The café erupted into applause once again, snapping her out of her daze. She watched in horror as David sealed the moment with a kiss. Her world shattered, her heart twisting with betrayal and confusion.
With a surge of adrenaline, Hailey's legs finally moved, carrying her across the café toward David as if in a daze. Her friends tried to call her back, their voices barely reaching her through the haze. Every step brought her closer to the impossible, the betrayal that left a raw ache in her chest.
When she reached him, the applause was beginning to fade, and David was standing again, holding the woman's hand with a look Hailey had once thought was reserved for her.
"David?" Her voice wavered, barely audible, unable to hide the hurt.
She couldn't believe this was happening—here, in the café where they'd spent countless mornings together, where he'd once told her he couldn't wait to build a future with her.
David's expression changed as he saw her. He stiffened, pulling his hand from the other woman's and glancing away. "Hailey…" he muttered, looking anything but surprised.
"David," she whispered, her voice finally breaking. "What are you doing? What is this?"
He sighed, glancing around, clearly uncomfortable with the growing audience. "Can we not do this here?" he asked, his voice low.
"Then where, David?" She forced herself to stay steady, her eyes pleading with him to explain, to say anything that would make this make sense. "You're… you're proposing to someone else?"
David shifted uncomfortably, his eyes dropping to the floor. "Hailey, I… I didn't want you to find out like this. I was going to tell you."
"Tell me what?" Her voice broke, every word pulling her deeper into the heartbreak that was rapidly consuming her. "That you've been planning a life with someone else? That the man I thought I was going to marry was already in love with another woman?"
He sighed, his face hardening as he finally met her gaze. "Hailey, listen. This has been over between us for a while now. I didn't know how to tell you, but… you were so focused on the wedding, on creating this perfect life, that I felt like I couldn't get through to you. The spark, it's gone. I'm sorry, but we're done. We were done a long time ago."
Each word was a knife to her heart, the betrayal cutting deeper than she'd thought possible. She felt her world collapsing, the life she'd so carefully planned slipping away before her eyes. She took a shaky breath, her hands trembling.
" You need to move on." He added, as if to mock her.
"Move on?" Her voice cracked, her heart splintering with every word. "David, our wedding is in two weeks. We've planned everything—we've sent out the invitations, booked the honeymoon. We were going to start our life together. And now, this?"
David shook his head, his expression unreadable. "The spark's been gone for a long time, Hailey. I kept trying to tell you, but you just wouldn't listen. You were so focused on the perfect wedding, the perfect life… it felt like you were forcing it."
Her eyes filled with tears. "Forcing it?" she repeated, almost in disbelief. "David, you never said a word. You let me believe we were on the same page, that we were both excited for this future we were building together. If you felt this way, why didn't you just tell me?"
"Because you wouldn't let it go!" he shot back, exasperation seeping into his tone. "It's like you were so caught up in the fantasy of us that you didn't see the reality. I'm sorry, Hailey."
The words struck her like ice water, seeping into the cracks of her broken heart and freezing her in place. She felt the weight of every unspoken promise, every shared moment, unraveling as she looked at the stranger standing before her.
David's gaze softened slightly, but there was no apology in his eyes. "Look, Hailey… it's best if you let this go. You'll find someone else. Someone who actually fits the life you want."
With that, he turned, taking the other woman's hand again and leaving Hailey standing there, feeling smaller and more shattered than she'd ever thought possible.
----
Hailey didn't remember how she got out of the café. One moment, she was standing there, her heart splintering as David walked away with another woman. The next, she found herself on the street, the biting winter air hit her cheeks, but she barely noticed, too numb to feel anything beyond the ache in her chest.
The world spun around her, colors blurring as she stumbled forward, trying to piece together the fragments of what had just happened.
It had felt so real—her life with David, their future together, their wedding in just two weeks. She'd imagined the flowers, the vows, the laughter of their friends and family. She could practically see it in her mind: him waiting for her at the end of the aisle, his face soft with love.
But now, every beautiful image turned to ash.
The city lights twinkled in the distance, holiday decorations adorning every shop window. Christmas had always been her favorite season, a time of warmth, of family, of promises for the year to come. Now, all she felt was the sharp edge of betrayal cutting through her, making it hard to breathe.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket, jolting her from her thoughts. She pulled it out, staring at the notification. A reminder: Final gown fitting tomorrow at 10:00 AM. She laughed bitterly, the sound hollow and strange, as she let the phone slip back into her coat.
The tears came then, hot and unchecked, blurring her vision until she had to lean against a lamppost to steady herself. She had no idea how long she stood there, in the middle of the city she had thought she knew, surrounded by strangers who looked on with concern before moving past. Her future had felt so solid, so planned. And now? She didn't even know who she was anymore.
"Hailey!" Emma's voice called out, and within moments, her friends were by her side. They had witness the entire heartbreaking scene and had rushed out, concern etched across their faces.
"Are you okay?" Sarah's voice was gentle, but her eyes held a fierce anger. "I can't believe he did that."
Hailey shook her head, still struggling to breathe. "He… he said it was over a long time ago. That I was forcing everything," she whispered, her words heavy with disbelief. "But our wedding… it's supposed to be in two weeks."
Emma wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. "He's a coward, Hailey. You deserve so much better than this."
"I thought… I thought we had a future together," Hailey murmured, staring down at the icy sidewalk, as if hoping it might somehow absorb her pain.
The reality of the betrayal weighed on her, more painful than anything she had ever imagined. And as much as she loved this city, every corner held memories with David that now felt tainted. She couldn't stay here, surrounded by the ghost of what was supposed to be.
"What are you going to do now?" Sarah's words cut through her thought. "Are you going to get back at him?"
"I need to leave," she said suddenly, looking up at her friends.
"Just like that?" Emma snapped, "Without any revenge?"
"No, Emma. I can't be here anymore, not right now. I will only be hurting myself."
Emma and Sarah exchanged a worried glance. "Where will you go then?" Emma asked softly.
"Anywhere but here. Probably, Seoul," Hailey replied, surprising even herself with the certainty in her voice. "I think I need a fresh start… somewhere far away. Somewhere I can heal."
Her friends nodded, understanding the pain she was trying to escape. "We'll help however we can," Sarah said, squeezing her hand. "If you need anything, just call."