In his frenzy, he collided with Hazel, sending her crashing to the ground. The sharp gravel scraped against her bleeding skin, the sting of it almost too much to bear.
The blows to her body, the weight of everything, drained her completely. She couldn’t even summon the strength to cry.
Ten years of love, gone, wasted. It had always been one-sided. A childhood sweetheart could never compete with an unexpected love.
She couldn’t compete with the woman Ambrose had held in his heart all along.
After what felt like an eternity, Hazel struggled to her feet, dragging her injured leg as she limped back to her room.
Once inside, she tended to her bloodied feet, then, with one final glance, she threw away the carefully selected wedding decorations she had once hoped would mark the start of forever.
Her gaze fell on the wedding countdown hanging in the living room, and for a brief moment, she hesitated.
Then, with a resigned sigh, she ripped off the word “wedding” and, in her heart, silently replaced it with a countdown to her departure.
There was so much to pack. The hours blurred together as she worked through the night, only falling into a restless sleep at four in the morning.
Barely three hours later, the shrill ring of her phone pulled her from her dreams.
“Hazel, are you awake? I ordered your favorite soup. I won’t be back today. Let’s push the wedding photoshoot to another day. There’s an emergency at the company, and I really can’t leave.”
Hazel rubbed her aching temples, her voice hoarse as she replied, “Alright.”
Her quick agreement and perhaps the sadness she couldn’t hide seemed to make Ambrose uneasy. His tone softened as though he was uncertain of the distance growing between them.
“Don’t dwell on what happened yesterday. I’ve already apologized to Scarlett on your behalf.”
“Okay.”
“Scarlett said weddings are just a show, nothing to stress about. Our bond is so strong that we don’t need these formalities to prove anything. Let’s keep it simple.”
“I’ll follow your lead.”
Hazel had already made her decision. This wedding would go down as the simplest one in history.
No wedding photos. No marriage certificate. No officiant.
And no bride.
After hanging up, Hazel stood up, her hand steady as she grabbed a marker and slashed “Wedding Photoshoot” off her calendar.