I didn't know what to say to my brother, but I didn’t want him to worry. I texted back and just told him I had a monthly check-up.
Hours later, I finished my IV bag and felt even dizzier. I didn’t even realize I had fallen asleep for a long time. I felt thirsty, but there was no nurse around, so I got out of bed by myself, almost stumbling with my first step.
Rowan still hadn’t returned, and it was already evening. There were no calls, no messages, and I had no idea if he was still with Heidi.
I took my phone again and decided to finally call him to avoid any misunderstandings. He didn’t answer right away, but on my last attempt, he picked up.
"Rowan, I'm still in the hospital. Don’t you plan to take me home?" I asked coldly. I couldn’t manage to go home alone because I was still dizzy. I needed him to assist me, just one last time.
"I'm so sorry, Mary. I was supposed to come back for you right after taking Heidi home, but she suddenly threw up, so—"
Before he could finish, I heard the voice of a waiter in the background. "Sir, your dishes are all served. Please enjoy your dinner!"
Though Rowan quickly covered the receiver, he was foolish; I had already heard everything.
"Okay, seems like you're having some fun. Go on, I can manage myself," I said, about to hang up, but he stopped me.
"Mary, just head home. I'll explain everything later."
I rolled my eyes. What would he explain? To lie just to keep me hanging? Well, there was no need because I had already caught him. I ended the call without a word and contacted my close friend to take me home.
Tonight, I was all alone since Rowan didn’t come back. I was wide awake and remembered there was a meteor shower, so I went to the window to watch the night sky.
One of the beliefs is that it brings good luck when you see a meteor shower and that you should make a wish.
I closed my eyes and wished upon the stars, hoping they would grant it. "I want to be truly loved, to be seen and heard."
After wishing, I returned to bed, but I couldn’t help but scroll on my phone and stalk Heidi. I noticed she had a new story, and when I clicked on it, I saw a romantic photo of her with Rowan under the meteor shower.
[Years apart, and then, beneath a shower of shooting stars, I found my way back to your embrace—a celestial reunion, a love story written in the heavens!] The caption was so poetic.
I stared at their picture for minutes, and I admit I was jealous, but I realized that Rowan wasn’t the mate destined for me and that he was a pathetic wolf who took advantage of me.
Feeling uninterested in prying into their affair, I turned off my phone and tried to rest. The next morning, I arrived at a fine restaurant to meet with my friends and informed them I was going to leave soon.
"But why would you leave our town, Mary?" my friend Gale asked.
I hesitated to tell the truth, but they were my friends, and I trusted them. "It's because I'm going to get married. But keep this a secret, okay?"
My friends were so shocked and curious about who my fiancé was, but I had no idea either, so it was a big mystery.
"Whoever that man is, we hope he won’t hurt you, Mary. We will celebrate your happiness," Gale said happily.
While having a great time with my friends, I couldn’t help but look around the restaurant where Rowan and I frequently had dinner dates.
Halfway through the meal, I excused myself to go to the restroom, only to run into Heidi.
"Hey, Mary!" she greeted. "I didn’t expect you’d be here too! You know, this was the restaurant where Rowan and I had our first date. We've come here so many times."
I was startled by her sharing it when I wasn’t even asking. I forced a bitter smile but didn’t say anything. I was about to leave, but she blocked my way.
"Mary, I'm not stupid. I know you're Rowan's rebound girl. Do you think I wouldn’t know? I noticed Rowan's actions, and it's clear to me he's just toying with you. Poor girl," Heidi sneered, looking me up and down.
What she said made me pause, and I didn’t know what to say. I just felt humiliated and degraded by the way she looked at me.
"I don’t know what you’re talking about," I tried to deny it, and she just laughed sarcastically.
"You see, Mary, even though I left him a long time ago and looked for someone else, he will crawl back to me. He can't replace me with someone like you," she bragged.
"Okay, believe what you want to believe, but get out of my way!" I demanded, but she didn’t listen.
"You think you got his heart, huh? Let me tell you this, Marydale. Those years you've been with him, he never loved you and only thought of me," she added.
Tears welled up in my eyes, and I suddenly remembered a memory where Rowan and I celebrated our anniversary in this restaurant.
He always told the waiter to avoid putting spice in my food when I liked spicy foods. I thought he was just concerned, as eating too much spice isn't good for me. But I was so naive not to realize that all along, he was thinking of Heidi.
