My heart was being carved open. I broke down in that hospital room, sobbing until I couldn't breathe. I clawed at myself, screamed, did everything I could to make Justin look at me. Just one look. That was all I wanted. He wouldn't even give me that.
Because.
Justin said.
"When you lost the baby, Odette blamed herself. She wanted to break up with me."
"I thought."
"I could let her go."
"But," his voice hardened, "I can't."
"I can't lose Odette. The same way I couldn't lose you back then."
His words ripped through me. Tears flooded down my face, and my chest split open like something had torn it apart with bare hands. Every organ ached. I couldn't breathe. I grabbed whatever I could reach and hurled it at him, watching blood bloom across his skin, watching him refuse to dodge. Then my legs gave out. I collapsed to my knees in front of him, fists knotted in his shirt, choking on my own voice.
"Why!"
"Why, Justin!"
"Tell me why!"
Why did you choose me.
Why did you fall in love with me.
Why did you throw away everything to build me a home, only to burn it down with your own hands.
Why did you hold the umbrella over my head, then shred it to pieces.
Why!
He didn't answer. He didn't hold me the way he used to. When I lunged forward and tried to kiss him, he turned his face away. He wouldn't even look at me.
"Odette said."
"If she can still smell you on me."
"She won't let me touch her."
Ice swallowed me whole. Every nerve in my body went dead, as if I'd been nailed to the floor. Even my tears stopped. I stared at the man in front of me, watched him pick up his coat, walk to the door.
"Louisa."
"Think it over."
Think it over.
I laughed.
I laughed until the laughter cracked into sobs, and the sobs cracked into screaming, and the screaming echoed through the empty apartment until it became the only sound left in my life.
Then Odette's message came through. A wedding design mockup. And her words underneath.
"Louisa, see this?"
"Everything you begged for and never got? I get it handed to me."
"Justin told me, you know. When he left the Simmons family for you, you two started from nothing. You didn't even have a real wedding. That's just... so sad."
She sent a laughing voice message.
"What a shame."
"You spent seven years by his side, built everything from the ground up, turned him into the great Mr. Simmons. And now that life is finally good..."
"It's all about to be mine."
"Hahaha."
Then she sent a video.
In the video.
Justin was down on one knee, stars pooling in his eyes, his face written over with devotion.
"Odie."
"You said you wanted a rock."
"But I figured even the biggest diamond wouldn't be good enough for you."
"So," he opened the jewelry box, and the pink diamond caught the light so fiercely I felt my heart clench, "I won this ring at auction. I'm hoping you'll say yes."
The proposal setup was gorgeous. Romantic.
Every friend we'd made together over the years was there, cheering, clapping, calling out for Odette to say yes.
But Odette was in no rush. She looked down at him.
"What about Louisa?"
She tilted her head.
"Did Louisa ever get this kind of treatment?"
"You know me," she said, gazing down at Justin from above. "I don't do secondhand."
"Not even the sentiment."
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
Justin hadn't even opened his mouth yet.
Someone was already answering for him.
"Babe, what are you even worried about?"
"Back then, Justin and that woman didn't even throw a reception. They just had dinner at home. She cooked it herself, bought the groceries herself, said she didn't want to waste money, said they needed to save. We laughed about it behind her back for months."
