February 14th, Valentine's Day.
The weather is brutally cold, the biting wind chilling to the bone, and the sky is dreary and bleak. Despite the cold, several couples still boldly display their affection in public.
At the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau, a petite figure stands, scanning the area. Dressed in a puffy beige down jacket and black jeans, paired with small boots, her small face is flushed from the cold. She continuously rubs her hands together, yet her inkwell-black eyes are filled with determination.
She has lost track of how many couples have come and gone. Isabella Sheffield bites her lip, pulls out her phone from the cross-body bag, and dials a number. The busy tone on the other end leaves her looking bewildered.
"Well, well, Isabella Sheffield, you actually showed up?" Just as she's about to try calling again, a man and a woman suddenly appear before her.
The man is dressed in a blue v-neck sweater and black casual trousers, covered by a brown coat. His thick eyebrows and big eyes, combined with his handsome features, belong to her ex-boyfriend, Ethan McMillan. There's a flash of glaring pink around his neck—it's a clear sign, even a fool wouldn't miss it.
The woman beside him is wearing a red long dress with black flat shoes. She shares the same brown coat, her makeup is heavy, and her long, curly blonde hair cascades down to her waist. Standing next to Ethan McMillan, she exudes a delicate, damsel-like aura.
"Rachel Stewart? Why are the two of you together?" Although Isabella already knows the answer, she can't help but ask.
"Haha, Isabella, don't tell me you couldn't see this coming. There's only so naive one can be, you know. Ethan and I are getting married today. What a perfect day for it, right?" Rachel Stewart says smugly. "Ethan was just playing with you, and you took it seriously? Did you ever stop and think—what does Ethan see in you? Honestly, Ethan's always liked me. If it weren't for not wanting to hurt you, he would have ended things with you long ago."
"Enough! Stop talking!" Ethan McMillan, looking at Isabella's tear-filled eyes, suddenly doesn't know what to do. She's always been so strong in front of him, never shedding a tear. Seeing her like this now stings his heart.
Isabella knows she shouldn't let Rachel's one-sided words dictate her feelings, but when she recalls everything from the past four years, she can't dismiss them entirely. After all, this isn't the first time she's seen Ethan and Rachel acting intimately.
In school, she laughed off rumors because she trusted Ethan deeply. But now, her trust has its limits. Some things just can't be ignored, no matter how much she wishes otherwise.
She looks at Ethan, forcing herself to calm down, but her voice trembles slightly. "Is what she said true?"
Ethan purses his lips. "Bella, Rachel can't live without me. You, on the other hand, are different. Even without me, you'll do just fine. But Rachel—she can't do it without me."
Isabella is so furious she almost laughs. She had spent four years in a relationship with Ethan, blind to how much of a scumbag he really was.
Taking a deep breath, she says, "Ethan McMillan, remember this: it wasn't you who dumped me. It's me, Isabella Sheffield, who doesn't want you anymore. You're right. I'm not the type of person who can't live without someone. So, both of you—get out of my sight."
Rachel, clearly uninterested in saying more to Isabella, grabs Ethan and heads into the Civil Affairs Bureau lobby.
Watching them leave, Isabella slowly crouches down, burying her head between her knees, unwilling to let anyone see her vulnerable side.
Four years of college, four years of dating Ethan McMillan, and yet, just as they were about to get their marriage certificate, she fell out of love. The most ironic part is that she had always refused to confront the truth.
Valentine's Day, the day she thought would be the most romantic, getting a marriage certificate with the one she loved. But now, the person she loved loved someone else. It wasn't her getting the certificate with him, and looking back, it all felt laughable.
Isabella doesn't know how long she's been crouched there, but her legs are numb, and her ears sting from the cold. When she lifts her head from her knees, a handkerchief is offered to her.