And I had even taught myself a bit of architectural design, sketching a seaside villa that would be our secret hideaway, just for the two of us.
Now, every one of those dreams lay shattered, the fragments turning into sharp blades slicing into my heart.
Rhea had been waiting for a while, impatience already written across her face.
She slipped her arm through Justin’s and gave it a light shake, her tone sweet but tinged with complaint.
"UV rays cause aging, you know. I’ve been baking in the sun all this time—you owe me."
"Put the villa in my name and buy me that Hermès bag I’ve been wanting."
"Just in case you ever change your mind—consider it my insurance."
Her playful manner drew a laugh from him almost instantly.
"Change my mind? That won’t happen until I’m dead."
"You’re too late anyway—the bag and the property deed are already on your bedside table. You’ll see them when you get home."
"Next time, try asking for something I don’t already know about, or you'll ruin the surprise."
When her eyes flicked toward me, Rhea leaned even closer into him, tightening her grip on his arm.
"Starlene, you’re here. I heard you majored in photography—mind handling today’s shoot?"
"Oh and I don’t like red roses. Change them to white lilies. They suit my personality better."
My breath caught in my throat.
In my parents’ memorial photos, they had been surrounded by white lilies.
That image flashed through my mind again and again, the tension in my head winding tighter until it felt as if it might snap.
"Miss, weddings are meant to be joyful. White lilies just… carry a heavy meaning. How about we choose another white flower instead?"
Rhea's voice immediately turned sharp.
"What’s that supposed to mean? I have to set aside my own preferences just to please you now? Why are you talking to me like this? Are you calling someone here… a depressing person?"
Justin’s face darkened instantly, his eyes cutting toward me like shards of ice.
"She likes it, so that’s what we’ll use. You’re just a hired hand here—remember your place."
"And if I hear that tone from you again, you know exactly what will happen."
The wound on my palm had barely healed and now it split open beneath my nails. Warm blood seeped into the sand, blooming red against the pale grains.
I swallowed the storm rising in my chest, forcing my voice to stay steady.
After a long, heavy silence, I simply nodded.