I collapsed onto the bed, utterly drained. Even during that month I spent caring for his grandmother, I hadn’t felt this bone-deep exhaustion.

In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to close my eyes forever—not to see, not to hear, not to feel.

But reality never granted such luxuries.

At six in the afternoon, there was a sudden, urgent pounding on my door.

"I’ve sent you the list of Rhea’s dietary restrictions. Check your phone and make sure you don’t miss a single detail."

Upstairs, the other maids were busy setting up Rhea’s room.

Meanwhile, I stood alone in the kitchen, preparing dishes from eighteen different regions.

I had collected these recipes long ago.

Back then, my only thought was that Justin worked so tirelessly and his sole comfort should be coming home to a warm meal.

I wanted him to relax, to feel cared for through delicious food.

But before I could ever make that happen, everything had already changed.

Laughter floated in from the living room. The two of them sat shoulder to shoulder, a tablet in hand, browsing wedding supplies.

"This decoration is awful! Justin, when did your taste get so tacky?"

"I don’t want a dull, conventional wedding. I want something unique and modern. And the gown… the whiter, the better. Just like our relationship."

"Why did you have a plan ready so early? Were you planning to marry someone else before I came back?"

The dull, conventional wedding she scoffed at was actually the very plan I had spent half a year perfecting.

Justin’s smile faltered for just a moment and his eyes flicked instinctively toward the kitchen.

Then he touched his nose as he laughed lightly.

"How could that be? If you never came back, I’d spend the rest of my life waiting for my bride."

"Even if I reach seventy or eighty—until I’m buried—the only one by my side would still be you."

"Heh, you’re just trying to sweet-talk me."

He chuckled low in his throat.

"I can sweet-talk you in other ways, too. Want me to prove it right now?"

"Stop it, or I’ll get mad! Don’t kiss my neck—we’ve got a wedding photoshoot tomorrow."

"All right, all right. Then I’ll only kiss the places your wedding dress will cover. How about that?"

It felt as though invisible hands had gripped my heart, crushing it, then tearing it apart.

All I could hear after that were their footsteps, fading into the distance.