Ghosts of What We Had

"Let's skip the wedding photoshoot tomorrow," Wendy said.

I checked the calendar on the table. Below tomorrow's date were the words "wedding photoshoot".

I didn't know why Wendy wanted to call off the wedding photoshoot. That being said, I wasn't planning on going through with the wedding anyway. Even if she hadn't said anything, I would've found an excuse to cancel the photoshoot myself. She was making it easier for me by bringing it up herself.

Nodding, I replied, "Fine. I'll call the photographer and cancel the photoshoot."

Wendy was startled. She didn't expect me to agree to it so readily.

She thought I would demand a reason for her request. After all, I'd put a lot of effort into preparing our wedding. I even had to pay far above the photographer's usual rate to get him to squeeze us into his schedule, all because I wanted us to have the most perfect wedding photos.

Yet, I'd calmly agreed to Wendy's request immediately after she made it.

Wendy looked at me with a complicated expression and said, "You don't need to cancel it. Harvey says that since he won't have a chance to get married, he wants to have a wedding photoshoot with me. That way, it'll feel like he got a chance to experience marriage and won't have any regrets.

"Harvey and I can do the photoshoot tomorrow. We can organize another one for us in the future."

Her tone was light and nonchalant, as if she were merely talking about the weather. It was the same tone she used when she approached me a month ago and said she wanted to have Harvey's sperm artificially inseminated into her.

While it appeared as though she was discussing the matter with me, the manner in which she spoke made it clear her mind was made up. She was just informing me of her decision.

I lowered my eyes to hide the scorn in them.

In the future, she said?

She didn't know I was only going to be in Rockshire for another 13 days. She had no clue that there wasn't going to be a future for us.

I hummed in acknowledgment before heading to the bedroom to get some rest. I wasn't marrying Wendy, so it didn't matter who she had a wedding photoshoot with.

Wendy watched as I left. For some reason, she felt a little uneasy.

I was too calm. I didn't even confront her about it, giving her no chance to use all the arguments she'd prepared for this very moment.

Just then, Harvey called, and she pushed aside all the questions she had about my reaction as she went to the balcony to take his call.

When I woke up, Wendy was getting ready to leave.

As she put her shoes on, she said to me, "After the photoshoot, Harvey and I plan on going on a trip for a few days. He has always wanted to see Beaudoir Isle, so I'll go with him.

"Keep the wedding simple. I won't have time to attend the rehearsal, so you can make all the decisions without asking for my opinion."

I swallowed my mouthful of toast before replying, "Got it."

It was going to be simple, alright. There wouldn't be any wedding photos, guests, or an officiant. Most importantly, there wouldn't be a groom.

Seeing that I was merely munching my breakfast in silence, Wendy added, "After the wedding, let's go to Ardova for our honeymoon. I know you've always wanted to go."

If the old me had heard Wendy initiating the subject of a honeymoon, I would've leaped out of the chair in excitement and started preparing for it.

I'd asked Wendy to take a trip with me before, but she never once agreed to do it. She kept saying she didn't like taking trips and found them exhausting.

But now, I simply focused on my toast without saying anything, which seemed to leave Wendy feeling rather taken aback. She looked at me as if she had more to say, but when she spotted the clock on the wall, she hastily opened the door and dashed off after saying, "Let's talk about it when I get back."

I picked up the calendar and crossed out the words "wedding photoshoot".

There were now 12 days to go.

After breakfast, I started packing up my belongings. I also cleared out everything unnecessary from the house. This included a photo album with fewer than five photos, a projector that had been gathering dust in the corner, and the couple-themed pajamas that had never been worn before.

Throughout our five-year relationship, I was the one who put a great deal of thought into selecting every single item in this house, slowly filling the space and turning it into the cozy home it was now.

However, upon closer inspection, it was clear that Wendy had never touched most of the things. She said that despite our relationship, she was still an individual in her own right. She didn't like using couple-themed items. They made her feel as though she was being constrained.

Once I was gone, these things would only be a nuisance to her anyway, so I might as well get rid of them now, destroying all of the memories we shared as well.