Seven Years Gone

After seven years together, I called off my wedding to my fiancé, Jordan, two days before we were supposed to get married. The wedding planner looked at me in shock. “The wedding is less than 24 hours away. Aren’t you going to wait for the groom to come back before making the decision?” I simply smiled and glanced at the venue I had spent three months setting up, my voice indifferent. “Nah. He doesn’t have time for this. He’s busy getting married to his ex in Slandsdeca.” Chapter 1 In our seven years of dating, Jordan Harding forbade me from accessing his computer. For once during his business trip, he forgot to switch it off. While tidying up his study, I caught a glimpse of the lit-up screen. “Jordan, are you honestly planning a wedding with Molly in Slandsdeca? “Sure, the marriage isn’t official, but shouldn’t you worry about Eve going mad when she finds out? “It’s three days to your wedding with her here. “Get a grip!” Jordan’s best friend, Tom Bloomfield, confronted him on WhatsApp. I gripped the desk for support, thinking I was in a dream for a moment. Molly Powell was Jordan’s girlfriend back when he was eighteen. They broke up soon after because of the long distance. It had been eight years since then. It didn’t make sense that Jordan would hold a wedding with her when ours was right around the corner. Veins bulged on the back of my hands as I clutched the edge of the desk. I stared intently at the computer screen, eager to see Jordan’s response. It didn’t take long for Jordan to respond. “It’s happening. My mind has never been clearer. “It’s a promise Molly and I made when we were eighteen. It’s the only thing she asked of me, and I must fulfil it. “As for Eve…” He stopped for what felt like forever. “She won’t find out anyway. I’ll just pretend like none of this ever happened.” I stared at the words in disbelief. It took a while before a wry smile broke across my face. Too bad. I had already found out. Pulling a chair over, I took a seat and held the mouse with my trembling hand to scroll over to Jordan’s chat with Molly. In the seven years I had been with Jordan, I had no idea. Jordan and Molly had been in touch every single day. When Molly shared a picture of the kitten she came across today, Jordan would reply, “It’s as cute as you.” If Molly were to vent about work stress and her annoying boss, Jordan would text back earnestly, “Feeling stressed means you’re progressing. Don’t overthink it. I’m right here with you.” Molly sent a meme about being afraid of the dark during a power cut in her neighborhood. Without thinking twice, Jordan replied, “On my way.” It was the same day I was rolling around in bed, writhing in pain from period cramps. Jordan rushed out the door, not even pausing for a second to get me some painkillers. I scrolled through snippets of their daily interactions, picking up Jordan’s devotion and care behind his words. The hardest pill to swallow was the incident happening this past month. Jordan and Molly were planning their wedding. He asked her, “Where’s your ideal wedding venue? Do you fancy a wedding on a snowy mountain or an open lawn? We can do both if you want.” Jordan spammed her with photos of wedding dresses in every style possible. “Which one catches your eye? Are you looking for something minimalist, satin, or embellished? I cleared my afternoon schedule. I’ll pick you up at three for your fitting.” He threw himself into every aspect of her wedding, be it the venue or the choice between ribbons and confetti. Jordan barely had time to breathe. As for our wedding, he didn’t care whether it was held back home or in the city. I wanted him to come dress shopping with me, but he claimed he was too busy and told me to pick whatever. Jordan simply took a quick look at the guest list I had put together before signing off. His response remained the same. “You can decide. I’m down with whatever.” I honestly thought Jordan wasn’t one to fret over the details. That was before today, when I came across his chat logs with Molly. Jordan put together three separate PowerPoint presentations, each with twenty slides, to help Molly choose between a veil and a tiara. Chapter 2 Reading the care behind every line of words, I could no longer run away from the truth. The seven years I shared with Jordan meant nothing. … I sat in the study all through the night. The next day, I took time off work and sought the company of my best friend, Kendra Doodle, while I went about canceling all the vendors. “Eve, are you absolutely sure about this?” That was the first thing Kendra asked when she saw me. “I’ve never been more certain.” “You guys have been together for seven years. Your wedding is in two days. Are you going to call off the whole thing on your own before he comes back?” “Yes.” “Does Jordan know?” “He’s busy.” “With what?” I didn’t answer. Kendra fell silent for a bit. “If you can’t bring yourself to, I’ll give him a call. “You guys go way back. Marriage is a huge thing. I can’t let you face this all alone…” “He’s busy getting married,” I murmured. Kendra was stunned, the look of disapproval frozen on her face. “What did you say?” I smiled to myself. Pulling out the chat logs I had saved from Jordan’s computer last night, I showed them to Kendra. “Jordan got married. “It happened yesterday in Slandsdeca. “He married Molly Powell, his ex.” Kendra had no words. Her eyes turned bloodshot. “Just yesterday, I recalled you were rehearsing with the lighting crew until midnight. You even texted me in the middle of it, asking me to go to the pharmacy to get you some painkillers because your stomach hurt. “And the whole time Jordan was getting married to another woman in Slandsdeca?” I curled my lips. “Yeah.” Without another word from her, Kendra drove me to the wedding planning agency. During the drive, she held my hand really tight. … Once I got home from canceling the wedding plans, I packed my bags. The plan was to move out of the home I was supposed to share with Jordan as husband and wife. Jordan sent me a text. It was a photo taken inside an airport terminal. He added a message. “Just finished my business trip. I’m exhausted.” Instead of replying to his text, I stared blankly at the bottom left edge of the photo. A slender, fair hand accidentally came into frame, a diamond ring gleaming on the ring finger. I recognized the ring. During our hunt for a wedding last year, the jeweler recommended the most expensive piece to Jordan and me. There was only one set of matching wedding bands available in the entire city. I was in love with the wedding band, but Jordan shut the idea down, saying the ring was too extravagant for me. As it turned out, the ring was meant for Molly all along. Setting the phone aside, I took out my clothes one by one and folded them carefully before packing them into my suitcase. My brows furrowed the moment I pulled one of Jordan’s shirts. A heavy scent of perfume clung to the fabric. The fragrance carried hints of peony. Tucked into the collar was a small note scribbled in red lipstick. “Molly’s pajamas.” Despite dating Jordan for seven years, I was only finding out now that he had brought Molly to our home. He even left a shirt stained with another woman’s scent in our closet. I put the shirt back where it was before turning around to clear out the bathroom. The phone in my pocket rang. Once again, it was a call from Jordan. He requested a video call. I answered. On the screen, he wore a black overcoat. For once, his usual cold, detached expression softened with a hint of affection. “What are you doing?” “Packing up.” “Is the wedding prep going well?” “…I guess so.” “I’m flying out today. I’ll be back by tomorrow morning, in time for our wedding happening the day after.” “Okay.” “What’s the matter? Are you upset?” “No, I’m just tired.” “I brought you a gift.” He leaned in and fished out a white box with a ribbon from his briefcase. “I got a wedding favor from attending a friend’s wedding here. I saved it for you to share the joy.” “A friend?” I repeated the word. Jordan chuckled without a hint of guilt. “That’s right. It was a friend’s wedding.” Chapter 3 Just then, a woman’s voice cut in from the background. “Jordan, can you check if my diamond ring is loose?” Tilting his head over, Jordan replied, “Be right there.” He shifted his attention back to me. “Eve, is there anything else? If not, I’m hanging up.” With downcast eyes, I stared at the man on the screen and asked the burning question, “Jordan, do you honestly want to marry me?” Taken aback at first, Jordan proceeded to chuckle. “Of course. We’ve been together for seven years. “How many seven years does one get in a lifetime? I definitely want to marry you.” I nodded. My finger hovered over the group chat with Jordan’s family. Three minutes ago, I typed, “By mutual agreement, our upcoming wedding in two days is officially called off.” At the time, I wanted to save him from embarrassment. Now, I deleted the sentence one word at a time. “Got it.” … The next day, I shipped my bags back home. A call from Jordan’s mother, Cece, came in. “Eve, come to the house for lunch today. Jordan is back.” After a pause, she added cheerfully, “He brought a friend with him. Her name is Molly Powell. It’s a great chance to introduce you two.” Cece was very nice. When Jordan introduced me to his family, Cece offered me a drink with a bright smile. She complimented me on my looks and asked about my education, my family circumstances, and how good I was with household chores. I responded to every question, my nerves more on edge than when I defended my thesis. It was my wish to be the daughter-in-law Cece approved of. Cece seemed thrilled, claiming that the family was lucky that Jordan found a girlfriend like me. She turned around and called Jordan to the kitchen to help with refreshments. I caught Cece sighing, her voice full of regret as she told Jordan, “It’s such a shame. Your ex was way better.” Jordan’s last ex was Molly. I knew even without Jordan telling me. Since then, that name had lived rent-free in my head every time I dropped by Cece’s home. Today was the day I’d meet Molly. By the time I arrived, the living room sofa was packed. Molly sat in the middle, with Jordan glued to her side. He was peeling a piece of grapefruit for her. Never in those seven years did Jordan demonstrate such commitment. As I stepped inside, Cece jolted to her feet. “There you are, Eve.” She pulled me closer and pointed at Molly. “They used to go to school together. Molly is one fine lady. The moment she learned that Jordan was getting married, she came all the way just to attend the wedding. “Molly, this is Eve.” The double standard was evident even in the introduction. Not calling Cece out, I simply looked for a spot to sit down. Cece went on talking with Molly. “Molly, did you take pictures of your wedding in Slandsdeca? “Honestly, you should have told me about the wedding sooner.” Molly smiled embarrassedly. “Mrs. Harding—” “Well, aren’t you formal?” Cece said cheerfully. “Mom!” Jordan cried out of nowhere, his gaze darting toward me. “Eve’s here.” The tension in the air was palpable. With reality catching up to her, Cece uttered sheepishly, “Oh, look at me, talking without thinking. I just adore Molly so much. She’s like a daughter to me. “Here, Eve. Enjoy the wedding favor.” She slid the box of chocolates toward me. Cece even grabbed a handful of candy and stuffed it into my palm. I unwrapped one and popped it into my mouth, only to be hit with the most bitter taste imaginable. “Thank you, Mrs. Harding.” I didn’t address her intimately. She didn’t deserve it. The fact that Cece was kept in the loop about Jordan and Molly’s wedding threw me off. Still, I didn’t kick up a fuss. It was pointless. I bided my time, waiting for tomorrow to catch the looks on their faces when they learned that the wedding was off. … After lunch, I got up and went home. Chapter 4 Jordan rushed out to see me off. Inside the elevator, he broke the silence. “Mom didn’t mean it.” “What?” He fell silent. “Mom didn’t mean anything when she asked Molly to call her Mom.” I smiled. Lifting both arms, I studied my hands front and back. “When I first met your mom, she complimented my looks and my hands, saying they were so soft and pretty that it was obvious I'd never worked a day in my life. “And yet, every single time I visited your place since then, she’d send me to the kitchen to help the moment I sat down. “I’ve washed the dishes at your place seventy-eight times over the course of seven years. “Meanwhile, your mom wouldn’t even let Molly get her own drink when we had lunch just now.” Color drained from Jordan’s face. “Eve, Molly is a guest.” “And your mom tells the guests to call her Mom?” Jordan kept his mouth closed. I threw him another question. “Whose idea was it to give me the wedding favor?” Jordan was taken aback. “It was Molly’s idea. She wanted to spread the joy.” “You didn’t stop her?” “I didn’t see what the issue is…” I grinned. I’d lost count of the number of times Jordan said that in the last seven years. When he forgot my birthday, Jordan said, “Work was hectic. I didn’t think much of it.” During our anniversary, he bought me the same bracelet as Molly’s. He uttered, “They are the same brand. I honestly didn’t think it mattered.” The ring he proposed with was even one size too big. His defense was, “I can’t keep track of the little things. I wasn’t thinking too far ahead.” I wouldn’t know whether he had given any thought to these things. At this point, I couldn’t be bothered to care. I asked, “Jordan, it’s not too late to back out of the wedding now.” Jordan’s expression turned grim. His left hand gripped my wrist hard. “Don’t be ridiculous, Eve. We’ve been together for seven years. Who else would you marry if not me? “If you’re upset about the wedding favor, I’ll dump it, but I don’t want to hear that from you. Take it back.” It was not every day I got to see Jordan losing his temper. I smirked. “Alright.” I stepped out of the elevator, ditching him. That night, I shipped out the very last piece of my luggage from the home we were supposed to share. While sending a picture of the cleared space to Kendra, I got a text from Jordan. “Are you still upset? “I’ve talked to Mom. She won’t make you do the dishes again.” I didn’t respond to his text. Jordan typed, “We’re getting married in twelve hours. Are you excited, Eve?” Sitting in the center of the empty, joyless living room, I hesitated for a minute before deciding to leave him on read. Kendra forwarded me a news link. “I can’t believe this pair. You need to look at this now!” I tapped on the link. It was a local news push notification from Slandsdeca. “Foreign Couple’s Wedding of the Century—Groom: Love Is Priceless.” The report ran to nearly two thousand words, offering an in-depth description of Jordan and Li Molly’s wedding. There was also a photo of Jordan being interviewed. The journalist asked, “Why did you choose Slandsdeca as your wedding destination?” Jordan replied, “It’s what my wife wanted.” I downloaded and saved the article. Then, I pulled up Jordan’s chat window and responded, “I can’t wait.” With the message sent, I slipped off the engagement ring. I set the band down on the coffee table, right next to his computer. Moving the mouse to wake the screen, I typed in the URL Kendra had sent me and left the page open on the article about Jordan and Molly’s wedding. I took one last look at the place before turning off the lights and walking away. Kendra was already waiting in the car outside the apartment building. “Where to?” “The airport.” As the car drove out of the neighborhood, I didn’t even look back. My phone was set to silent mode. It was a goodbye to my seven years. The next morning at eight, Jordan arrived at the apartment along with Molly, family, and friends. The moment the front door swung open, everyone was dumbfounded.