Eighteen dishes stood ready on the dining table, but the two of them remained in the bedroom.
The servants and I waited in silence all night.
By dawn, exhaustion overcame me and I dozed off—only to be jolted awake by the shrill ring of a phone.
"What kind of photographer is this? I look terrible! Justin, does my face really look that big?"
"Find someone else. Leave them a bad review!"
His tone was indulgent, almost amused.
"All right, as you wish."
Then, switching to another call, his voice instantly turned cool.
"Starlene, head to the beach. I’ll give you one hour."
"Bring your cameras and everything you need."
"Rhea loves your work, so don’t keep her waiting."
The words hit me like a bolt of lightning, freezing me in place.
He knew better than anyone that I hadn’t touched a camera since the day I took my parents’ memorial portraits.
And yet, he still said this.
My fingers clenched tightly around the phone and my voice trembled as I forced the words out.
"I can’t help you with this. I don’t know how to take good photos. Just find someone else."
Justin’s patience immediately snapped.
"Mind your manners. Don’t forget the contract you agreed to. You don’t get to make demands of me."
"Half an hour. One minute late and I’ll see you at the police station."
The line went dead with a brutal click and my chest throbbed with pain.
When I collapsed onto the bed, my tears streamed down, soaking the pillow and sheets.
Perhaps… perhaps he had kept me around all this time for this very moment.
But there was no time to dwell. I grabbed my long-unused camera equipment with dust clinging stubbornly to its surface and ran to the beach.
The coastline stretched out before me, empty except for the small filming crew.
I had chosen this place simply because I loved it.
Justin had once bought this land at a staggering price.
I remember teasing him back then, "Buying land and leaving it undeveloped—won’t you end up losing everything, my dear Mr. Harlow?"
He had held me in his arms, his eyes fixed on the sunset. His voice had been so gentle that it almost felt like a dream.
"Having you is the greatest reward heaven could ever give me."
For that one sentence, I had chosen this place for our wedding photos.
And for our wedding itself.
I had imagined us walking hand in hand along the shore, receiving the blessings of our family and friends.
I had pictured our children laughing as we played together in the sand.