The Way Home

A wedding?

I did not expect them to truly hold an actual wedding. The package regarding giving Jack his wedding experience included this, too?

I followed the address on the invitation and drove there.

When my car passed the rundown neighborhood where we used to rent an apartment, I hit the brakes without thinking.

For a moment, I could almost see Ruby as she had been when she first started the company. She was crouching on that tiny balcony and smiling up at the stars, saying, "Silas, look. When we finally make it, can we have our wedding on a river cruise on Whitesand River? We'll cover the deck with tens of thousands of roses. All the guests will be dressed up in formal wear, and we'll hire an orchestra so we can dance under the stars."

Her eyes were glittering back then. She had wanted to change the world, and she loved me, too.

I had walked over and wrapped my arms around her from behind. "Sure! We can also open-source the company's core code, so even more people can benefit from it."

She had laughed so hard she could barely stand, saying I had turned romance into a tech conference.

And now, in the grand ballroom of the most expensive hotel right next to Whitesand River and beneath a massive crystal chandelier, stood the tackiest wedding I had ever seen. The giant screen kept looping photos of her and Jack together in different places around the world.

"Silas... Why are you here as well?" A former colleague walked over, his eyes bright with gossip and anticipation.

I pulled out an envelope from my pocket. Inside was sixty-six dollars in cash.

Just as I finished signing my name at the front table, I heard Ruby's voice behind me.

I turned around.

Ruby was wearing perfect bridal makeup and a custom mermaid gown. The moment she saw me, there was surprise on her face.

Jack stood beside her in a sharp suit, looking smug.

Ignoring the ache in my chest, I smiled. "How could I miss your wedding? I wish you a long and happy marriage and a child soon."

Jack spoke first, his expression full of smugness. "Silas, that's very thoughtful of you. We appreciate it. I just wonder when we'll get the chance to return the favor. Oh, right, I almost forgot. Silas is still single. But that's alright. When the time comes, I'll have my wife help find someone suitable for you. With your qualifications, finding a decent woman shouldn't be that hard at all!"

As he spoke, he slipped an arm around Ruby's waist.

However, Ruby immediately pushed him away and dragged me to the side as she lowered her voice. "Silas, today is my wedding day with Jack. I'm warning you right now not to cause any trouble."

I shook off her hand and pulled out the share transfer agreement. "Actually, I didn't just come to give you the sixty-six-dollar wedding gift. I'm also here to finish the final handover. Sign here."

She looked at the document but did not take it.

"If you're not signing, that's also fine." I set the papers on the champagne tower beside us and moved to leave.

"Silas..." Ruby called after me, suddenly sounding anxious, but her voice was drowned out almost immediately by the cheers around her.

-

I got a call from my father when I was in the VIP lounge at the airport, "Come home, Silas. Horizon Capital happens to need a partner in tech. Everything you've studied and learned will be useful here."

I gave a quiet hum of agreement into the phone.

As the plane climbed into the night sky, I gave the glittering city outside the window one last look.

Seven years… To think I had really ended everything…

I flew back to Norcrown City overnight. The moment I got off the plane, I received a text from Ruby: [Silas, where are you? Why is the house completely empty?]

For the first time, all I could feel was calmness as I looked at that message.

With one tap, I blocked her number for good.