Stella stood in the empty house, her hands hovering over the last box of wedding supplies. The once vibrant decorations now lay in piles, ready to be discarded. Each item represented a dream, a future she had envisioned with Ansel. With a heavy heart, she closed the box, sealing away the remnants of her hopes and dreams. This house, which had never truly been hers, was now devoid of any trace of her presence. In the end, only the tickets she had carefully kept as a diary of love remained.
With a moment's hesitation, she threw each one into the fire. The flames danced, consuming the paper, each ticket a symbol of the love she had given over these ten years. As the burning finally ceased, only a pile of ashes and acrid smoke remained. It was just like the love she had given, now reduced to nothingness.
The next morning, the aroma of breakfast woke her up. "Stella, hurry up and get ready. I've already made breakfast," Ansel called out, his voice echoing through the house. "You go ahead and eat. I'll take breakfast to Elara so you don't have to," she replied, her voice flat. "Okay," Ansel paused, his hand holding the thermal container. "Don't feel guilty. Elara doesn't blame you. After breakfast, let's pick out a new engagement ring for the wedding. The custom one had some issues and won't arrive in time for the wedding day."
"Okay," Stella responded, her heart aching at the casual way he discussed their wedding. He enjoyed playing the role, so she would just go along with it. Perhaps sensing her lack of enthusiasm, Ansel hesitantly brought out the first aid kit and applied medication to her knee. "Stella, we've been in love for years. Everything I've done is for your good. I don't want us to have a wedding where you have no family present."
"You mentioned not finding a maid of honor? I've taken the liberty of asking Elara to be your maid of honor," he continued. "Okay," Stella replied, her voice devoid of emotion. Ansel spoke cautiously, but when he saw her quick agreement, disbelief filled his eyes. He then took her hand and pressed a warm, lingering kiss on it.
After delivering breakfast to Elara, he didn't come back. As Stella scrubbed her palms with fervor, his call came in. "Stella, finish eating and come down to the garage. I'll be waiting in the car." When she reached the garage, she instinctively opened the front passenger door, only to find Elara already sitting there. Without a word, she took a seat in the back.
Ansel glanced at her a few times and seemed quite pleased with her understanding. "Stella, Elara designs jewelry. With her here, she'll definitely help you pick out a ring you'll love." She nodded and closed her eyes, pretending to rest. When she unconsciously opened her eyes, she saw Ansel gently pinching Elara's cheek. In the rearview mirror, their eyes met, and he quickly started to explain. "Elara had something on her face, so I was just helping her wipe it off."
Stella closed her eyes again and kept them shut until they arrived. As the three of them entered the jewelry store, the sales associate greeted Elara, who was standing close to Ansel, with great enthusiasm. "What can I help you with today, sir? Are you looking for something special for your loved one?" Elara and Ansel both blushed. Ansel swiftly pulled Stella closer. "Why are you standing so far away? Come over and pick out a ring!"
The sales associate blushed deeply and quickly brought out the rings for her to choose from. But Elara took the lead, inspecting each one with a critical eye. "This one's not big enough." "This one's color isn't right." ... None of the other rings measured up when compared to the one Elara was holding. The sales associate glanced at Stella, visibly uncertain of how to proceed.
Elara, however, acted as if she hadn't noticed and ultimately chose a rather plain ring. "Stella, let's settle for this one for now. It'll work for the wedding. I'll design a better one for you later," she said. The sales associate, clearly uncomfortable, awkwardly praised Elara for her "exceptional" taste. Elara, with a hint of pride, thrust her hand in front of Stella. "It has to be beautiful. It's custom-designed by my fiancé."
Ansel stood quietly beside her, watching her flaunt the ring without stopping her or showing any sign of discomfort. His smile, however, seemed to bloom with the spring breeze. "Then we'll go with the one Elara picked!" Skipping even the try-on process, Ansel paid for the ring immediately. He took out the ring and, with a blank expression, slid it onto Stella's finger.
There was no kneeling, no roses, no proposal. This time, the ring was small, barely fitting. Stella knew, without a doubt, that Elara had done this on purpose. As a jewelry designer, Elara could accurately gauge the ring size at a glance. Such a significant mistake was impossible. She didn't bother pointing it out and simply removed the ring.
The sales associate kindly suggested that she choose a different style, but she declined. "Let's just buy this one and get it over with. No need to make it more complicated." Ansel, hearing this, was clearly displeased with her tone. "If you're not happy with it, we don't have to buy it. Elara can help you get a custom one later," he offered.
Stella shook her head and refused. "No, this one is fine." Elara, however, looked deeply remorseful, her eyes brimming with tears once again. "Stella, I'm going straight to the studio to work on the design. I'll make sure you have a perfect wedding!" With that, she quickly left. No matter how much Ansel shouted after her, she didn't stop.
"Stella, what's the matter with you? It's just a ring—why are you making such a fuss?" Stella was taken aback. "What am I making a fuss about?" He pressed his lips tightly together and pulled her out of the store. "I have work to attend to. We can take the wedding photos later. Or, you could take your solo photos first, and I'll have the designers Photoshop my suit onto them for the wedding."
"Okay," Stella replied, her voice devoid of emotion. Ansel's explanations got caught in his throat. He looked at her for a long moment before gently embracing her. "Stella, once I'm done with work, I'll take you on a honeymoon trip, and we can do a travel-themed bridal photoshoot."
To Stella, his dismissive promise of a honeymoon felt like an insult. He had no time to visit her in Lunaria, but he had plenty of time to accompany Elara to Glaciara to see the penguins and to North Tundra to watch the northern lights. Seeing his location and profile picture hurrying towards Elara's studio, Stella went back into the store and returned the ring to the sales associate.
As she expected, Ansel didn't come home for two days. He was accompanying Elara to the seaside for their wedding photos. And indeed, he had someone Photoshop their faces onto their wedding pictures. Determined to avoid the wedding, he'll probably only come back for her parents' anniversaries.
Stella went to the cemetery with two bouquets to visit them. She also added the caretaker on TalkaTo to manage things in the future. "I'll cover the management fees for my parents from now on. Just refuse any payments from Mr. Stormvale." The caretaker was taken aback after checking the system. "Miss, the management fees for your parents' graves have been overdue for six months. We've tried contacting the family, but the phone has been unreachable."
Realizing that she had changed her number after going abroad, Stella couldn't help but feel frustrated with herself. Ansel no longer cares about her; how could he remember her deceased parents? She paid the outstanding fees and also prepaid for ten years, then left feeling dejected. But just as she was walking out of the cemetery, she heard a voice she'd never forget in this lifetime.
"Ansel, it's impressive that you remember today is Elara's real dad's memorial day! If the old man knew you came to keep him company for a drink, he'd probably be floating up from the grave." Stella turned around stiffly and saw Ansel, flanked by Elara and her mother, climbing the steps. "Auntie, this is what I should be doing." "Don't be silly, call me 'Mom' in a few days!" Ansel chuckled heartily and, without hesitation, called her "Mom."
With tears in her eyes, Stella quietly went to meet her friends. She got straight to the point and told them that the wedding was canceled. They exchanged glances and then cautiously asked her, "Stella, you already know?" She was puzzled why they also knew. In a fit of indignation, they pulled out photos of Ansel and Elara together at the hospital for their pre-marital checkup.