He was probably regretting calling me right now—probably adding even more stress to his already chaotic situation.
"Emma, what the hell is wrong with you? You’ve never been like this before! Ava’s dying, and you're still making sarcastic comments?"
And then, as if his words had been pre-rehearsed, he added, "We should postpone the wedding."
Before I could respond, the line went dead.
The busy tone echoed in my ears as I gripped the phone so tightly that my knuckles turned white.
My entire body trembled with the shock, the weight of the moment sinking in.
Without even thinking, I glanced over at the photo sitting on the table.
It was a picture from when I was seventeen. My high ponytail bounced in the sunlight, my school uniform crisp and clean, and my smile bright as ever.
Next to me, Jason stood just as youthful, his white shirt shining against the glow of the setting sun. We were standing on the track at school, the cherry blossoms in full bloom behind us. Petals floated in the air like confetti, gently landing on our hair and shoulders.
It was a moment frozen in time. How beautiful our youth had been. How perfect our first love seemed.
But now? That was all a joke.
Jason and Ava’s social media posts. It felt like a thousand tiny knives, each one stabbing deeper into my chest with every scroll.
"To hell with understanding. To hell with the wedding."
After a moment, I finally took a breath and started to think more clearly.
Ava Green. That woman. I knew her too well.
Emma's POV
Back in high school, Ava used every trick in the book to steal Jason away from me. And when she got bored, she dropped him, claiming she was going abroad to study.
Now, she’s back in the picture—this time with her "last wish list," flaunting her control over Jason like she’s the one who’s always been meant to be his bride.
Bungee jumping, skiing, the Northern Lights in Iceland… She ticked off each item, posting it all on social media with captions designed to make her look like she was living out the fairy tale.
But the real kicker? Jason actually believes that Ava is terminally ill and doesn’t have much time left. So, he’s at her beck and call, waiting on her hand and foot. He might as well put up a shrine next to her bed and start worshipping her 24/7.
I want to shake him and see if anything’s even in there. How could someone be this blind? Seven years of my life, completely wasted.