Chapter 3

3

After Gavin left, I didn't force a brave smile to comfort the guests like I used to.

I took off the wedding gown, changed into casual clothes, and went straight home.

The house was still decorated with festive bridal banners and romantic floral arrangements, but now they looked like a sick joke.

My phone buzzed with an Instagram notification. Nadia had just posted a new photo.

In the picture, Gavin's sharp jawline was visible, with a pair of delicate arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

The caption read: "The only true love is someone who drops everything at any second to be by your side."

Right. "Everything" included me.

I was the one always left behind, and she was the one always chosen.

Gavin's heart had long since tilted toward Nadia.

Why hadn't I faced this glaring truth sooner?

By midnight, Gavin still hadn't returned.

In the past, I would have curled up on the couch waiting for him all night.

Tonight, I tore down every single piece of wedding decor in the apartment and went to bed early.

The next morning, Gavin finally walked through the front door, carrying the distinct scent of gardenias―Nadia's signature perfume.

He brought a takeout container of warm clam chowder from my favorite bistro. Watching my face carefully, he said:

"Jess, if I had arrived any later yesterday, Nadia would have really jumped."

"I know you were just angry when you said those harsh words, but that's an actual human life. Nadia grew up with me, and I couldn't just watch her die."

"Don't worry, I promise our next wedding will go off without a hitch."

Every single time Nadia staged an attempt, Gavin gave the exact same speech.

Nadia almost jumped off a roof, almost threw herself into a river, almost cut her wrists...

It was always "almost."

Yet did she ever actually follow through?

If I remembered correctly, throughout all ninety-nine attempts, Nadia hadn't scratched a single inch of her skin.

Even so, Gavin believed her unconditionally every single time.

In the boy who cried wolf, people stopped believing him by the third time.

Yet Gavin never doubted Nadia for a second.

When I told him yesterday that I would die if he walked out, he accused me of lying.

"Jess, are you still mad at me?"

Gavin's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

I took a spoonful of chowder and replied calmly.

"I'm not mad."

I was leaving this world in three days anyway.

Whatever happened between Gavin and Nadia had nothing to do with me anymore.