Three days later, Mia came over.
“The wedding’s officially off,” she said. “No license. Nothing.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“So… they’re not married?”
“Nope. And they’re blaming each other.”
I smiled faintly.
“Sounds about right.”
Later, Mia told me something else.
“The night you found out… Ryan came to the restaurant. He said he felt trapped. Said he ruined everything for someone he doesn’t even love.”
I blinked.
“He said that?”
“Word for word.”
That weekend, I went back to the beach where Ryan once proposed.
Barefoot in the sand. Wind in my hair.
No tears.
No pain.
Just… me.
Alive. Standing.
Free.
My phone buzzed.
A message from Chloe:
“I know you’re happy now.”
I read it.
Then deleted it.
No reply.
Some people never change.
Some never even try.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, I whispered to myself:
“I didn’t lose them… I let them go.”
And for the first time—
That felt like the truth.
