Chapter 4
He no longer cared about the doubts
gnawing at him and rushed after Yesha, his footsteps urgent.
Asteria was left behind, knocked to the ground by Primo, the small stones digging into her already bleeding wounds.
She sat there, dazed, her gaze drawn to something that gleamed in the dim light.
It was a cheap crescent moon necklace. The chain was tarnished, and the design faded with age as if it had been lost to time..
Asteria reached for the necklace, and the more she studied it, the more an unsettling sense of familiarity washed over her.
Something clicked in Asteria’s mind as the moon disappeared behind a veil of clouds:
Primo had the same moon tattoo on his
chest.
“So that’s how it is…”
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The scattered pieces, once overlooked, now connected like a thread weaving through her thoughts.
Cold and heavy, the truth settled in her chest: those ten years of love had been nothing more than a one–sided devotion.
Childhood sweethearts were no match for fate’s cruel hand.
In the years they had shared, Primo had. only ever loved Yesha.
Asteria stood, her fingers tightening around the crescent moon necklace, the weight of realization pressing down on her.
With that realization, Asteria knew there was nothing left to hold on to.
She chose to walk away to make room for the lovers who could never truly be together.
After booking a flight ticket abroad, she
returned to her room and discarded all the
wedding preparations she had so carefully
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selected.
When her eyes fell on the wedding countdown in the living room, she paused, a flicker of doubt crossing her mind.
But then, with a quiet resolution, she tore off the word “wedding” and silently replaced it with “departure countdown.”
Asteria decided that the next two weeks would be her farewell to everything from her past, ensuring she had no regrets left to carry with her.
Asteria had spent the night sorting through endless scattered belongings, only
managing to finish around four in the morning.
After barely three hours of rest, the sharp, insistent ring of her phone shattered the fragile silence, pulling her abruptly from sleep.
“Asteria, are you awake? I had your favorite soup delivered. I won’t make it back today; we’ll need to reschedule the
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wedding photos. Something urgent came up at the company, and I really can’t step
away.
Asteria pressed her fingers against her throbbing temples, her voice low but steady. “Alright.”
Perhaps her agreement had come too quickly, or maybe the faint sorrow in her tone was impossible to ignore.
Primo’s heart stirred with unease, prompting his voice to soften.
“Don’t let yesterday’s incident trouble. you. I’ve already apologized to Yesha on your behalf.”
“Okay.”
“Yesha thinks the wedding is just a formality. She said we don’t need to put too much effort into it. Our bond doesn’t rely on grand gestures or ceremonies to prove itself. Something simple will do.”
“I’ll go along with whatever you.
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decide.”
But within her, Asteria‘ s resolve had already taken shape.
This wedding would be the simplest in history–and perhaps, for her, the most bittersweet.
No wedding photos, no marriage certificate, no officiant.
And certainly, no bride.
After hanging up the phone, Asteria stood up and, with a heavy heart, crossed off the
“wedding photo” appointment on the calendar with a thick black marker.
Primo had always been buried in his work,
and Asteria had never found it in herself to
disturb him.
So, when preparing for the wedding, she had bought a wish calendar–a token of all the dreams she’d hoped to fulfill through this marriage.
Now, those once–cherished wishes were
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smudged out, swallowed by marker ink, leaving only the weight of unspoken
regrets.
Asteria sighed softly, her gaze drifting around the room. Once bright with anticipation, the walls now seemed suffocating in their blinding red.
It had taken her the entire day to strip away the carefully crafted wedding room, piece by piece, until all that was left was the emptiness she felt in her heart.
