Chapter 1

My boyfriend, Julian, is a wedding MC, and I'm a wedding photographer.

Over the past five years, we've stood side by side through more than five hundred weddings.

Yet every time I asked him when we'd finally have our own, his answer was always the same: "Just wait a little longer."

I believed he loved me, so I waited. Willingly.

Until that afternoon.

I was shooting a grand wedding.

Since I have severe pollen allergies, I took two allergy pills before the shoot just in case.

But the bride loved fresh blooms.

The entire venue was drowning in floral arrangements, and the air was thick with pollen.

Right as the main ceremony wrapped up, my medication failed.

My eyes puffed up, my throat started itching like crazy, and I couldn't stop sneezing.

I immediately called Julian.

He didn't have any gigs booked today. We had an agreement: if my allergies flared up and I couldn't handle it, he'd bring a backup shooter to take over for me.

The phone rang for a long time before he finally picked up. Desperate, I croaked, "Julian, my allergies are acting up badly. I can't breathe well, you—"

Before I could finish, a woman's voice cut through the line. It was Chloe.

"Julian, can you help me with this box? It's way too heavy."

Then Julian spoke into the mic, "I'm helping Chloe move into her new apartment."

"She has tons of stuff and a toddler to handle. She needs an extra pair of hands."

I looked down at the fiery red hives creeping up my forearm. "What about me?"

"Take a couple more pills and hang in there," he sighed. "I'll come find you as soon as I'm done here."

Click. He hung up.

In that single second, five years of patience evaporated. I didn't want to wait anymore.

I dug into my camera bag, swallowed two more pills dry, and lifted my camera again.

It didn't help. The reaction only spiraled. Within twenty minutes, my eyelids were swollen almost shut.

Gasping for air, I dialed Julian again.

"Stella, what now?" he sounded exhausted.

Clutching my tightening chest, my voice was barely a rasp. "Julian, my throat is swelling shut. I can't do this."

He hesitated for a second.

Right then, Chloe's little girl burst into tears in the background.

Julian spent a few seconds hushing the child before coming back to the line. "Stella, come on. The main ceremony is already over."

"You only have an hour left of candid shots. Just push through it. Stop acting so dramatic."

"Julian, please—"

"Mia is screaming, I have to go," he cut me off.

Click.

Surrounded by a fairytale wedding with fairy lights and blooming peonies, tears streamed down my face.

At that moment, I couldn't even tell if I was crying from the anaphylaxis or from sheer heartbreak.

Somehow, I pushed through. I finished every single promised shot on the schedule.

When the bride saw my rash-covered hands after the final group photo, she gasped in horror and immediately ordered an Uber to rush me to the ER.

Julian didn't remember me until late that evening.

A text popped up on my screen: [Stella, feeling better?]

[Chloe's place is still a mess. I might stay late tonight to help put furniture together.]

Then came a pat-on-the-head emoji: [Good job today, babe. You're the strongest.]

I stared at his words for a long time. Finally, I typed back a single letter: [K.]

We had been together for five years. Julian used to be amazing to me.

He knew my favorite bakery order by heart. He'd toss a jacket over my shoulders the second the weather turned chilly.

Knowing my pollen allergy, he used to keep emergency Benadryl in his pocket wherever we went.

He used to wrap his arm around my waist in front of everyone and introduce me proudly to all his friends.

All those tender moments, however, started fading the day Chloe got divorced and moved back to the city.

I looked down at the IV needle taped to the back of my bruised hand and let out a self-deprecating chuckle.

Those five years meant nothing to him anymore.

Once the IV bag ran dry, I caught a cab back to our apartment alone.

The next morning, Julian was already home when I opened my eyes.

As I dragged myself out of bed, he walked out of the kitchen carrying a warm bowl of oatmeal. "You're awake?"

He set the bowl down on the counter and gently touched the bruise where the needle had been. "I'm so sorry, Stella."

"I really thought the pills would kick in. I had no idea it was that serious."

He pulled me into a tight embrace. "I swear it won't happen again."

"Your birthday is the day after tomorrow. I cleared my entire schedule. It's just you and me all day."

"You wanted to try that new omakase spot downtown, right? We're going there."

In the past, whenever we fought, a warm hug and an apology would melt my resolve immediately.

This time, my chest felt completely hollow.

I pulled back slightly. "Really?"

He kissed the top of my head. "Really. Even if the sky falls down, I'll be right beside you on your birthday."

Two days flew by.

The sky didn't fall. But Chloe's daughter caught a fever.

We were barely halfway through our birthday dinner when Julian's phone lit up with Chloe's name.

The moment he picked up, Chloe's sobs filled the receiver. "Julian, I can't get a cab... it's pouring..."

Julian's brow snapped together instantly. "Don't panic. I'm on my way."

He tossed his napkin down and grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair. "Mia has a high fever. I have to go check on them."

I stared at the tiny candle flickering on our birthday dessert. "It's my birthday, Julian. You swore you'd stay with me today."

Julian pressed his lips into a tight line. "I know, Stella. But this is an emergency. What else am I supposed to do?"

"Just eat first. I'll drive them to the clinic and rush right back to finish dinner with you."

He turned to leave. I reached out and caught his sleeve. "Julian!"

He froze, glancing back at me with a flash of raw irritation in his eyes. "Stella, grow up!"

"Chloe is doing this all alone as a single mom. I'm just dropping them off."

She's doing this all alone.

Always the same excuse.

Because her life was hard, I was expected to accept being abandoned, over and over again.

After a few silent seconds, my fingers uncurled. I let go of his coat.

The annoyance in his expression instantly melted into relief. "Good girl. Wait for me. I'll be quick."

I sat alone at the table, watching the wick burn down until the flame drowned in melted wax.

The restaurant closed for the night.

He never came back.