Chapter 2

That weekend was originally reserved for our final fitting of my custom bridal gown.

Early in the morning, Julian threw on his tailored suit and stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his tie.

"Chloe, hurry and get dressed. This bridal boutique is impossible to book. If we miss our slot, we'll be waiting months."

His voice was brimming with excitement, as if he hadn't been the one who stood me up at City Hall just days ago.

Just as we were about to head out the door, his phone began buzzing incessantly.

Julian glanced at the caller ID, and his eyebrows knit tightly together.

He stepped out onto the balcony, lowering his voice.

"A burst pipe? Didn't the property manager send anyone?"

"Don't panic. Don't stand in the water, you might slip. I'm coming over right now."

Hanging up, he walked back inside, the anticipation on his face completely replaced by urgent concern.

"Chloe, a friend's pipe burst. She's alone and has no idea how to deal with it. I have to go help."

"Is a friend more important than our wedding dress fitting?"

Julian took a sharp breath, his voice laced with annoyance.

"Chloe, can you stop being so unreasonable? It's just a quick favor. It'll be over in no time. We can go for the fitting this afternoon, or even tomorrow."

"Whatever you want," I answered flatly, walking past him and out the front door.

Julian called after me, but I didn't look back.

I took an Uber to the bridal shop alone.

The consultant greeted me warmly, asking where my fiancé was.

"He's not coming."

I pulled out my receipt.

"Please cancel the order for the custom gown."

The consultant looked troubled.

"Ms. Evans, canceling a bespoke gown incurs a thirty percent cancellation fee. Plus, you loved this design so much—we revised the sketches three times just to match your exact vision. Are you sure you want to drop it?"

"I'm sure. Deduct the fee."

After receiving the refund confirmation, I walked out of the boutique. My phone vibrated in my pocket.

It was an Instagram story posted by Maya.

In the photo, Julian was wearing the very suit he had ironed to accompany me to the fitting. His sleeves were rolled up, and he was on his knees on her flooded floor, fixing the pipe.

Caption: Some people, no matter how busy they are, will always drop everything the second you need them. Thank you, Julian, for being my lifesaver.

In the comments, Julian's childhood friend joked: Wait, wasn't Julian supposed to try on wedding attire today? He dared to skip that?

Maya replied with a pouting emoji: Wait, really? I had no idea! I feel so awful toward Chloe now.

Staring at the post, I felt no anger. I just swiped it away.

Back at the apartment, I started packing.

Every gift Julian had ever given me went into cardboard boxes: the perfumes, the designer bags, the jewelry, and the intricate LEGO castle he had built for me with his own hands.

Late that afternoon, Julian came home drenched in sweat.

Seeing the open boxes on the floor, he stopped dead in his tracks. "What are you doing? Why are you packing all this up?"

"I'm tired of old things. Planning to replace them with new ones," I said, tossing the last necklace inside and taping the box shut.

Julian visibly relaxed and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

"Then replace them! Tomorrow I'll take you shopping on Fifth Avenue. Buy whatever you want. I'm so sorry about today—my friend's place was completely flooded. I spent hours helping her clean up."

He failed to notice how unnervingly detached I was.

"By the way, I called the bridal shop to reschedule. I promise I'll go with you next week," he whispered, pressing a conciliatory kiss to my hair.

"No need to reschedule," I slipped out of his embrace. "I already went today."

"You did? How was the fit?" he asked, surprised.

"Perfect," I lied effortlessly.

In truth, the cancellation text had been sent straight to his phone hours ago. But clearly, he hadn't even bothered to check his notifications.

Relieved by how 'accommodating' I was being, Julian hopped into the shower.

I dragged the heavy box out the door and dumped it straight into the trash chute down the hall.