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He left so quickly, he didn’t notice the bracelet falling from his pocket.
I picked up the bracelet, recalling the small tattoo on Lydia’s wrist.
All the details I ignored connected at that moment.
Childhood bonds couldn’t withstand a sudden love.
Our so–called five years of love was just my wishful thinking.
Given that, there’s no need to cling to an undeserving man.
As I turned to head home, I received a message from my sister.
She booked me a flight to leave.
The timing was just half a month later, on our wedding day.
The wedding countdown in the living room now became my countdown to leave.
I let out a bitter laugh, discarding all new house decorations and couple items.
With destiny’s will, I’ll use this last half month to bid farewell to my past.
After dawn, Theo’s call woke me up.
“Nora, are you awake? I ordered your favorite breakfast. I won’t be back today, there’s an emergency at the company, let’s reschedule the
wedding photos.”
“Don’t worry about last night, I apologized to Lydia for you.”
“Alright.”
Theo didn’t expect me to agree so easily.
Awkwardly, he added, “The wedding is just a formality, our relationship is so strong, we don’t need to prove anything with this, let’s keep it simple.”
“Alright.”
Keep it simple.
This wedding had no marriage certificate, no wedding photos, no emcee, and no bride.
After hanging up, I used a marker to cross off “wedding photos” on the calendar.
Theo was busy with work, rarely having time for me.
So I wrote down all the things I wanted to do on the calendar.
I planned to fulfill all my wishes during the wedding period.
Unfortunately, one by one, those wishes got covered by thick marker strokes.
They became unspeakable regrets.
I no longer focused on Theo.
After submitting my resignation, I met up with some friends to say goodbye.
In the following days, I slowly contacted my friends here, informing them that the wedding was canceled
“Actually, we all guessed…
A friend opened Theo’s social media for me to see.
“During this time, Theo has been with Lydia.”
“People who don’t know might think the person in his posts is you, but we recognized her immediately.”
Theo, who never posted a photo of me, now had his profile filled with images of Lydia.
They watched movies together, dined at restaurants, strolled in parks.
His love for Lydia was blatant.
Yet he blocked me from seeing it.
My friend looked at me with concern.
“Nora, don’t be too upset. Lydia can’t compare to you. If Theo knew her true colors, he would definitely regret it.”
“Theo has been spending all his time with Lydia lately.”
“People who aren’t familiar with them think it’s you in his social media posts, but we can tell otherwise.”
Theo has never shared a single photo of me. Now his feed is filled with Lydia.
They go to movies, dine out, and stroll in parks together.
His affection for Lydia is on full display.
Except, I’m the one who’s blocked out.
My friend gives me a worried glance.
“Nora, don’t be too upset. Lydia can’t hold a candle to you. Theo will realize his mistake once he sees her true
“It’s alright. I’ve stopped caring long ago.”
I gaze out at the street.
In a few days, I’ll leave this place for good.
I don’t have the time or energy to be heartbroken over Theo.
So when Theo finally returns after being away for days, I remain indifferent.