But dreams had a way of shattering, and mine crumbled under the weight of my own expectations.
Instead of arriving at the restaurant to fulfill his promise, Lewis was elsewhere.
My chest tightened as I stared at a story posted by one of his friends. A photo of him at the airport, welcoming Katrina, his childhood sweetheart who had just returned to New York.
My hands trembled as I gripped my phone, the betrayal stinging sharper than I thought possible.
For a fleeting moment, I wanted to smash every carefully placed decoration on the table, to vent my anger and frustration in a way that mirrored the chaos in my heart.
Before I could act on those impulses, my phone buzzed in my hand. A call. Not from Lewis, but from Tobias, my brother.
“Where are you? My elementary school friend just came back, and she’s throwing a party. Wanna come?” he asked casually.
The question pulled me out of my haze of disappointment, but his words twisted the knife further.
My engagement to Lewis was meant to be private, something we had decided to keep secret until we officially exchanged rings. It was his request.
He said it would be more intimate and more memorable.