half a year for was ruined today. Eli and I scrambled to find last-minute replacements, but nothing fit. I've lost so much weight recently, but it's okay. Thinking about becoming his wife in just a few days fills me with happiness."

Turning back through the pages, I began filling in the days before.

"7 Days Until the Wedding"

"Eli vanished without a single word. At first, I was terrified something awful had happened. I spent the entire night calling everyone I could think of, but there was no trace of him anywhere. Eventually, I cried until my eyes were swollen shut. I'm starting to feel afraid. Does he really plan to not show up at all?"

"5 Days Until the Wedding"

"Eli returned like the storm never came. I kept silent about how hard those days were. What matters is that he's here now. Maybe some of it was my fault, but it's only because I care for him too much."

This "diary" held every ounce of my devotion.

I left it in the most obvious place, hoping Eli would notice.

…

That evening, Eli placed the order for the final wedding dress over the phone.

He told me he had arranged with the designer to have the new gown custom remade. The dress would be worn at our ceremony on the private island after the wedding.

I noticed the young woman had updated her social media.

"It's official! I'm finally a nurse. I get to stay by the person I love and see him every day. I'm so thrilled!"

She posted a candid photo of Eli in a mask, checking on a patient.

I screenshotted everything.

I opened my wedding diary and began to write.

"Just three days to go. Eli's deep in the wedding preparations, and so am I."

"While he's playing his role, I'm quietly playing mine."

I figured it was better to keep that last part to myself.

From the first step of planning to the final execution, I decided Eli should oversee every aspect of the wedding.

I wanted him to take charge of selecting the flowers and managing the schedule.

He had to be present in every single moment.

I told him I was drained and asked him to take over the meeting with the wedding team.

I placed my full trust in him, letting him know that every choice was his to make.

He went along with it without a second thought. I even saw a spark of excitement in his eyes.

Holding me close, he laughed softly. "Honey, a wedding this grand is definitely a one-time-only kind of thing."

I smiled and teased, "So, does that mean you're sticking around this time? With an event this big, it wouldn't be right if you weren't here."

After a pause, he held me even tighter. "How could I ever leave? I love you more than anything," he whispered.

But despite saying all that, Eli turned away and typed in the group chat, "This wedding's such a hassle. I can't wait for her to be alone that day."

At last, Eli's true feelings came to light.

I didn't respond. Instead, I casually suggested, "Let's send out another round of handwritten invitations to our closest friends."

In reality, the invitations had already been sent. I just wanted him to write them by hand.

While Eli picked up the pen, I focused on sealing the wax.

I asked him to write the following. "From dawn to dusk, every moment we spend together is filled with tenderness. It'll be a memory we cherish forever."

I looked at him and smiled. "This perfectly captures my love for you."

Without saying a word, Eli lowered his gaze and typed, "The wedding invitation will be sent to you tomorrow."

It was meant for that young woman.

She responded with a smiling emoji.

I reached for my diary again and began writing.

"2 Days Until the Wedding"

"We'll grow old together, won't we?"