Eight Years to Goodbye

At my best friend's wedding, a girl lunged forward and caught the bouquet—only for it to slip from her hands and land squarely in my arms.

My best friend, Lauren Walker, beamed at me. "Madison, looks like you're the next bride."

The guests exchanged knowing glances and turned toward my boyfriend of eight years—Mason Ryder, the CEO of the Ryder Group.

But he calmly plucked the bouquet from my hands and casually passed it to the girl standing beside me—his secretary, Natalie Carter.

"She caught it first." He ruffled my hair, his voice gentle. "Be good. Give it back to Natalie for now. We'll wait for the next time."

The spotlight—and the guests' attention—shifted with the bouquet, settling on Natalie.

I looked at her startled yet shy expression, then rested a hand on my stomach and forced a bitter smile.

Mason didn't know there wouldn't be a next time.

Our eight-year promise had already come to an end, and we still hadn't taken the step into marriage. And I had already promised my parents, who were royalty, that next week, I would leave and return to Montelvia to inherit the family legacy.

The moment Natalie Carter ended up with the bouquet, my best friend Lauren Walker's smile vanished.

She was even angrier than I was. Leaning close to my ear, she whispered through gritted teeth, "That Natalie did it on purpose! Before the wedding, I specifically told everyone the bouquet was meant for you!"

I gently interrupted her.

"Lauren, today is your big day. Little things like this don't matter."

"But you've waited eight years just to marry Mason!" she said anxiously. "And now you're carrying his child. If you still don't have the wedding soon—"

"It's okay."

I turned my head calmly and looked toward Mason Ryder.

Natalie, holding the bouquet, was sitting right beside him.

The distance between them was far closer than what a secretary should reasonably keep.

Most of the guests were friends who knew both Mason and me well. Their eyes drifted toward me—curious, sympathetic.

Lauren grew even more upset and squeezed my hand tightly.

"Madison, I looked into Natalie earlier. She's a calculating gold digger who specializes in seducing rich men! She's been trying to get close to your boyfriend for months. You need to be careful…"

"Lauren, you're the most beautiful bride today. Don't worry about me." I squeezed her hand back and gave her a faint smile. "Besides, I'm not planning to marry Mason anymore. I haven't even told him I'm pregnant."

My words were so shocking that Lauren's eyes widened as she stared at me in disbelief.

After a long silence, she finally remembered that the wedding ceremony still had to continue.

When the wedding ended, Lauren hugged me tightly.

"Madison, if you need any help, just tell me. I support whatever decision you make."

"What decision?" After she left, Mason walked toward me, calm as ever. "What were you two talking about just now?"

Out of habit, he reached out and draped an arm over my shoulders. I shifted slightly to the side and avoided the gesture.

"Nothing."

He didn't seem to mind my reaction. With a soft laugh, he said, "Are you angry? Natalie caught that bouquet first, after all. She's a young girl—of course, she dreams about weddings. Catching the bouquet was just her way of borrowing a little luck. Didn't we agree we'd wait for the next time?"

He leaned closer, stroking my hair as he patiently tried to soothe me.

"Why care so much about Lauren's bouquet? When we get married, I'll prepare an even more beautiful one for you. You can have as many bouquets as you want."

Silently, I curled my fingers into my palm and looked straight into his eyes.

"Can we get married this month then? Lauren and I made a promise when we were kids—whoever married first, the other would marry right after. We would be each other's bridesmaids and witness each other's happiness."

The air seemed to freeze.

Mason's hand, which had been brushing my hair, paused midair. A few seconds later, he chuckled lightly.

"You're still taking childhood jokes seriously? I'm the CEO of the Ryder Group. A wedding can't be thrown together so hastily. Don't rush. I promise you—it will be the most perfect wedding."

Bitterness surged quietly in my chest. Every time a conflict arose, he would make promises about "next time," about that future wedding.

Eight years had passed, and I was still waiting for the day that promise would come true.

But now, I had decided to go home. I wouldn't wait any longer.

The car moved silently through the night before stopping in front of my villa.

Mason unfastened his seatbelt, apparently assuming the tension between us had already passed. Out of habit, he leaned toward me, trying to kiss me.

I raised my hand and pressed it lightly against his shoulder.

"I'm tired, Mason."

He froze and stared into my eyes for a few seconds. Finally, he patted my shoulder gently.

"Mm. Being a bridesmaid is tiring. Get some rest. Natalie said she couldn't get a taxi and is still at the venue. I'll go back and pick her up. It wouldn't be safe to leave her there alone."

I nodded calmly, but Mason didn't move right away.

He seemed to be waiting for me to respond the way I usually did—telling him to drive safely, or complaining that he was leaving me home alone so late at night.

But instead, I simply opened the car door and stepped out.

Watching the car drive away into the distance, I wiped the tears that stung my eyes and dialed my parents in Montelvia.

"Mom, Dad… I agree to fulfill the marriage arrangement and marry Devon Ryder…"