Adrift on the Boat

The boat in the picture was even bigger and more beautiful. Most importantly, the entire hull was covered in irises, my absolute favorite flower. There wasn’t a single rose to be found.

When I got home, I started packing my things. I slowly sorted through my clothes and legal documents, neatly folding everything. Then, I found the photos from all the years we had spent together. Every single one had a note written on the back.

I flipped through them, one by one. On the photo from our trip to Lake Green, she had written, “I want to cling to Aussie for the rest of my life.”

On the one where we watched the sunrise together, she wrote, “Aussie is way more handsome than the sunrise…”

I gathered them all up. After a brief hesitation, I tossed them straight into the trash can.

A little while later, the faint sound of a car echoed from downstairs. Because it had suddenly started raining, Sarah came home much earlier than usual. As the door pushed open, the distinct scent of Logan’s cologne wafted in. My hands didn’t stop moving as I folded the very last piece of clothing.

Sarah changed her shoes and walked over to the bedroom doorway, leaning against the frame. She casually draped her trench coat over her arm, her eyes filled with pure irritation.

“Are you done?” Her tone wasn’t exactly furious, but it sounded condescending and dismissive.

I looked up at her, snapped my suitcase shut, and reached for the zipper.

My indifference completely shattered the last of her patience. She strode over aggressively and yanked the suitcase right out of my hands. She used so much force that the suitcase let out a sharp crack.

“Are you ever going to drop this?” She frowned, her eyebrows knitting tightly together. “I have a mountain of work piling up at the company right now. I’m already stressed out. First the launch ceremony, then Grandma Wilma’s birthday party—you’ve been sulking the entire time! Do you absolutely insist on making me a laughingstock in front of everyone?”

‘You’re not busy,’ I thought. ‘You still have plenty of time to comfort Logan.’

More importantly, the crowd was never laughing at her; they were laughing at me.

“I wasn’t sulking,” I said.

She grabbed my wrist, offering a compromise that she clearly viewed as an act of charity. “I know you’re upset. But it’s just a boat and a watch, isn’t it? It’s no big deal.”

Everything involving me was no big deal, while everything involving Logan was a matter of life and death.

I looked at her, and the words she had spoken to her best friends suddenly flashed through my mind. “Austin is the easiest guy to appease. He’s completely head over heels for me; he wouldn’t dare make a scene.”

“Let me tell you something. Logan and I are going on a business trip tomorrow.” She leaned down, bringing her face close to my ear, and threw out what she believed to be her ultimate bargaining chip. “Once I get back, I’ll carve out some time so we can go register our marriage. You’ve waited seven years. Haven’t you just been waiting for that marriage certificate? Well, I’m granting it to you.”

She spoke with such casual entitlement, as if registering our marriage was some grand favor she was bestowing upon me.

In her heart, the wedding vessel could be given to someone else, and her affection could be given to someone else. Every exception and special treatment belonged exclusively to Logan. Only that cold, lifeless marriage certificate was reserved for me as my ultimate destination.

I looked at her and suddenly laughed. I laughed at the fact that my seven years had gone to waste on that wedding vessel, adorned with roses, that didn’t belong to me.

Seeing me smile, Sarah assumed I was finally appeased. She relaxed completely, and her expression eased.

“Are you happy now? Just stay home and wait for me.”

She began walking out, pulling out her phone and tapping the screen a few times as she moved.

“I need to video call Logan and prep our stuff for tomorrow–”

I cut her off. “Sarah, tomorrow I’m heading back to the lakeside town. I’m going to–”

Her phone suddenly rang. She raised a hand, cutting off the rest of my sentence.

“Logan? What’s wrong?”

The voice on the other end sounded panicked.

"Don’t be scared. I’m coming over right now.”

After hanging up, she threw on her coat while talking to me. “It’s thundering outside. Logan always gets in a terrible mood during this kind of weather. I need to go check on him. Whatever it is, we’ll talk about it when I get back.”

With that, she rushed out the door.

Just like that, the words “get married” were forced right back down my throat.

…

Sarah hurried outside. While she was on the road, her phone buzzed a few times. She let out a scoff, assuming that because she had just promised to marry me, I was already getting impatient and clingy again.

However, when she pulled up under Logan’s apartment building and checked her phone, she realized the messages weren’t from me.

[Sal, the Henderson family’s oldest daughter is getting married next week. Don’t forget to attend.]

Right after that text, an image of a wedding invitation popped up.

The moment she saw the names printed on it, her hand on the car door handle froze.