Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Summer."

Caleb called my name, sounding impatient.

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at the irritation on his face. I shook my head. "Caleb, I can't agree to this."

Caleb ran his fingers through his hair, frustrated. "Summer, she's sick. She doesn't have much time left. Can't you just tolerate her last wish?"

"Do you have any idea that if it weren't for her back then…"

Before he could finish, his phone rang.

Sienna was crying on the other end. "Caleb, the IV hurts so much. Can you come stay with me?"

The irritation on Caleb's face vanished instantly. He spoke to her with a tenderness I hadn't heard in weeks. "I'm coming right now. Don't be afraid."

I watched his retreating back.

Driven by some dark instinct, I followed him.

The smell of disinfectant in the hospital was overwhelming. I followed Caleb to a private suite. Through the crack in the door, I saw Sienna huddled in his arms.

"Caleb, I know I shouldn't be in your life anymore," she sobbed. "You belong to another woman now, but I just can't help it…"

"I feel so guilty toward your fiancée. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be fighting with her."

Caleb patiently stroked her hair. "Sienna, don't be scared."

"There's nothing to feel guilty about. Honestly, she should thank you. If you hadn't mentioned wanting to see me get married, I wouldn't have even bothered proposing to her yet."

Sienna's crying became more melodic as she grabbed his sleeve.

"I regret it."

"Caleb, I'm not a good person. I'm so jealous that she gets to marry you."

"But Miss Vance is innocent. You should stop worrying about me. Wanting to marry you was just an impossible dream."

As soon as she finished, Caleb held her tighter.

"Summer will understand," he whispered.

He paused. "That was my dream, too."

His words were vague, but I understood them perfectly. And so did Sienna.

She looked up and pressed a kiss to his lips, tears shimmering in her eyes. "I'm dying anyway. Let me be selfish just this once."

Caleb cupped the back of her head and deepened the kiss.

I felt like I couldn't breathe. Before Sienna showed up, I never doubted his love for me.

Caleb was a man of science, usually buried in his lab. He wasn't naturally romantic.

But he remembered that I was allergic to mangoes. He remembered I was terrified of thunder. He always gave me the best cuts of meat at dinner.

He was always there when I was sick.

I thought that one ordinary morning, he would just say, "Summer, let's go get our license."

I never expected a grand proposal.

I was so blinded by the surprise that I ignored the red flags.

I don't even like roses.

The engagement ring didn't even fit my finger.

I don't remember how I got home.

A wedding invitation was sitting quietly on the coffee table. It had been delivered by the wedding planner right before our last argument. I hadn't opened it yet.

Our wedding was supposed to be tomorrow.

He still hadn't given up on making me "tolerate" Sienna's wish.

In fact, he was still by her side right now.

My face was wet with tears. I numbly wiped them away and picked up the invitation.

Groom: Caleb Thorne.

In the space for the bride's name, it said: Sienna Rivers.

The exquisite invitation felt like a dying butterfly in my hand. I had designed this layout myself.

The venue was the one I had chosen.

This entire wedding was something I had been planning since the day Caleb and I started dating.

But I wasn't the lead actress in my own story.