Chapter 2

Celeste was anxiously pushing through the crowd.

She kept checking her phone, slowly making her way towards me.

The man who had been secretly observing me from behind moments before rushed to embrace her, but Celeste fought him off fiercely.

I couldn't hear what the man said, but it clearly angered her. She pushed him away with a look of resentment, continuing her search through the crowd.

The man watched Celeste from a distance, his expression filled with sorrow and pain.

The bar lights flickered, so I couldn't make out his face, but he seemed oddly familiar.

I initially thought he was a friend of Celeste's, who'd stumbled upon me and was trying to tip her off.

But no matter how hard I tried to recall, I couldn't place him.

Until Mike, the bar owner, called out to me.

"Leo, your fiancée is calling my phone now."

"But your phone still has battery, I see. What's wrong? Did you two have a fight?"

I looked up, and Mike, assuming I wanted to answer, picked up the call.

He even thoughtfully turned up the volume and put it on speaker.

As soon as he connected, I heard Celeste shout from the other end.

"Hello, honey, I know you're at the bar. Can you tell me where you are? Please, just give me a chance to explain."

I snatched the phone and hung up. Mike stared, bewildered.

"Aren't you going to find your fiancée? Aren't you worried about her, being a woman out alone?"

I glanced at the man who had approached Celeste; he was already disappearing into the crowd.

I whispered, utterly devastated, "She's not my fiancée. She doesn't need me."