After My Boyfriend Neglected Me, I Accepted the Arranged Marriage Planned for Me

I decided to spend my last three days saying a proper goodbye. I wasn’t going to let this end without some form of closure.

Kael didn’t come home that night. When he finally returned the next afternoon, he seemed surprised to find me there.

“Skylar, why didn’t you go to work today?” he asked.

I kept the truth to myself. I didn’t want him to know I had already resigned. I didn’t want him to know anything about what I had decided.

“I wasn’t feeling well today, so I took the day off,” I replied

Kael merely nodded, muttering a distracted “oh” before he turned and walked straight into the bedroom, presumably to pack things for Kaia.

I knew he hadn’t heard me. He didn’t care. He never did.

Ever since Kaia moved in, I had gotten used to being the invisible one, the one who didn’t matter. I felt like an unwelcome guest in my own life, while Kaia was the one who truly belonged.

Five minutes later, Kael emerged, a bag in hand, placing it on the counter by the door. He hesitated as though a thought had just struck him and then came over to me, pulling me into an unexpected hug.

“I’m sorry, Skylar. I’ve been so caught up with taking care of Kaia these past few days. She can’t be left alone, and I’ve neglected you.”

“I promise, once things settle down, I’ll make it up to you. You’ve always wanted to hike Sierra Mountain, right? How about we do that in a few days?”

I remained silent, my heart a heavy weight in my chest. I didn’t have the strength to tell him the truth, that there was no future for us, not anymore.

But Kael, oblivious, smiled to himself and pulled a small, delicate gift box from his pocket.

“Skylar, I bought this for you a while ago but kept forgetting to give it to you,” he said, his smile soft as he opened the box, revealing a small ring.

I didn’t move to take it.

Just days ago, Kaia proudly showed me the very same ring, her fingers glinting as she told me it was the one Kael had given her six years ago when he promised to marry her.

I didn’t know how the ring had made its way back into his hands, but by now, it didn’t matter.

“Keep it for Miss Jennings,” I said coldly, gathering my things. I grabbed a box of random junk and held my bag firmly, my heart already halfway out the door.

Kael froze, his expression turning to one of confusion. A flicker of panic crossed his face.

“Skylar… where are you going?”

“Just out for a walk,” I said.

He followed me a few steps, hesitation in his stride as if he wanted to say something.

“Skylar, did you… see that post on my Instagram?”

I paused.

I knew what he was referring to.

It was the post from last night, the one I had tried to ignore.

For six years, he had refused to make our relationship public, always keeping us hidden, tucked away from the world. But then came the post, his first public declaration of Kaia.

A photo of them holding hands by her hospital bed. The soft glow of her peaceful, sleeping face illuminated the moment.

The caption read, [With you by my side, it feels like I have the whole world.]

The comments flooded in quickly.

[Is this your girlfriend?]

[Wow, Kael, you’ve been hiding her well! Together so long, and only now making it public? Wedding bells soon?]

But it was the comment that stood out the most:

[You don’t understand. This is his first love, his goddess!]

At first, I didn’t feel much, almost numb to it all. I even gave it a like.

But before long, that post disappeared. Deleted, likely because Kael forgot to set it to “Only Me” visibility.

I had never been the type to snoop through his phone, but a few days ago, curiosity got the better of me. When his phone lit up, I couldn’t resist a quick glance.

I opened Instagram and scrolled, and each post was marked “Only Me.”

Every single one was about Kaia. Memories of them, even from six years ago, still held a sacred place in his heart.

And in that moment, I knew. I had lost.

A smile tugged at my lips, a bittersweet expression of resignation.