Chapter 4: Chapter 4
“I can’t make it to the engagement party tomorrow.”
I glanced at my phone calendar. The words “Engagement Party” glowed in red.
I had no idea what new scheme Albert was cooking up.
To be honest, I didn’t want to go either.
Even if he hadn’t said anything, I would have found a reason to cancel. His announcement was actually a relief.
I nodded. “Okay. I’ll let the planner know.”
Albert stared, stunned. He clearly hadn’t expected me to be so agreeable.
He’d probably prepared a whole monologue to counter my inevitable questions and tears.
After all, I’d spent months planning this party.
He thought he was walking into a fight.
Instead, I was as calm as a stranger.
Albert looked at me, his expression a mix of confusion and something else. “Don’t cancel it,” he said.
“Krista wants to meet my parents. I thought we could just do it at the family dinner tomorrow night.”
He added, “And we’re going to Vegas next week to get the paperwork done.”
His tone was completely matter-of-fact, like he was informing me of a minor schedule change. It wasn’t a discussion.
I kept my head down to hide the sarcastic smile playing on my lips.
Vegas? He had no idea I only had thirteen days left in this city. He had no idea there was no “next week” for us.
I calmly agreed and went to my room. The wedding was already dead. Who he introduced to his parents and who he married was no longer my problem.
Albert watched me go, that flicker of unease returning. My compliance, my utter lack of drama, had rendered all his prepared speeches useless. Just then, Krista called, and he pushed the feeling aside, stepping onto the balcony to answer.
When I woke up the next morning, Albert was getting ready to leave.
“Let’s just keep the wedding simple. I don’t have time for all that fancy stuff. You can decide everything, you don’t need to ask me.”
“Okay,” I said, chewing on my toast, my face blank.
Simple. No party. No guests. No vows. No bride.
Albert watched me quietly eat my breakfast, and the strange feeling from last night returned, stronger this time. He hesitated, then added, “We can go to Europe for our honeymoon. You’ve always wanted to go, right?”
In the past, the mere mention of a honeymoon would have sent me into a frenzy of planning. I’d always wanted to travel with him, but he was always “too tired.”
Now, I just focused on my toast and said nothing. No wedding, no honeymoon.
Albert looked at me, surprised. He opened his mouth to say something else, but a glance at his watch made him hurry out the door. “We’ll talk later,” he tossed over his shoulder.
I picked up my phone and deleted the “Engagement Party” event from my calendar. Twelve days left.
After breakfast, I started packing. An album with only a few photos of us together, a set of matching pajamas we’d never worn…
Five years.
Every single thing in this home, I had picked out.
But looking around, I realized there were so many things Albert had never even touched. He hated matching couple’s items, said they were childish and cloying.
I shook my head, pushing the thoughts aside. These things would only be clutter in his new life. Better to throw them out, along with the memories.
