Chapter 14
The flowers didn’t stop. Every day, a fresh bouquet arrived at my office, followed by messages and voicemails from Oliver. No matter how many times I threw the flowers away or ignored his calls, he kept trying. His persistence wasn’t flattering–it was. exhausting.
“Does he not get the message?” I muttered, tossing another bouquet into the trash. The receptionist gave me a nervous smile, clearly unsure of how to react.
I knew Oliver wouldn’t stop unless I did something drastic. Just ignoring him wasn’t enough.
That’s when the idea struck me.
Later that evening, as Scott and I sat on the couch eating takeout, I turned to him. “I need to talk to you about something.”
I
Scott looked up, his mouth full of noodles. “What’s up?” he mumbled, swallowing quickly.
I hesitated, the words feeling heavier than I expected. “I’ve been thinking… Oliver won’t stop unless I give him a reason to. A real reason.”
Scott raised an eyebrow, clearly curious where I was going with this. “And what’s your plan?”
I took a deep breath. “What if we…. got married?”
Scott froze, his chopsticks hovering mid–air. “Married?” he repeated, a slow smile spreading across his face.
“Don’t look so smug,” I said quickly, my cheeks heating up. “It’s just an idea. If Oliver thinks I’ve moved on completely–if he sees that I’m married–he’ll have no choice but to stop.”
Scott leaned back, his arms crossed, his grin only growing wider. “You know, I think that’s a great idea.”
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” I said, narrowing my eyes.
“Of course I am,” he admitted, laughing. “I’ve been waiting for this moment forever. Fake or not, I’ll take it.”
my eyes, but deep down, I couldn’t ignore the flutter in my chest at his words. “Well, get too excited. It’s just for show,” I said, trying to sound firm.
“Sure,” Scott said, winking. “Just for show.”
Despite his teasing, I couldn’t help but smile. For the first time in a long time, I felt… happy. When my mother found out about the plan, she wasted no time booking a flight to Sydney.
The moment she arrived, she threw her arms around me, her excitement bubbling over. “Oh, my sweet girl! You’re finally getting married!”
“Mom,” I said, trying to wriggle free from her grip. “It’s not exactly what you think-” “Nonsense!” she interrupted, her eyes shining. “You and Scott were always meant to be. Remember how inseparable you two were when you were kids?”
He left me hanging, so I disappear forever
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“Nonsense!” she interrupted, her eyes shining. “You and Scott were always meant to be Remember how inseparable you two were when you were kids?”
I rolled my eyes, but her words brought a wave of nostalgia crashing over me.
I remembered the summers Scott and I spent together at my grandparents‘ house. He was always full of energy, always finding new ways to make me laugh.
One time, I had fallen off my bike, scraping my knee. Scott had rushed to my side, his face full of concern.
“Don’t cry,” he said, kneeling beside me. “I’ll fix it.”
He ran to grab a bandage and carefully placed it on my knee. “There,” he said proudly. “All better.”
“You’re my hero,” I had said, laughing through my tears.
“And you’re my best friend,” he replied, grinning. “I’ll always take care of you.”
Another time, we had spent an entire afternoon building a treehouse in my grandparents” backyard. It was more of a rickety platform than an actual treehouse, but to us, it was a masterpiece.
“This is our secret spot,” Scott had declared, sitting beside me as we looked out over the yard. “No one else is allowed up here. Just us.”
“Just us,” I had agreed, pinky–promising him.
The memory made me smile, and as I looked at Scott now, sitting beside my mother and joking about wedding plans, I realized how much he had always been there for me.
Back in the present, my mother clapped her hands together, bringing me back to reality. “We should announce the marriage to the world,” she said, her enthusiasm contagious.
“Mom, is that really necessary?” I asked, groaning.
“Absolutely,” she replied firmly. “It’s important to let everyone know how happy you are- and to make sure that certain people get the message.”
I knew she was referring to Oliver, and as much as I hated the idea of making a spectacle, I had to admit she had a point.
“Fine,” I relented. “Let’s do it.”
Later that day, headlines splashed across social media and news outlets: Architect Hannah Leigh Engaged to Childhood Friend Scott Hayes.
Pictures of us together accompanied the articles–some candid shots from our outings in Sydney, others from Scott’s social media. My mother had made sure the announcement was everywhere, and there was no way anyone could miss it.
In a dark, quiet hospital room, Oliver stared at his phone, the glow from the screen casting shadows across his face. He had been lying in bed, wallowing in regret, when one of his friends sent him the article.
“You should see this,” the text read, followed by a link.
Oliver clicked on it, and his heart sank. The headline hit him like a punch to the gut. The
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wed,
In a dark, quiet hospital room, Oliver stared at his phone, the glow from the screen casting shadows across his face. He had been lying in bed, wallowing in regret, when one of his friends sent him the article.
“You should see this,” the text read, followed by a link.
Oliver clicked on it, and his heart sank. The headline hit him like a punch to the gut. The photos of Hannah and Scott, smiling and looking so in love, only twisted the knife deeper. He replayed the memories of his time with Hannah–the laughter, the promises, the dreams
they had shared. It all felt like another lifetime, one he had destroyed with his own. selfishness.
“No,” Oliver muttered, his grip tightening on the phone. “This isn’t happening.”
His chest burned with a mix of anger and despair as he stared at the article. He couldn’t accept it. He wouldn’t.
14:00 Wed, 2 Apr
Chapter 15
