On the Day He Proposed, His First Love Returned to Crash the Wedding

Zachary, it’s time to break up.

He still hadn’t replied, and since the place we lived in was his property, I had packed my bags and was ready to move out. Maybe this was a sign that the farewell should be as peaceful as possible.

I had packed up the gifts he gave me, except for the necklace he gave me on our first anniversary. I would let him dispose of the rest. I had also packed up the things I gave him, and they were now in the trash. There was a large, handmade fabric rabbit on top of the pile, which stood out.

A while ago, handmade gifts were all the rage on campus. I made this big rabbit for Lily, who liked to sleep with stuffed animals. I thought Zachary would appreciate it, but he never seemed to use it.

Now it seems that the craftsmanship of the rabbit was pretty rough. It was probably not as cozy as his high-end toys.

Five years of our relationship could be wrapped up in one afternoon. When I moved in years ago, I only brought two suitcases. Now, as I’m moving out, I still have the same two suitcases.

Just as I was about to leave and drop off the keys, Zachary walked in.

He looked surprisingly calm. When he saw me leaving, there was no hint of surprise. He seemed like he wanted to say something but ended up just picking up the keys and silently walking back into the room.

I hailed a cab and, as I opened the door, I was greeted by a strikingly handsome face, intense yet composed. He was wearing a sleek black shirt with the sleeves casually rolled up, his hands resting easily on the steering wheel. There was something so polished about him that I couldn’t help but wonder if some wealthy young man was just playing at leading a regular life.

I was reminded of that day Zachary and I spent running taxis, meeting all kinds of people, and going on a spontaneous road trip. It had been a day full of fun and connection, a memory that now felt distant.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I forced a bitter smile. Zachary’s affair had blindsided me, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that his new relationship was more complicated than it appeared. But what’s the point of digging deeper? We weren’t married, and an affair only led to one logical conclusion: a breakup.

Just as I was about to get into the cab, my phone rang. “Miss Reed, where are you? I don’t see you.”

The man in the car chuckled, softening his intense demeanor. I apologized, closed the door, and noticed another car behind us with its headlights on.

“Miss, what’s wrong? He’s driving a Maybach, not a taxi!” the taxi driver called out, clearly amused.