1 I’ve always faced things head-on. When I found my firefighter fiancé’s phone buzzing with flirty texts from a stranger, I didn’t hesitate—I confronted Cole. After a heavy silence, he confessed: “I rescued her during a call. She’s depressed. I was tempted, but…” His eyes pleaded. “Jasmine, we’ve been together since high school. I’ll keep my distance.” Heartbroken but trusting, I forgave him. The wedding went ahead. Then, as we exchanged rings, his teammate burst in: “Captain! Raven’s on a rooftop—she’s going to jump!” The ring slipped from my fingers, clattering to the floor. Cole bolted like lightning, never looking back. I screamed after him, voice breaking: “If you leave, we’re done!” He broke his promise after all. … The wedding hall dissolved into chaos. The whispers of the guests were like a thousand tiny needles piercing my eardrums. Our parents rushed to my side, their faces etched with confusion. Cole’s teammate, Sam, stood awkwardly to the side, his face beet red. “Jasmine… Raven… she has depression. The last time she tried to jump, the Captain saved her. She… she really relies on him. He’s the only one who can talk her down… It’s a matter of life and death. The Captain had no choice. Please, don’t blame him…” Sam had been on Cole’s team for three years. He’d always been respectful, calling me “Jasmine” with a warm, easy smile. Now, he couldn’t even meet my eyes. I had no idea how many secrets he’d helped Cole keep from me, or what his connection was to this girl, Raven. A dull, crushing ache spread through my chest. The betrayal was real, a physical weight. My parents held my hands, their voices frantic. “What on earth is going on? Isn’t he on leave for the wedding? Who could possibly need him to save them right now?” Cole’s parents, mortified, were already on the phone, trying to reach him. His mother kept muttering, “Don’t you worry, Jasmine, I’ll get that boy back here right now. If he doesn’t come back, I’ll break his legs!” The diamond ring lay on the red carpet, kicked aside by the shuffling feet, a perfect metaphor for my shattered heart. I stood frozen, the train of my wedding dress pooling around me like a storm-beaten cloud. The wedding I had dreamed of a million times had turned into this humiliating nightmare. The groom had abandoned his bride at the altar, for another woman. Five hours. One hundred and eight missed calls. Cole didn’t answer a single one. I watched my phone screen light up and dim, over and over, until it finally went black. Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows of the chapel, casting mottled patterns of light on the floor, on my bare ring finger. The light felt ice-cold. The guests gradually dispersed, leaving behind a mess of confetti and half-eaten food. Suddenly, the world started to spin. The last thing I heard before I blacked out was my mother’s panicked scream. When I opened my eyes again, the sterile scent of antiseptic filled my nostrils. A nurse was changing my IV drip. Seeing me awake, she spoke softly. “You’re caring for two now. You can’t afford to get so worked up. You need to take care of yourself.” I stared at the ceiling, silent tears tracing paths into my hair. From the moment I’d accepted a love letter from Cole on the high school track field at seventeen, to the time he’d taken a twenty-hour train ride just to surprise me during our long-distance college relationship, to the day he became a firefighter, his eyes red-rimmed as he swore, “From now on, I’ll protect the people, but I’ll always protect you.” Seven years. The memories flashed through my mind like a sped-up movie. I looked at the poorly concealed excitement on our parents’ faces and managed a bitter smile. A fresh wave of tears welled in my eyes. How was I supposed to tell them that this seven-year marathon of love had finally reached its end? 2 At seven in the evening, after disappearing for a full six hours, Cole finally showed up. He looked pale, and his eyes were full of guilt. “Jasmine, I’m so sorry,” he said, his voice hoarse. “Raven… I couldn’t just let her die. Saving people is my duty.” I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth. “There are other firefighters. Did they really need you, specifically?” My voice was sharper than I intended. “She chose today, of all days, to jump. And she wouldn’t come down until you got there. What do you think her intentions are, Cole? I’m not an idiot.” He was silent for a long time, then took my cold hand in his. His voice was raw. “Jasmine, in seven years, I’ve never asked you for anything. Just this once, I’m begging you. Please, don’t make a big deal out of this. Don’t cause any trouble for Raven, okay? I’m afraid with her condition… she couldn’t handle the blowback.” I stared at the desperate plea in his eyes, and my heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vise, the pain taking my breath away. He shouldn’t be begging me for favors. He should be apologizing. A person’s first reaction is always the most honest. He hadn’t thought about how humiliated I was, left alone at our wedding. He wasn’t worried about why I’d ended up in the hospital. His first words, his first thoughts, were all about Raven. Tears fell like broken pearls, splashing onto the white sheets and spreading into dark, wet stains. It took all my strength to force a single word from my throat. “Fine.” He visibly relaxed. “Raven is very unstable, knowing that I was getting married. Let’s postpone the wedding for now.” His voice was careful, testing the waters. “I’ll stay with her while she gets treatment. Once she’s a bit more stable… maybe three months. Just three months, and then we’ll have our wedding. Okay?” I had waited seven years. Another three months shouldn’t have mattered. But looking at the concern for another woman shining in his eyes, I suddenly felt that I couldn’t wait even three more months. The tiny life inside me seemed to sense my turmoil and gave a soft flutter. I placed a hand on my abdomen, where a six-week-old secret was hidden. It was ours, his and mine, but it felt like it had nothing to do with him anymore. Slowly, I pulled my hand back. My voice was as still and dead as a stagnant pond. “Cole.” “I don’t have the best memory, but I remember when I was seventeen, and you handed me that love letter on the track field, so nervous you were walking with your arm and leg on the same side moving together.” “I remember the first time you held my hand, your palm was sweating so much, and you didn’t let go for three whole blocks.” “I remember on our college graduation day, you held me and said you’d take care of me for the rest of my life, that you’d make me the happiest bride in the world.” “All these years, you remembered that I hate cilantro, that I need ginger tea during my period, you remembered all my little quirks… I always thought you cherished me, that I was the most important person in your world.” I looked up at him, and the tears finally broke free. “But today, I can’t feel your love for me anymore.” Seven years of memories swirled in my mind. Cole’s eyes reddened too. A single tear escaped and traced a path down his cheek. “But Jasmine… Raven needs me right now.” She needs me. Those three words shattered the last of my illusions. I looked at him and suddenly, I laughed, a broken, tear-filled sound. “Then go to her.” He stared, clearly not expecting me to say that. But in the end, he didn’t argue. He turned and walked out of the hospital room. 3 The next day, as I was packing my things to leave the hospital, I ran into Cole in the hallway. He didn’t even see me. All his attention was focused on the girl beside him. She was wearing a hospital gown, her face pale, and he was half-supporting, half-carrying her, like a frightened fawn. So this was the woman who had made him abandon me at our wedding. My stare must have been too intense, because Raven saw me first. She instinctively shrank behind Cole, her fingers clutching the hem of his shirt. Only then did Cole turn to look at me. His brow furrowed instantly, his tone laced with impatience. “Jasmine, Raven is not stable. Whatever you have to say, we can talk about it at home. Don’t make a scene at the hospital. You’ll scare her.” Raven peeked out from behind him, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. “Jasmine… there’s really nothing between me and Cole… please, don’t misunderstand.” I clutched the ultrasound report in my hand, my knuckles turning white. But I managed a faint smile. “You’re overthinking it. I’m just here to check out.” With that, I turned and walked toward the billing office, ignoring them. Cole’s expression was strange for a moment, as if he hadn’t expected me to be so calm. An odd, empty feeling stirred in his chest. He reached out to grab my arm. As I instinctively turned, my eyes fell on a faint smudge on the lapel of my favorite trench coat, which I was wearing. His eyes followed mine. He saw me take off the coat. He started to take off his own jacket, intending to drape it over my shoulders, but I stepped away. He froze, then followed me, reaching for the coat in my hands. “Give it to me. I know how much you love this coat. I’ll have it cleaned for you.” I shook my head and tossed the coat directly into a nearby trash can. My voice was flat. “Just throw it away. I don’t like things that are stained. You know me, I’m a bit of a perfectionist.” Seeing my cold expression, the smile on Cole’s face froze. He knew I wasn’t just talking about the coat. I was talking about our relationship. By the time he opened his mouth to say something else, I had already paid my bill and was gone. Not long after I left the hospital, my phone vibrated. It was a text from Cole. [Don’t be mad at me. I bought you that napoleon from the bakery you like. It’s on its way.] When the delivery arrived, I stared at the familiar pink box and laughed. Whenever he’d made me angry in the past, he’d always bought me this pastry to appease me. I mechanically took a bite. It used to taste so sweet. Now, it was just bitter and hard to swallow. That night, Cole didn’t come home. Untangling myself from a seven-year relationship was more painful than I had imagined. I lay awake until dawn, then finally gave up and started packing. The matching couple’s hoodies in the closet, the framed photos on the bookshelf, the sticky notes on the fridge… every object was a thorn of memory. I remembered the year we graduated. Cole had just become a firefighter and was constantly busy. But he would use his days off to come see me, his eyes shining like stars. “Jasmine, as soon as I save up enough for a down payment, I’m going to marry you.” Three years later, he stood before me with the deed to a house and a diamond ring, his voice trembling. “I did it. I’m giving you a home. I kept my promise.” The sun was so bright that day. I hugged him and cried for a long time, feeling like the happiest person in the world. We painted the walls together, assembled furniture, and filled the balcony with sunflowers, my favorite. He said he wanted sunlight to always fill our home. But now, this home had no place for me. As I closed the last storage box, the sky outside was beginning to lighten. When I called for a moving truck, both sets of our parents arrived. I hadn't told them the details about Cole, so they were still confused as to why a couple who was about to get married just two days ago was suddenly separating. My parents sighed but didn’t press. They just said, “Come home whenever you want.” But Cole’s mother grabbed my hand and wouldn’t let go. “Jasmine, please, just give Cole one more chance. What happened at the wedding… he was just confused for a moment…” I didn’t say anything. I just motioned for the movers to continue. Just as his mother was about to wear out her welcome, the door opened. Cole was back. And he had brought Raven with him. She was wearing Cole’s jacket, clinging to his arm like a newly adopted kitten. The room fell deathly silent. Every gaze was fixed on them. Cole’s mother’s voice trembled. “Cole… did you… did you do something to betray Jasmine?” His father was shaking with rage. “Who is this woman?!” Cole didn’t answer. He just scanned the empty living room, his eyes finally landing on me. “You’re moving out?” “Yes,” I answered calmly. “Back to my parents’ house.” He seemed to relax a little. “Okay. I’ll come get you before the next wedding.” He said it so casually, then stepped aside, pulling Raven in front of him. “This is Raven. She’s a patient I rescued who suffers from depression. The department has asked me to look after her for a while to help stabilize her condition.” His straightforward explanation made our earlier suspicions seem petty and small-minded. Raven offered a sweet smile and reached for his mother’s arm. “It’s so nice to meet you. Cole takes such good care of me. He even brought me home for dinner today. Since everyone’s here, why don’t I cook? You can all taste my cooking.” Cole’s mother looked at me, her expression pained. “Jasmine, maybe… maybe we should all sit down and talk this out?” I was about to refuse when Raven cut in, her eyes glinting with a provocative light. “Yes, Jasmine, you should stay too. The more the merrier, right?” Smack. The sharp sound of a slap echoed through the room. My eyes flew open in shock. My mother had just slapped Raven across the face. “Mom!” My mother’s eyes were red, her voice trembling. “I gave birth to you. You think I don’t know you? You were with him from seventeen to twenty-four. Seven years! You quit your job at the design firm to be a housewife for him, learned to cook his favorite sweet and sour fish, you even knew exactly where he kept his socks… If your heart wasn’t completely broken, would you leave?” Her voice rose, filled with a mother’s righteous anger. “I don’t care if you marry a rich man or a poor man, but today, he brings this tramp to our home to humiliate you, and I will not stand for it! If you won’t fight back, I will!” Her words hit me like a thunderclap, and my eyes burned. Raven clutched her cheek, tears welling in her eyes, but she didn’t dare cry out. Cole immediately shielded her, his face dark and menacing. “Jasmine! You’re a grown woman! Are you still running to your parents to complain—” I didn’t let him finish. I surged forward and slapped him across the face. “Cole, you’re the one who deserves to be hit!” I then snatched a piece of paper from the coffee table drawer and threw it at him. It was the ultrasound report. “You know what my biggest regret is?” Cole picked up the paper. When he saw what was written on it, his pupils contracted. “Jasmine… you’re pregnant?” I watched the wild joy ignite in his eyes. I watched him lunge towards me, shouting, “I’m going to be a father!” and I was struck by the bitter irony of it all. He had forgotten about Raven standing right there. He had forgotten his desertion at our wedding. He had forgotten his coldness over the past few days. It was as if a baby could erase everything. But those moments of abandonment, those sleepless nights, that shattered trust… how could they just be forgotten? I shoved him away, my eyes blazing. “Don’t celebrate too soon!” My voice was a raw shout. “This baby… yesterday, when you came to the hospital begging me to help you protect Raven, I scheduled the abortion.”
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