'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.

Susanna's eyes flicked my way, her smile a secret shared with the air.

"What's up, Frank? Spot an old friend?" she teased.

"Nothing. My mistake," he said, shaking his head.

His phone, usually buzzing with replies, was silent.

That was not like the me he knew.

His brow creased with a worry he could not place.

I looked up once more, taking in the fairy-tale scene, and murmured to myself, "Dream fulfilled, in a way."

I was not the one in the bridal gown, not the one saying 'I do', but that dream—that day—was my creation.

Five years of love, five years of life—I had given it all. Then, I had my answer.

I was lost in a haze of confusion. Every little detail of their wedding seemed to echo with my presence, with the ghost of my memories with Frank.

I could not help but wonder if they would ever fight over those shadows of me in their future.

However, it did not really matter anymore. Tomorrow was their big day, and it was also my cue to exit.

'Frank, here's to your blissful union, and to the love you're bound to lose.'

That was the bitter toast I made in my head.

The rehearsal wraps up, and there was Susanna, blocking my way out of the makeup room.

She gave me a once-over and sneered.

"All this time, I've laid it all out for you, and you're still hanging on? Frank might've had a thing for you, but if he really loved you, why is he marrying me, getting cozy with me?

"Love from a man is fleeting, a marriage certificate is the real deal. You couldn't secure that, and you still don't get it? In his eyes, who weighs more, you or me?

"You're not in our league. With me in the picture, you two are bound to split, drifting further apart. While he's still got a soft spot for you, I'd suggest you get smart and walk away, got it?

"I'm even willing to let you witness my wedding, just so you can get the message and move on."

With that, she tossed the invite at me and strutted off.

I caught it without thinking, and the sharp edge drew blood from the back of my hand.

My phone's unique ringtone went off. I did not pick up, and it cut off, only for Frank's message to pop up.

[Teresa, I was swamped with work last night. I didn't want to wake you.]

[I've got to head out on a last-minute trip for a couple of days. I'll be back the day after tomorrow, okay? Don't be mad. I'll bring back your favorite cake when I return.]

Poor guy, having to juggle wedding plans and keep up the charade with me.

My eyes began to burn, but I refused to let the tears fall.

The day I stumbled upon the truth, it tore me apart, left me sleepless and shattered.

However, the ache has dulled.

The one who had betrayed our love did not deserve another tear from me.

I did not bother replying. I blocked Frank and deleted the messages instead.

That night, I bundled the screenshot of Susanna's taunting message with the video of their kiss and sent it off with the flowers I had arranged to be delivered the next day.

I also sent a message to the courier.

[Could you play this video for the groom? Thanks.]

On the wedding day, I was at the airport, suitcase in tow, ready to leave the city of heartbreak behind with my mentor by my side.

Meanwhile, Frank was all smiles, greeting guests, but his eyes kept darting to his phone since I had not replied to him.

He tried calling me, but no answer.

A knot of anxiety grew in his stomach, but he was stuck there until the ceremony ended.

Just as the bride was about to walk down the aisle, the courier handed Frank a bouquet.

Susanna was mid-speech, and Frank nodded with a smile, lifting the flowers. However, his face went ghostly white when he saw the card.

The courier said, "Sir, there's also a video. The lady who sent these flowers wanted you to see it.

"She wishes you a lifetime of happiness with your chosen one and that she hopes you two never cross paths again—"