Chapter 1

On the day we were supposed to get our marriage license at City Hall, a rare blizzard hit the city.

My fiancé, Julian, sent me a text.

"There’s a massive pileup on the highway. I’m completely stuck. We won't make it to City Hall today. I'm so sorry, babe."

My hands and feet were ice-cold as I rode the subway back home alone.

I wanted to order him some hot food, but the moment I opened his delivery app, an order from ten minutes ago caught my eye.

The drop-off address was a private hospital downtown. The delivery note read:

"Ms. Vance has a delicate stomach. Please ensure the soup is warm, not too hot."

No, the note read:

"Ms. Quinn has a delicate stomach. Please ensure the soup is warm, not too hot."

There was only one Quinn in his circle: Maya, his ex-girlfriend.

My fingers dialed Julian’s number before my brain could stop them.

The call connected, but it seemed he had answered by accident. He didn't even notice.

Through the rustle of fabric, I heard his childhood best friend’s reprimanding voice.

"Julian, isn't today your wedding registry day?"

"Maya just has mild gastritis. Ditching your fiancée to hold her hand at the clinic... don't you think that's crossing the line?"

Julian’s voice was low, coated in effortless indifference.

"We can get the marriage license anytime. What difference does one day make?"

"Chloe has always been understanding. She won't hold it against me."

"Maya doesn't have any family in this city. She's vulnerable when she's sick. I can't just leave her alone."

Standing in our empty, newly decorated apartment, tears quietly spilled down my face.

One day doesn't make a difference.

Sure. In the grand scheme of a long lifetime, delaying a marriage license by a day truly didn't matter.

Except, Julian, I suddenly didn't want a lifetime with you anymore.

I hung up, and the screen went black.

Numbly, I tossed my phone onto the couch and looked around the new home we had spent months furnishing.

On the wall hung our newly delivered wedding portraits. In the photo, Julian gently kissed my forehead, his eyes overflowing with adoration.

On the coffee table were the festive red wedding banners and decorations I had bought that morning. We were supposed to hang them up together after coming back from City Hall.

I walked over, gathered every single piece of decoration, and tossed them calmly into the trash can.

In the kitchen, the beef stew he loved was simmering on the stove, bubbling with rich heat.

I turned off the burner and dumped the entire pot, stew and all, down the sink.

Once that was done, I pulled open the bottom drawer of the desk and took out an internal transfer application. It was an offer sent by headquarters last month to lead the new outpost project in the remote West. I had declined it to get married.

In the signature line, I firmly wrote down my name.

At nine that night, the front door clicked open.

Julian walked in wrapped in the freezing outdoor air, carrying the faint scent of hospital disinfectant on his overcoat.

Seeing me sitting on the couch, a flash of guilt crossed his face. He walked over and took my hand.

"Chloe, I'm really sorry about today."

He handed me a stylish bakery bag.

"The traffic was a nightmare. I couldn't make it before the clerk's office closed. I picked up your favorite chocolate mousse cake as an apology."

I looked down at the logo on the bag.

It was from an upscale patisserie right across from the downtown private hospital—the complete opposite direction from where he claimed to be stuck.

"I cut out sugar recently," I said without taking the bag. My tone was so calm it surprised even myself.

Julian paused, taken aback.

"Didn't you always love this?"

He gave an affectionate, helpless laugh and placed the bag on the table.

"Are you still mad at me?"

"Tomorrow. I promise I'll clear my entire schedule tomorrow morning, and we'll go first thing to City Hall, okay?"

He lied without batting an eye.

If I hadn't overheard that pocket-dialed call, I would have fallen for the sincerity in his eyes all over again.

"No need," I said, gently pulling my hand away.

"A major new project just landed at work. Everyone's slammed, and no one can take time off."

"Let's push the marriage license back for now."

Julian's hand froze in midair. A flicker of shock crossed his face, but he quickly smoothed it over.

The relief on his face was undeniable, and his tone instantly lightened.

"Alright, work comes first. We've been together for five years anyway; a few more days won't hurt."

"Once you wrap up this busy stretch, I promise I'll give you the most unforgettable wedding."

A few more days won't hurt.

Right. That was the exact same excuse he had given his best friend on the phone.

I watched him take off his coat and head into the bathroom.

As the shower started running, I picked up his coat to hang it up.

A hospital emergency billing receipt slipped out of his pocket.

Patient name: Maya Quinn.

I crumpled the slip into a ball and dropped it straight into the garbage.

In the past, even if he came home fifteen minutes late, I would interrogate him until I had answers. Now, watching him lie for another woman, all I felt was a hollow sense of ridicule.

Early the next morning, I handed my transfer request to my supervisor.

My manager looked at me in disbelief. "The Western branch was just established. The conditions out there are harsh, and this post requires at least a three-year commitment. Aren't you about to get married?"

"The wedding is off," I said with a faint smile, handing him a cup of coffee.

"Please help me expedite the paperwork. I'm ready for the handover anytime."

My manager sighed, asked no more questions, and stamped the approval.

"The earliest you can leave is a week from next Monday."

I did the math. Exactly twelve days.

Twelve days was more than enough time to erase every trace of Julian from my life.