♡ Chapter 1.2 ♡

Charlotte had insisted she stay at their house instead of a hotel. "No way am I letting you stay somewhere alone!" she had said.

So here she was, in the guest room she had once spent so many nights in. It still smelled the same—fresh linen and the faint hint of vanilla candles.

She sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her suitcase, her hands trembling slightly.

This was too much.

The warmth, the kindness, the way Charlotte looked at her like nothing had changed.

Jade squeezed her eyes shut, inhaling deeply.

She couldn't ruin this.

She couldn't ruin Charlotte's happiness.

No matter how much it hurt, she had to pretend.

She had to smile.

Even if it killed her.

**

Jade lay on the soft bed in the guestroom, staring at the ceiling. The house was quiet now, except for the distant hum of crickets outside the window. The warmth of Charlotte's family should have made her feel at home, but instead, it left her feeling more like an outsider.

Her phone buzzed beside her, lighting up with Kara's name.

She exhaled deeply before answering.

"Hey, you reached safely?" Kara's voice was laced with concern.

"Yeah," Jade murmured, forcing a small smile even though Kara couldn't see her. "Charlotte picked me up. Her parents were so sweet, like always."

Kara sighed. "Of course they were. I bet they treated you like their own daughter. But… how are you feeling?"

Jade hesitated, her fingers gripping the edge of the blanket. "I'm fine."

Silence.

Then Kara scoffed. "Jade, don't do that fake 'I'm fine' thing. You're talking to me, not Charlotte."

Jade bit her lip, closing her eyes for a moment. "It's harder than I thought." Her voice came out softer this time, almost breaking. "Seeing her… being around them… it brings back too much."

Kara was quiet for a second, then she sighed. "Jade, you don't have to pretend for anyone. You're allowed to feel hurt. You're allowed to be angry."

"But I don't want to ruin her happiness," Jade whispered, her voice almost cracking. "She has everything now—her dream wedding, her perfect fiancé, her perfect life. And I—"

She stopped herself.

"And you?" Kara pressed gently.

Jade let out a breathless laugh. "And I'm the guest at their wedding."

The words stung.

She didn't want to admit it, but being here made her feel small. Like she was the leftover piece of a story that had already moved on without her.

"Jade." Kara's voice softened. "You don't owe anyone your silence. If it hurts, it hurts. Don't force yourself to smile through it."

"Then what do I do?" Jade whispered.

Kara was quiet for a moment before answering. "You survive. One day at a time."

Jade swallowed the lump in her throat. "I wish you were here."

"Me too," Kara said. "But you're strong, Jade. Stronger than you think. And if you ever need to leave, just say the word. I'll book you a flight back."

Jade smiled faintly. "Thanks, Kara."

"Get some sleep, okay?"

Jade nodded, even though she knew sleep wouldn't come easily tonight.

"Goodnight."

She hung up, staring at the ceiling again, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on her chest.

One day at a time.

She just had to survive this.

***

Jade had slowly started adjusting to life at Charlotte's house. It was almost too easy to fall into the familiar rhythm—waking up to the smell of coffee, helping Charlotte's mother set the table, laughing at Mr. Evans' terrible dad jokes.

But even in this warmth, the past never left her.

Every time Charlotte spoke about her fiancé, Damien, Jade felt a cold shiver crawl down her spine.

She had become an expert at hiding her emotions, at nodding and smiling when Charlotte gushed about how "perfect" Damien was. How lucky she was. How much he loved her.

And Jade would smile. Because what else could she do?

She had made a promise to herself the day she left—Charlotte would never know the truth.

She could never know that the man she was marrying had once whispered the same sweet words to Jade, had once looked into her eyes like she was his world. She could never know that he had used Jade—played with her heart, broke her, and then walked away like she was nothing.

Charlotte didn't know. And Jade would keep it that way.