Chapter 2

Maya had no idea how she got out of the club. The rain came down in sheets and hammered at her skin, yet she felt none of it. Only the conversation from that room kept looping in her head. Just hearing Valerie's name made her whole body tremble. She couldn't understand why Valerie still refused to let her go when she had moved overseas. She seemed bent on grinding her into the dirt. It had started with something as petty as a campus beauty contest. Someone posted a candid shot of Maya without makeup, and it ended up outshining Valerie's retouched entry. When Valerie got wind of it, she and her friends cornered Maya in the restroom, ganged up on her, and shoved her head into a toilet. When Maya wouldn't kneel and apologize, the next three years became a living hell. They hit her, jabbed her with needles, and hid tacks in her shoes. They turned the entire class against her, tanked her part-time gigs, and spread filthy rumors. Valerie even sent rich guys to pursue Maya, plotting to bait her with money and then toss her aside. However, Valerie's scheme failed. By the time junior year came and Valerie left to study overseas, Maya was still unbroken. But by then, she was drowning in depression and had started hurting herself. That was when Cole appeared. He was nothing like the other rich guys who sized her up like a trophy and tried to buy her off with credit cards. His gaze was warm and sincere, and he actually listened to her. When he learned that her grandmother, Belinda Malone, needed long-term medication, he didn't look down on her. Instead, he helped in quiet, thoughtful ways that she could accept. He found her internships and part-time jobs. He always sat with her at a convenience store after her shift, splitting a quick dinner and giving her a light tap on the head. "Maya, that was tough. You did great." When Belinda fell ill while Maya was out of town, Cole rushed her to the hospital and stayed by her bedside for a whole day and night. By the time Maya hurried back, Cole was dead on his feet, yet he still smiled. "Belinda's stable. Don't run yourself into the ground." Her heart kept saying, "He's the one. Try to trust him. No matter how it ends, cherish the time you have with him now." For a long while, Cole treated Maya with care, even standing up to his family to be with her. Just then, Carter's scornful voice echoed in her mind. "How dumb could she be? Did she really think the Hales would let a nobody marry in? We just hired a couple of actors, staged a little fight, and she fell for it." "She's so dumb. She missed every tell for three years." "She's so dumb. She still thinks Cole is devoted to her." "She's so dumb. So dumb. So dumb..." Maya stumbled and crashed to the ground, her tears mixing with the cold rain. "Maya, you really are too dumb," she said to herself. She suddenly tipped her head back and laughed like a madwoman, letting the rain smack her face mercilessly. Just then, her phone rang. It was Belinda's caregiver. "Maya, come quick! Your grandma's not going to hold on!" A sharp ringing filled Maya's ears, and her mind went completely blank. Her knees buckled, but muscle memory kicked in, carrying her to the curb where she threw up a hand to flag down a ride. Cars blasted past with their hazards strobing and horns blaring. Just as she braced to run to the hospital, a Range Rover braked beside her. The composed and clean-cut driver leaned over and asked where she was going. Maya didn't waste a second and climbed in. By the time she reached the hospital, the doctor had already delivered the news. "She's in respiratory failure. There's nothing more we can do. Stay with her for whatever time she has left." Maya dropped to her knees and clutched Belinda's hand. Belinda forced a weak smile. "Maya, don't cry... I'm sorry... I couldn't hold on for your wedding..." Maya shook her head hard. She couldn't get a word out and broke down in sobs. Belinda's eyes searched the room. "Where's Cole? I want to see him..." "Okay," Maya rasped, her voice barely above a whisper. She pulled out her phone and called Cole over and over. He declined every call, so she texted instead. "Cole, Grandma's in respiratory failure. She's at the end. Please come to the hospital. She wants to see you one last time." "Cole, Grandma's waiting for you. Just a minute is enough. Can you come?" "Cole, I'm begging you..." Her fingers trembled as she typed, tears spilling down her cheeks and splattering onto the screen. At this moment, none of the lies mattered. If Cole would just come so Belinda could go in peace, nothing else mattered. However, Cole never showed. Maya forced a smile and squeezed Belinda's hand. "Grandma, Cole must be tied up. Don't worry. We're solid, and we're getting married next week. "Grandma, I'm going to be happy... You can rest easy..." Belinda suddenly gripped her hand tighter and locked eyes with her. "Maya... Live your life... Be happy..." Her grip loosened, and her last look was filled with worry. Maya stared blankly at her hand. Then, she crumpled to the floor, sobbing until no tears were left. That night, she numbly went through every form and signature to arrange the funeral, yet there was still no word from Cole. During a lull, she unblocked Valerie and opened her feed. "I planned to fly home early and surprise him, but it turned out I was the one who got surprised!" The photo showed Cole at the airport in a mascot suit, bouquet in hand, and sweat plastering his hair as he smiled. Another shot captured Valerie's sweet smile while Cole's eyes lingered on her, full of devotion. Maya let out a bitter laugh and locked her screen. By noon the next day, she came back to the hospital with Belinda's urn and handed in her application to Doctors Without Borders. Quinn White, the head of the department, looked at Maya in shock. "Weren't you about to get married?" Maya paused for a moment, then answered, "Not anymore. I have to leave this city right away!" Seeing her reddened eyes and hearing the urgency in her tone, Quinn didn't press further. "You're just in time for the deadline. Take the next few days to prepare. We'll leave in a week." "Okay." A week later was supposed to be her wedding day. Instead, she would be wheels up. Before she left, she planned to send Cole and Valerie a parting gift they would never forget.