Chapter 2

After hanging up the phone, Emma's tears spilled over again.

She had loved Nathan Tate for a full decade, always seeing him as her future husband. Saying she didn't want to marry him felt like tearing her heart apart.

Her phone buzzed relentlessly with messages from Nathan.

"Emma, when exactly are you coming back?"

"If you've set a date, send me your flight details. I can pick you up."

"It's been three years. I'm really looking forward to seeing you."

She stared at the messages, stunned. Before this, Nathan's replies were always curt, indifferent "okay" or "sure."

She used to comfort herself with excuses about his busy schedule or time differences. Now, it all seemed laughable.

Wiping her tears, she typed a response. "Can we get engaged when I'm back? I don't want to wait anymore."

After the message was sent, Nathan didn't reply for a long time.

She sent another message. "You promised to marry me. Doesn't that count anymore?"

Her eyes stayed glued to the chat, as if scared to miss his response.

She didn't know why she did this. Was it lingering hope? Or a need to crush that hope completely?

After a long wait, Nathan finally replied. "I've always seen you as a sister."

The words alone carried his coldness.

"Those promises were just to keep you calm during your treatment abroad. We're done. Don't contact me again."

Emma held her breath, pressing the power button until her phone shut off. Only then did she gasp for air.

New tears slid down her tear-streaked cheeks.

She leaned over the sink, splashing cold water on her face to calm herself.

After composing herself, she left the restroom and saw Nathan laughing with the other men. "I never reach out to her on my own. If you hadn't dared me to mess with her, I wouldn't have been spooked by her talk of getting engaged!"

Felix laughed so hard he nearly choked on his drink. "A sobbing pig hiding under the covers, her fat trembling. That image is too much. I'm dying!"

Nathan glanced back and noticed Emma standing still. He waved her over.

She lowered her eyes and sat, asking casually, "What's so funny?"

Felix jumped in eagerly. "Just Nathan's got this clingy girl, a very obese one..."

No one noticed Emma's shifting emotions. Nathan cut in. "It's been three years. She could gain hundreds of pounds by now."

Emma couldn't listen anymore. She stood to leave, but Nathan grabbed her wrist. "You haven't given me your contact info yet."

She waved her powered-off phone in front of him. "It's broken. Won't turn on."

Nathan made a call, and within two minutes, someone delivered the latest model phone to her.

Thankfully, she had gotten a new number at the airport the day before. She gave it to him and left without looking back.

Nathan watched her go, a faint sense of familiarity stirring in his chest, but he quickly dismissed it.

Emma returned to her hotel, washed away the day's exhaustion, and sank into a deep sleep.