Chapter 1 - Chapter 1: The Pre - Wedding Dilemma

The sumptuous Vera Wang gown hung on the closet door of the luxurious penthouse in downtown Los Angeles, resembling a spectral white presence.Ava Thompson stood there, her coffee growing cold in her hands as she stared at the dress. She was grappling with the queasy feeling in her stomach, unsure if it was the lingering effects of last night's champagne or perhaps the heavy weight of guilt that had settled within her."You're gonna be the most stunning bride LA has ever laid eyes on," her sister, Lily, exclaimed from across the room. Lily was busy arranging delicate white roses in elegant crystal vases. "Jake is so lucky. God, when I think about this penthouse, the fancy cars, and those amazing trips to Europe... " She let out a dramatic sigh. "You're living every girl's fantasy, Ava."Every girl's fantasy. The words echoed emptily in Ava's ears as she placed her hand on her abdomen, still able to sense the faint ghost of Ethan's touch. Just twelve hours ago, she had been in his embrace. Twelve hours ago, she had made a decision that could either be the biggest blunder or the most genuine act of her life.Her phone on the nightstand buzzed, causing her heart to skip a beat. But it was merely the wedding planner confirming the schedule. Not Ethan. He hadn't sent a text since that 3 AM call, when his voice had been raw with emotion, regret, and something that sounded perilously close to love."Are you really sure this is what you want?" he had whispered over the phone. She could hear the rustling of the sheets in the background and could vividly picture him lying in his bed, alone now, probably gazing at the ceiling just as she had been.She had hung up without answering, yet the question had haunted the remaining hours of the night."Ava, snap out of it," Lily's voice broke through her thoughts. "The makeup artist will be here in an hour. You need to eat something. And why do you look like you haven't slept a wink?"Because I didn't, Ava wanted to say. Because I spent the night before my wedding in another man's bed, and now I'm supposed to walk down the aisle and pretend my world isn't falling to pieces."Just pre - wedding jitters," she managed to say, forcing a smile that felt like it might split her face in two.She couldn't forget the way Ethan's eyes had lingered on her during the farewell dinner, soft and full of pain, as if each glance was a silent plea for her not to let go. The sadness in his eyes when he toasted to her happiness, and the way his hand had trembled when he asked her to walk him home one last time.She had told herself it was just a walk, just one final moment with her best friend before everything changed forever.But when they reached his apartment building and he asked if she wanted to come up for a coffee, they both knew it was about far more than just coffee. And when he cupped her face in his hands and asked, "Are you certain?" she answered with a kiss that carried eight years of pent - up longing.The love - making had been intense, passionate, and tender all at once, everything she had imagined and nothing like the calculated, scheduled intimacy she shared with Jake. Afterward, lying intertwined in Ethan's sheets as the city outside his window hummed with activity, she felt more like herself than she had in months.Then, reality came crashing back.She left at 2 AM, slipping out like a thief while Ethan pretended to sleep. But she knew he was awake from the tension in his shoulders and the overly controlled rhythm of his breathing. And an hour later, her phone had rung.Suddenly, the penthouse door burst open, and Ava's mother, Maria, rushed in carrying a bundle of garment bags. "Mija, why aren't you dressed yet? The photographer will be here soon." She stopped short, taking in Ava's troubled expression. "What's wrong?""Nothing's wrong, Mom," Ava replied automatically.But Maria Thompson had a mother's intuition, especially when it came to her eldest daughter, with whom she had weathered many difficult times. She shooed Lily out of the room and then sat down beside Ava on the plush velvet settee."Talk to me, honey."Ava felt tears welling up at the corners of her eyes. "Mom, I did something awful.""How bad is it?"The truth - that she had slept with Ethan last night - hovered on her lips, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. Instead, she reached into her handbag and pulled out a letter she had written to herself six months ago, labeled "Open only if you have doubts.""I wrote this when Jake proposed," she whispered. "I'd forgotten about it until this morning."Her mother's eyes widened in surprise. "Have you read it?"Ava shook her head. "I'm too scared to.""Then maybe you're not ready to get married."Her mother squeezed her hand gently. "Whatever you wrote in that letter, whatever you're feeling right now, you have to be honest with yourself, mija. Because in three hours, you'll be making vows in front of God and all our friends and family. And if your heart isn't in it... ""I've committed to Jake," Ava said, but the words sounded weak even to her own ears."You also made a commitment to yourself. To be true to who you really are, not who you think you should be."Ava stared at the sealed envelope, her heart pounding in her chest. She thought about Ethan's apartment, the way he had kissed her goodbye at the door, the look in his eyes that spoke volumes of all the things they had never dared to voice.She thought about Jake, who had provided her with everything she had thought she desired: security, status, and a future free from financial woes. But he had never made her laugh until her sides ached, and he looked at her more like a prized possession than a person he couldn't live without.Her mother stood up. "I'm going to give you some privacy. But Ava, whatever you decide, I'll stand by you. Your father would have wanted you to be happy, not just secure."When she was alone, Ava tore open the seal of the envelope with trembling fingers. Her own handwriting stared back at her:If you're reading this, you already have the answer. You've probably spent the last few months convincing yourself that Jake is the practical choice, and Ethan is just a fantasy you need to outgrow.But deep down, you know the truth. You know which man makes you feel truly alive. You know which man sees the real you, not just the polished facade you show to the world.You know, and you're terrified.I can't tell you what to do.Ava's hands shook as she read the letter again. Outside, she could hear Lily arguing with the florist about the rose arrangement. Her phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number.I'm at the corner coffee shop, the one we used to study at for finals. I know I shouldn't be here. I know this is crazy. But I can't let you go through with this without saying what I should have said years ago. Please. Just give me five minutes. - EAva stared at the message, her heart racing. In the mirror across the room, she saw herself - hair tousled from sleep (thanks to Ethan's hands), makeup - free, wearing the silk robe Jake had given her with "Mrs. Carter" monogrammed on the pocket.She had one hour until the makeup artist arrived. One hour until the elaborate machinery of her wedding day became unstoppable.One hour to choose between the life she had planned and the life she had been too afraid to hope for.She grabbed her coat and headed for the door. The moment she stepped out onto the street, the warm aroma of freshly baked bread wafted through the air, triggering a memory she hadn't revisited in years.