I had poured my heart into planning the perfect wedding—for my female client.

Then I turned a corner and saw her kissing my boyfriend at the stairwell.

He chuckled softly. "No wonder you're my wife. You're stunning."

She let out a soft laugh. "Your little secret girlfriend still does not know you're marrying me. She actually wished me happiness—can you believe it? So… when are you planning to tell her?"

He tilted her chin and said, "Didn't we agree? Once we're married, we each live our own lives. Teresa is the love of my life. I hope you'll keep your mouth shut."

She gave a snort of laughter and yanked playfully on his tie. "Relax, babe. As long as you keep treating me right, I won't stir up trouble."

I felt like I had plunged into an ice bath. Face pale, hands trembling, I picked up my phone and texted my mentor:

[I'm ready to take the transfer to Luminous City.]

The reply came not long after:

[Three days from now. We'll go together.]

My phone buzzed with a new message from the mentor, and I glanced down.

Susanna Jackson's flirty voice played in my head again.

"Come on, no more kisses. You'll be in hot water if your girlfriend walks in on this.

"Oh, that's right, she's clueless. You slipped me her wedding draft. I'm asking for a carbon copy of her dream day, and she's over the moon thinking we're on the same wavelength. It's almost cute how naive she is."

My face drained of color, a sour ache spreading from deep within.

Frank Carter and I had been together for five years—a staple in his social circles.

Everyone knew I was not after his money or the limelight. I just wanted his path to be clear and bright.

He promised me a future of a lavish wedding. I was overjoyed, obsessing over every detail of our wedding, refining it until it was perfect.

However, the manuscript had vanished recently, and despite my frantic search, it remained missing.

Frank had wrapped me in a guilty embrace, "Maybe it got tossed out with the trash by mistake. I'm sorry, Teresa."

I had poured my heart into that proposal, revising it tirelessly. Losing it stung, but I reassured him, ready to start anew.

The harsh truth hit me then. My labor of love had not been trashed—it had been regifted to his bride-to-be.

I could not bear to listen anymore and escaped to the restroom.

Then, my phone pinged with a text from Susanna.

[Ms. Scott, when will you be back? You missed my husband—he came and went.]

[I wish you could've met him.]

Staring at my tear-streaked reflection, I splashed water on my face and stepped back out.

Susanna was singing softly to herself, but her eyes locked onto mine with a loaded gaze as I approached.

"Ms. Scott, what took you so long? Did you run into my husband? He's quite the looker, right?" she asked with a sly smile.

Our eyes met, and in that moment, I got it.

Susanna had made sure I would see. Her little show-and-tell act meant to scare me off.

However, Frank and I had been an item for five years for everyone to see, and even if we had not tied the knot, I was no homewrecker.

I pushed down the whirlwind of feelings inside me and managed a smile.

"The wedding planning's all wrapped up, and I'm sorting out of the rest. Your husband? You two seem like a perfect fit. I wish you all the best."

With those words, I spun on my heel and left. However, Susanna's voice, smug and victorious, followed me.

"Sure, I've only been with my husband for three months, but getting a man to make it official? That's what counts. I'll be Mrs. Carter now. If you keep hanging around my husband without a shred of decency, don't be surprised if I give you a piece of my mind."

I did not miss a step, kept my spine straight, and headed home.

Frank got there before me.

He was lounging on the couch and perked up when I walked in, reaching out for a hug. "Dear, you're back."

I dodged his arms without thinking, and he paused, a flicker of confusion crossing his face.

My eyes landed on the tie around his neck. It was not the one I had worked overtime and scrimped to buy him.

"You've changed your tie," I noted.

The bewilderment in Frank's eyes quickly gave way to a guilty smirk.

"I spilled some coffee on mine today, so I had my assistant swap it out. I'll wear the one you got me every day once it's clean. It's special because it's from you."

'It's dirty? Or maybe you're worried I'd pick up on the perfume—the one Susanna wears,' I mused silently.

The revulsion I had managed to suppress on my walk came flooding back, threatening to spill out and reveal everything.

However, with my departure looming in just two days, I realized there was no point in confronting him about it all.

"Sure, whatever you want," I said, my voice flat.

Frank looked at me, his eyes soft with a love that seemed to linger. "You're not yourself today. Did someone upset you? Let me handle it. If you're just feeling down, how about I treat you to a feast to cheer you up a bit?"

We had been together for five years. I knew Frank, and he knew me—or so I thought. He could always tell when something was on my mind, and he would soothe me with a gentle voice.

I used to melt into his arms, soothed by his words, but then, my heart felt nothing.

Before I could figure out what to say, his phone rang. It was too close not to see—the screen read " My darling wife."

After he hung up, Frank looked guilty. "Teresa, I've got to run to an emergency meeting at work about a deal with the Jackson Group. Hang tight at home, and I'll bring back your favorite cake."

He did not wait for my answer and rushed off.

I gave a strained smile and started to pack up my life in silence. I tried to fit everything into three suitcases, but it was too much. I wanted to laugh at the absurdity, but tears came first.

For five years, whenever I felt down, Frank had a knack for cheering me up with little treats or lavish gifts. They had piled up, and then they seemed like a mountain of empty gestures.

Everyone thought he loved me deeply. I did too, once.

When did our love start to slip away?

Was it when the clothes I gifted him, the mug I crafted with my own hands, the watch I picked out with such care, all began to fade into the background, unnoticed?

Or was it after Susanna came into the picture, and he started spinning tales of late nights at the office, endless meetings, and business trips, only to be found with her, time and time again?

Maybe it was when he whispered sweet nothings about loving me, about a lavish wedding, but ended up with his arms around Susanna, kissing her again and again, giving her the wedding, standing with her at the altar, and making me the one left in the shadows?

I thought about calling him out. On the drive from work to home, a thousand questions burned on my tongue, but I never let them out.

It was not worth it.

I dialed a number and gave my orders.

"Alan, I'm heading overseas in three days for Ms. Jackson's wedding planning. I need to add a detail.

"Have a courier deliver a bouquet of flowers. On the card, just write 'Wishing Mr. Frank and Ms. Susanna a lifetime of happiness' and sign my name.

"Don't bother confirming with them. Let's call it a little extra surprise from their wedding planner."

After tying up all loose ends, I got a text from Susanna.

She sent me an address and a follow-up text.

[I'm rehearsing the wedding with my soon-to-be husband tomorrow. I've got a gift for you tonight. Are you brave enough to take it?]

I hesitated for just a moment before heading out alone.

Stepping into the bar, I immediately ran into one of Frank's friends, stumbling drunk outside a VIP room.

He looked at me and smirked.

"Aren't you a dead ringer for Frank's little girlfriend? No way I'm wrong, right?

"Frank, that guy, he's about to tie the knot, yet he's still playing games. Doesn't he know he's playing with fire? We're all tiptoeing around, scared to death we'll let something slip.

"His girlfriend is the one I feel sorry for. Everyone's in on the secret but her.

"Hey, what's your name?"

I stared blankly at the person who collapsed in the doorway.

It looked like the whole world was clued in about Susanna, except for me.

My life had become a walking punchline.

I lingered outside the booth, peering through the door at Frank, who was loudly declaring a company meeting, while nursing drink after drink in the bar's secluded corner.

Susanna was there beside Frank, her smile beaming as she held onto his hand. They were wrapped up in each other like vines, impossible to untangle.

Out of the blue, someone questioned, "Frank, are you really going to keep hiding this? Doesn't it feel wrong?"

Frank froze, his gaze turning stormy.

"I'm warning you. Don't spill this to her, or you'll see what I'm capable of.

"This is a strategic marriage. Even if Teresa gets wind of it, she won't hold it against me. I'll make it clear to her, just not right now."

Susanna just smiled, keeping mum.

Someone else chimed in with a forced laugh.

"Frank, we get it's a business merger, but marriage is still marriage. Your girlfriend's invested a lot. It's kind of sad that she's going from being a wife to the other woman overnight. Doesn't she deserve to be in the know?"

I recognized the guy sticking up for me—Bruce Harlow.

Back when Frank's company was on the brink, running on fumes, he was so swamped he would forget to eat.

I bumped into Bruce once when I was dropping off food for Frank.

With a grimace, Bruce mentioned how tough it had been for Frank lately. I gave him a card to pass on, a small favor for a friend in need.

A contestant from a design competition shoved a card at me, begging me not to compete. It felt like a slap in the face, a rejection of everything I stood for. However, for Frank, I swallowed my pride and accepted it.

I stepped out of the race, but Frank would not take the card from me. So, I turned to Bruce for help.

Bruce took his sweet time before finally taking the card as he promised, "Don't worry, I'll make sure he gets it. Man, Frank's lucky to have you."

Frank was all knotted up, a storm brewing in his eyes, as he knocked back his drink in one go.

Susanna caught a glimpse of me outside, her grin widening. She reached out and caressed Frank's cheek.

"Honey, are you flaunting your love for your little girlfriend in front of me? I'm getting a little jealous here."

"Jealous? How about a kiss to smooth things over?"

Frank forgot all about me and dove in to kiss Susanna, right there for all to see, like fireworks in the night.

I stood there, frozen, as the air I had been holding in my lungs finally escaped.

We used to be each other's rock, and we had become worlds apart.

The man who promised me forever was wrapped up in someone else's arms, and I was just a ghost in the scene.

The irony was not lost on me.

Susanna was putting on a show for my benefit, but I was not just going to stand there. I caught the whole act on my phone.

Just as I was about to slip away, Frank seemed to snap out of it, staggering to his feet, mumbling to himself.

"Time to head back. I need to pick up a cake for Teresa. You guys keep the party going."

I stopped for a split second and walked away without a backward glance.

I knew Frank was not heading home, and that cake for me was never going to happen.

My phone kept buzzing with Susanna's updates, flaunting her joy like it was meant to sharpen the sting of my own sorrow.

However, what was the point?

In just two days, I would be gone.

The day before my last, the alarm cut through the silence.

Slipping on a mask, I entered the hotel unnoticed.

There they were, Susanna and Frank, in the midst of their rehearsal. She wore a gown that kissed the floor, and he was in a suit sharp enough to cut glass.

I watched them move across the stage, guided by the emcee's cues, each step measured and deliberate.

Their eyes locked, they shared stories that moved them, moments that had bonded them.

Tears fell, and they kissed, a spontaneous burst of emotion.

I could not hold back. Off came my glasses for a moment's respite.

A staff member, eager for a listening ear, leaned in close to me.

"Hits you right in the feels, doesn't it? Who knew the high and mighty could fall so hard? They're the real deal. You can't fake that kind of look."

I put on a smile and replied, "Yeah, they're the real deal, alright."

Frank turned around as if he felt my gaze, and our eyes nearly met.

With my glasses back on and head down, I dodged the moment.