Love Waits for No One

Maude turned off her phone, ignoring every message.

The day before the wedding arrived all too quickly.

After returning from Aerisport, Maude went straight to her best friend, Rosamund Tolliver.

"I'm so sorry. You worked so hard on everything… and now you won't even be my bridesmaid. Orson and I…"

Before Maude could finish, Rosamund pulled her into a tight hug.

"You've been through so much, haven't you?"

Maude had loved Orson with all her heart. If even a flicker of hope remained, she wouldn't have ended things so decisively.

Her eyes reddened as Rosamund escorted her inside.

Her phone kept buzzing nonstop with endless well-wishes.

"Orson is total husband material. With a man like him, you'll be the happiest bride tomorrow."

"Wishing you both a lifetime of love and happiness."

"I've been rooting for you two since college. You made me believe in love again. Maude, you deserve all the happiness in the world."

…

Among the messages was one from Orson.

"Honey, I'll be home by 8:00 pm. Please wait for me, okay?"

However, before 8:00 pm, Imogen sent her a location.

Maude knew Imogen wanted her to come.

A flicker of curiosity stirred inside her.

She followed the address and reached the place.

The door to the private lounge was left slightly open.

Inside, Imogen was about to grab a bottle of wine when Orson stopped her.

"You're allergic to alcohol. Don't be reckless."

"Aren't you in a rush to get back to her? I don't need you watching over me."

"Immy…"

Tears quietly traced down Imogen's cheeks.

Orson's tone softened right away. "Alright, alright. I'll stay with you. I'm not going back."

Maude looked down. Among all the congratulatory messages, a few new ones had come in.

"Honey, the project's nearly finished. I have to put in some extra hours tonight."

"Only one more long night, then I can take some time off to be with you at Aerisport."

"Honey, I've waited for so long. Just one more day, and I'll finally get to marry you."

Maude couldn't help but laugh, amused by how he still pretended to love her.

Orson put his phone down, his gaze tinged with helplessness. "Is that better?"

Imogen shook her head firmly. "You're not going to the wedding tomorrow."

Orson fell silent.

"She gets to have you for all the years to come," Imogen choked out. "Can't I at least have this one last day?"

After a long pause, Orson finally answered, "Alright."

Imogen broke into a smile and threw herself into his arms.

Through the narrow gap in the door, her smug gaze met Maude's.

Maude's eyes gradually hardened, growing colder with every passing second.

If Orson truly intended to skip tomorrow's wedding without a single word, did he ever pause to think about the anxiety it would cause her?

Did he consider how she would explain his absence to his family and friends?

No, Orson knew exactly what he was doing.

However, for Imogen, none of that mattered.

He was even ready to let Maude shoulder all the humiliation alone.

At first, she had planned to send a mass message announcing the wedding's cancellation after she'd apologized to Rosamund.

After five years together, she still wanted to protect whatever dignity Orson had left.

Now, there was no reason to.

Maude stepped outside and climbed into Rosamund's car.

"Rosamund, I need your help with something."

By 10:00 am the next day, Rosamund stood at the airport, tears welling in her eyes as she watched Maude leave.

Before the plane lifted off, Orson's family group chat blew up with messages.

"Orson's phone is off. What's going on, Maude? Where are you?"

"All the guests have arrived. We're waiting for you two!"

"Orson, the wedding's about to start. Please behave and don't get distracted by Maude's antics."

"Maude, what exactly are you trying to accomplish?"

Just as Maude had expected, Orson's family and friends had never truly accepted her. And now, all the blame was falling squarely on her shoulders.

After exiting the group chat, she blocked everyone connected to Orson.

She switched off her phone as the plane soared into the sky.

Leaning back, Maude whispered under her breath, "Goodbye, Orson. Goodbye forever."