Chapter 4
“Baby, I’m back!”
Jayden’s voice at the door snapped me out of my whirlwind of thoughts and back into reality.
I stared blankly at the oatmeal and pancakes he was holding.
“You…”
Jayden cut me off, “Honey, weren’t you feeling sick? I got you something warm and light.”
“I was in su Added to the libraryt to kiss you.”
He took a step closer, cupping my face and
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leaning in.
I panicingly stepped back, grabbing his hand and looking at him with confusion. “Weren’t you in a hurry to leave?”
“Yeah, there was something I needed to do.”
He seemed to remember something, a smile tugging at the corner of his eyes.
A heaviness settled in my chest, and I slowly let go of his hand. “Then go ahead.”
But unexpectedly, Jayden kissed my forehead, muttering softly, “My lily, you need to get better soon. I still have to kiss you.”
Because my name is Lena, Jayden had given me the nickname “lily.”
I froze, a faint smile tugging at my lips, but
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my heart was in turmoil.
“Alright, I’m going now.”
He ruffled my hair before heading out, but something made me reach out and grab the hem of his shirt.
Jayden turned back, puzzled. “What’s wrong, honey?”
I looked at him steadily, my words slow and deliberate. “Come back soon.”
Jayden smiled, his face filled with affection. “You get so clingy when you’re sick. Alright, I promise–once I’m done at work, I’ll come straight back to you.”
I believed him.
But he didn’t keep his word.
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Until late into the night, the only message from Jayden in our chat was a simple line:
“Baby, I’ve got something to take care of. Wait for me, I’ll be back soon.”
His “soon” turned into a long silence, and by 10 PM, I still hadn’t heard from him.
Despite carefully preparing the meal and sending him a picture, it was as though it had been dropped into an abyss–no response at all.
The food had gone cold, and my appetite had vanished.
I stood up and tossed the entire meal into the trash.
Today was our seven–year anniversary.
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I had expected Jayden to make up for the lack of a proposal on this special day, but he hadn’t even come home.
Suddenly, the memory of the jewelry box hidden deep in the drawer surfaced in my mind.
I stood by the bedside table, took a deep breath, and opened the drawer.
The jewelry box still sat quietly in the deepest corner, covered in dust. It, like me, had been forgotten by Jayden.
I exhaled slowly, feeling an unexpected sense of relief.
Everything had been leading to this.
No wonder there had been no proposal,
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no wonder he hadn’t sent the wedding invitations to anyone.
Jayden had never truly decided to spend his life with me.
The vows I believed in had been nothing more than fleeting words.
I slumped weakly against the edge of the bed when the phone’s notification suddenly pinged.
I snatched up my phone, only to find a message from Jayden’s sister, Sarah. She was the only one from the Smith family who supported our relationship, but the message she sent made my stomach twist.
“Lyn!!!!”
“Did you and my brother break up?!”
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I was about to reply when Sarah quickly followed up with a photo.
I opened it, and my heart seemed to stop.
It was a screenshot from Amara’s social media. She was wearing Jayden’s pajamas, her bare thighs exposed, sprawled on his bed taking a selfie.
“Finally met my little sidekick! Childhood friend’s bed is just too comfortable. A whole night of chatting!”
Sarah sent a frantic emoji along with it.
I quickly erased my initial message and replied with a simple, “Almost.”
