Today, I Return You to Your First Love

"What surprise?" Julian asked. Genuine anticipation shone in his eyes as he looked at me.

I hadn't seen that look in a long time.

Back when we first started dating, I made him a birthday cake. The frosting was uneven and crooked, but he held it in his hands and stared at it for ages.

"I love anything that's from you, Olivia," he said.

Back then, I mattered to him.

I hadn't been wrong about him. He just wasn't that man anymore.

I was about to reply to him when Madison leaned in. "What surprise? Did you get Julian a gift too?"

I didn't respond.

The nurse came over to remove my IV. As the needle slid free, a bead of blood welled up on the back of my hand.

Julian glanced down at it. For a moment, he looked concerned.

"The ceremony's in a few hours. Get some rest. I'll see you there."

I pressed the cotton ball against my hand and looked up at him.

"Julian, what if I told you I don't want this wedding anymore? What if I wanted to leave today instead?" I began. "Would you come with me?"

The room went silent.

Even the photographer stopped moving.

Julian's expression darkened. "This isn't the time for jokes."

Tears immediately flooded Madison's eyes. "Is this because of me? If I'm in the way, I can go back to Vandalia…"

She swayed before finishing her sentence.

Julian caught her without hesitation. "Maddie!"

He steadied her, then turned to me. "You know Maddie's not well. She's been pushing herself for this wedding. Stop overthinking. I told you—"

"Julian," I cut in. "You don't have to explain. You've known her your whole life. It's a given that you're going to take care of her."

The cotton in my hand had already gone red at the edges.

I smiled. "I'm not jealous anymore. I get it."

Julian's shoulders eased slightly. "That's good. I'm taking Maddie back to rest. I'll come for you when the car arrives."

With that, he helped her out of the room. The door closed behind them.

I stared at the bead of blood on my hand.

That was his last chance, but he still chose Madison.

The room was quiet except for Yvette and me.

Her eyes were red with anger. "Are you still going to the wedding?"

I pulled the tape off my hand.

Blood rose again.

I held down the wound.

"No. Take me home."

…

Half an hour later, I was back at the house we were supposed to share. The moment I stepped inside, I was hit by the smell of bluebells. It was suffocating.

The living room was still decorated with wedding favors and bouquets that the planning company had delivered yesterday. Champagne-gold ribbons hung from the staircase railing.

Everything was arranged exactly the way Madison liked it.

I dragged my suitcase upstairs.

The master bedroom door was slightly ajar. Julian and Madison weren't there.

I had no idea where "going back to rest" actually meant.

The shawl Madison had taken off last night was on the bed. Her lipstick and earrings were still on the vanity.

My marital home felt like a hotel that she had been living in for a while.

I stopped looking and opened the drawer. Inside it was the wedding ring Julian had given me. The band was thin.

"Wedding rings are just symbolic. We don't have to make it too flashy," he said.

Yet the ruby necklace on Madison's neck could easily buy dozens of rings like this.

I took out the ring and placed it together with the complementary diamond necklace. Then, I set the villa keys, access card, and wedding schedule on the coffee table one by one.

Finally, I picked up the invitation.

I grabbed a black pen and wrote in the blank space, "Wishing you a happy marriage."

Once I was done, I capped the pen. It made a light sound, like something locking shut.

My phone buzzed.

It was a message from Julian. "The bridal car is here. Where are you?"

Another one came right after.

"Stop messing around. Everyone's waiting."

I read them but didn't reply.

Yvette helped me roll my suitcase to the door. "Your documents, passport, and ticket are ready. Everything's ready at Luten, too."

I nodded.

Before leaving, I took in the house.

The crystal chandelier was on, the fragrance diffuser was still burning, and the wedding decorations were still up.

None of it had ever truly belonged to me.

I closed the door.

Yvette took my hand. "Let's go. Don't look back."

…

Security and boarding went smoothly at the airport. I turned my phone off to leave the past behind.

The next second, however, the cabin announcement came over the speakers.

"Attention, passengers. Due to an urgent search request from the Foster family, all outbound flights today have been fully restricted.

"May we know if Ms. Sinclair is on this flight?"