Chapter 2

In the days that followed, Elliot never came home, and Nora didn't ask where he was. Instead, she quietly reached out to her close friends and managed to retract every wedding invitation she had sent. Elliot had always said he didn't like a fuss, so they'd never planned a big wedding. There were only a handful of close friends on the guest list. When Nora called to cancel the wedding, everyone was surprised. "Why are you suddenly calling off the wedding? Haven't you two always been in a stable relationship?" Hearing their questions, all Nora could feel was bitterness. Stable? If that meant spending years chasing Elliot while he stayed cold and distant, then sure, that was stable. In this relationship, the only one who was ever stable was she, and never he. Elliot had always acted like he was above it all, letting her love him while keeping her at a distance. Now, she realized she was done. She didn't want to keep loving someone who treated her that way. In the end, Nora didn't bother to make up stories. She just replied honestly, "I'm changing the groom." Her friends were less shocked than she'd expected. Mostly, they laughed and joked around, clearly not taking her words seriously. But when she thought about it, it made sense. After all, she had spent years being devoted to Elliot, and had never minded how distant he was from her. If someone who had been as deeply devoted as she was suddenly said they were calling off their wedding, Nora probably wouldn't have believed it, either. But that was fine. She'd let her actions prove it—she really was done. After Nora took back all the invitations and came home, it wasn't long before Elliot finally returned. Elliot, who was always so particular about being neat and composed, now looked worn out. His white shirt was wrinkled, his tired eyes bloodshot, and his whole posture slumped. She could tell at a glance that he was in bad shape. The first thing he said matched what she had just done. "You should take back the wedding invitations we sent out. Professor Reeves passed away, and I'm expected to observe at least six months of mourning. I can't get married." When Elliot said that, he expected Nora to get angry and argue with him, since she had always been the one eager to move things forward. He knew her grandfather had been hoping to see her get married, which was why she'd pushed for a date. He'd already rehearsed what he'd say if she got upset. However, Nora just looked at him calmly. "I understand. I'm sorry for your loss." Elliot paused, caught off guard. Ever since that night, it was like she was a completely different person. Even though her reaction threw him off, he didn't have the energy to dwell on it. He pressed his fingers to his tired brow and spoke again. "Professor Reeves' memorial is today. Before he passed, he mentioned you. Come with me to pay your respects." Nora had never liked Claire, but she had always respected Jonathan Reeves for his kindness and warmth. Besides, she doubted he even knew that Claire would go as far as asking Elliot to have a child with her just to fulfill his last wish. Out of respect for the departed, she nodded. "Alright, I'll go." Later, Elliot showered, changed into a clean suit, and took Nora to the memorial. As soon as they arrived, they heard a woman's voice, choked with tears. "Elliot..." Nora looked over to see Claire, dressed in a pale dress, collapsing to the ground in sobs. "Claire!" Elliot rushed over to her immediately. He gently pulled her into his arms and, without even glancing at Nora, said, "Go ahead and pay your respects. I'll stay here with her for a while." The way he cared for Claire would have made anyone think she was his girlfriend. If it had been before, seeing them like that might have sent Nora spiraling, maybe even made her cause a scene. But now, she simply glanced at them and walked straight into the main hall without saying a word.