The Island Bride He Refused

My fianc, Ethan, won a raffle for a couple's trip to an island resort.

The host asked, Dr. Ethan, who will you be taking?

Everyone's gaze turned to me, and murmurs of my name filled the room:

Chloe! Chloe!

My heart pounded faster. I looked at him with a smile.

But he pointed to Mia, his assistant, who was sitting below:

"Give it to her. She's been working incredibly hard lately."

Mia's face flushed instantly.

My best friend, Cassie, leaned into my ear, fuming. "Didn't we all agree to have our weddings on the island this year? How could your fianc do this?"

I smiled, forcing back the sting in my eyes. "Don't worry. The plan's still on."

I would wear my wedding dress and get married on that island.

If Ethan didn't want to go, then he wouldn't.

Ethan walked down from the stage with an unhurried grace.

As he passed his assistant's seat, he naturally paused.

He handed over the envelope containing the travel voucher, a hint of indulgence in his smile:

"Here."

Mia's eyes instantly lit up, a mix of surprise and delight. She pressed her pretty lips together, taking the envelope with both hands.

As if she wasn't just receiving a raffle ticket, but a weighty, significant honor.

The next second, she stood up gracefully, her voice clear, her tone cheerful and rather loud:

"Thank you for always thinking of me! I don't know how I'll ever repay you!"

With that, she even performed a lively, playful curtsy towards Ethan.

Straightening up, she paused, her eyes twinkling mischievously as she glanced at Ethan, a mix of youthful playfulness and subtle testing.

"But... I don't really have anyone to travel with. Why don't you come with me?"

The air around us seemed to freeze for a moment, then broke into a few suggestive snickers.

Cassie, beside me, shot up, ready to confront him.

I gripped her wrist tightly, pulling her back into her seat, forcing a deliberately casual smile.

"Why are you still so impulsive? Ethan won't agree."

No sooner had I spoken than I heard Ethan's voice, laced with amusement.

"Well, that depends on your work performance."

"Yes, sir!" Mia exaggeratedly stood at attention and saluted, drawing laughter from the crowd.

Ethan couldn't help but chuckle. He patted her shoulder and walked towards me.

"What the hell is going on?!" Cassie was barely held back by me, gritting her teeth as she whispered fiercely in my ear.

"Is she playing innocent because she's young? Is she genuinely clueless, or is this deliberate?"

"We've been together, the four of us, for eight years! Back in college, we made a pact to have a double wedding on the island!"

"Liam and I have already set everything! Is Ethan truly clueless, or did he just forget?"

"This raffle was practically set up for him! Why else would he even be here? And to top it off, he brought his assistant!"

She grew angrier as she spoke, her chest heaving.

I placed my hand over hers, patting it gently.

"Sit still. Don't get worked up."

She didn't say anything more, but the sheen of tears in her eyes refused to dry, and she huffily turned her head away.

Ethan sat back down beside me.

He seemed to sense something, glancing at my face and Cassie's, then smiled.

It was that familiar, gentle charm that always made it impossible to stay angry at him.

He took my hand, his thumb caressing my knuckles, and said in a low voice:

"The beach isn't that fun anyway; it's always packed with people. When I take my annual leave at the end of the year, I'll take you for a quiet getaway in the mountains."

I gently withdrew my hand, my gaze not meeting his.

"No need. You just focus on your work."

He paused, then smiled and withdrew his hand.

To my left, Cassie, not giving up, pulled out her phone and quickly typed a few words, then leaned over:

"Liam's giving a speech soon; I'll get him to help us out."

I offered her a grateful smile, not objecting.

Cassie, Liam, and Ethan, and I.

The four of us were the best of friends in college.

Liam and Cassie started this company together, and they really busted their butts getting it off the ground during the early days.

Once the company was finally on track, Cassie relentlessly convinced me to join as the VP of Public Relations.

It was a perfect fit for my major, and we could hang out all the time, just like in college.

Not long after, Liam, as a founder, was invited onto the stage.

Then the host asked about his personal plans for the second half of the year.

Liam played coy, stroking his chin and pausing for a few seconds before grinning.

"Next month! I'm getting married on the island!"

The audience erupted in cheers and playful jeers.

He turned and looked at our table, his gaze settling on Cassie, his voice suddenly softening:

"I hope to spend my life with my wife. Even with all the playful bickering we're bound to have!"

Laughter and applause blended enthusiastically.

Cassie's eyes welled up, but she muttered, "You're crazy."

Liam's tone shifted, and his gaze moved to Ethan. He sincerely and expectantly extended a hand, asking loudly and with full vigor:

"Brother, want to join us?!"

My eyes suddenly welled up.

All the spotlights seemed to be focused on our table.

Everyone's eyes were on Ethan.

Our friends had their hands clasped in front of them, ready to erupt in applause.

The sound tech quietly flipped a switch, ready to cue the music.

Perhaps the atmosphere was truly moving, as I turned to look at Ethan, a faint, fragile hope flickering in my heart once more.

But Ethan, under everyone's watchful eyes, just smiled, waved his hand, and replied with a playful tone:

"You go first. I'm not really into crowded weddings."

We were all adults; Liam didn't press the issue, just awkwardly rubbed his nose and continued his speech.

The surging tide in my heart finally receded, leaving behind only a dead calm and an endless, salty emptiness.

Nicole, from not far away, turned her head, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on her lips. Her gaze slid past Ethan and quietly assessed me.

Her eyes held curiosity, triumph, and a hint of indefinable pity.

I calmly nodded at her, curving my lips into a polite, distant smile.

That entire day, Cassie didn't speak another word to Ethan. Whenever their eyes met, she looked at him as if he were her worst enemy.

In the end, Liam awkwardly saw us out by himself.

Ethan and I emerged from the parking lot, and from a distance, we saw Mia standing alone at the company entrance.

The night breeze pressed her skirt against her calves as she hugged her arms, looking around expectantly.

Ethan's car window rolled down.

Mia's eyes lit up, and she scurried over, calling out Ethan's name with a pitiful whimper: "Ethan"

"Why haven't you left yet?"

"Can't get a ride-share... it's impossible to book one this late," she said, her voice laced with a hint of grievance.

Ethan glanced at the backseat, then at me, his tone neutral: "I can give you a lift."

"Oh, I don't know... Chloe's here," Mia said, pressing her lips together, though her feet remained firmly planted.

"It's on the way," Ethan said, then turned to me.

"Our place is on the way. I'll drop you off first, then take her home."

I nodded.

There was nothing more to say.

All the way, Mia chattered like a magpie, rattling off amusing anecdotes from the hospital.

Listening to those unfamiliar names, I suddenly felt like an awkward outsider.

After I got out, Ethan leaned out the window, his voice soft as he cautioned:

"You go on up. I'll be back as soon as I drop her off."

I acknowledged him and turned to leave.

As I reached the building, my steps involuntarily slowed.

Driven by an inexplicable impulse, I couldn't help but glance back.

Under the streetlamp, the black sedan hadn't turned off its engine.

Through the windshield, I saw that Mia had, at some point, moved to the passenger seat.

She was leaning slightly forward, excitedly tugging on Ethan's arm, pointing at the road ahead and saying something.

Ethan had his head turned, seemingly listening to her, his profile, bathed in the play of light and shadow, looked exceptionally gentle.

The next second, the car did a U-turn and drove off in the opposite direction.

Back home, I started packing.

There wasn't much to pack, really. I just mechanically folded clothes from my closet, one by one, and put them into a box.

Until my fingers brushed against the velvet box hidden deep in the closet.

I opened it. Inside lay a silver bracelet, with a small, irregularly shaped starfish charm.

Ethan had given it to me during our junior year, when he confessed his feelings.

That day, he was so nervous his forehead was slick with sweat, and he could barely string a sentence together.

As he pressed the box into my hand, he said:

"Chloe, I don't have much money now, but I want to give you this piece of the ocean first."

"I promise you, very soon, I'll take you to see the real thing."

In his eyes, I saw my own reflection shimmering, like a constellation filling the entire sea.

I ran my fingers over the starfish, which had already oxidized a bit. A cold touch spread through my fingertips.

At the very bottom of the drawer was a photograph.

It was a group photo of the four of us, with a Gothic cathedral from a college trip in the background.

In the picture, Cassie and Liam were laughing carefree, Ethan had his arm around my shoulder, and I leaned into his embrace.

All four of us, in the prime of our youth.

I remembered that day, sunlight streaming through the cathedral's tall stained-glass windows, falling on us.

Liam had exclaimed, "This church is so sacred; I'm going to get married here someday, how grand!"

But I had frowned, murmuring softly:

"It's too ornate and oppressive. I don't like it."

"If I get married, I'd still prefer it by the sea."

"Blue skies, white clouds, and the sound of waves as the best background music."

Ethan had then squeezed my cheek, smiling indulgently:

"Okay, whatever you want."

"Later, the four of us will have a wedding on the island together. You and I as one couple, Liam and Cassie as the other, how about it?"

"It's a deal!"

"Pinky promise!"

Four pinky fingers hooked together, making that vow.

It seems laughable now, but to preserve that sense of sacredness, I had yearned for the ocean countless times, yet never once gone.

I stubbornly held onto the hope that the first time I saw the sea, it would be with him.

Dressed in a white wedding gown, embarking on the next chapter of my life.

But now, he casually said the beach was full of people and not much fun.

The sound of a key turning in the lock came from the living room. Ethan was back.

I quickly wiped my eyes, stuffing the bracelet and photo back into their places.

I walked to the living room sofa and sat down, starting to flip through the bridal boutique brochures on the coffee table.

As he changed his shoes, he said in a relaxed tone:

"What happened with Mia today was an accident.

There was an emergency patient who needed surgery at noon, and she stood with me in the operating room for five or six hours.

Plus, she had some family issues and didn't want to go back to face them, so I brought her along to lighten her mood."

His explanation was perfectly logical, completely watertight.

I calmly nodded: "Mmm, I understand."

Ethan seemed to relax, then turned with a satisfied expression to take a shower.

My phone rang.

It was the bridal boutique consultant.

"Ms. Chloe, hello. The wedding gowns you and Mrs. King liked yesterday have arrived in your sizes."

"When would be a good time for you to come for a fitting? Will Mr. Ethan be able to join you?"

Her voice was loud, exceptionally clear in the quiet living room.

The bathroom door opened, and Ethan walked out, wrapped in a towel, water still dripping from his hair.

He had clearly heard the phone call. The smile on his face vanished instantly, replaced by suppressed anger.

He frowned, walking over to me.

"Chloe, why are you always so immature?"

I hung up the phone and looked up at him.

"Is getting married something one person can decide? Have you ever considered my feelings?"

I said softly, "But I don't want to break our promise."

Ethan stared at me, seemingly unable to believe I could be so stubborn.

He shook his head, finally speaking harsh words:

"Unreasonable."

"I've indulged you for so many years; I've spoiled you rotten."

"I don't have time to go to the island. If you don't want to make a fool of yourself, go return that dress tomorrow!"

The next day.

Ethan told me he was attending a month-long medical symposium in New York and would be performing a few consulting surgeries while he was there.

I knew in my heart he was avoiding me.

A month later would be Liam and Cassie's wedding on the island.

By the time he returned, the wedding would already be a done deal.

This outcome, in fact, had long been anticipated.

But I never imagined that, to avoid marrying me, he would even choose to skip his best friend's wedding.

I silently saw him off at the airport.

At the security checkpoint, Mia was already waiting, hauling two enormous suitcases.

Seeing me, a brilliant smile bloomed on her face, and she said to me with a knowing look:

"Don't worry, Chloe. Ethan's all mine this month. I promise to take good care of him, make sure he's well-fed and taken care of."

I smiled and nodded: "Then I'll leave him in your capable hands."

Watching Ethan turn to enter the security lane, driven by an inexplicable impulse, I couldn't help but call out to him:

"Ethan!"

He stopped, looking at me across the bustling crowd.

Sunlight streamed through the airport's massive glass atrium, dappling his face with light and shadow.

It was still his face, but when did the boy I loved truly leave me?

Tears welled in my eyes. I tried to force a smile and softly said:

"Goodbye forever."

The air was thick with the din of people, the drone of announcements, the rumble of suitcase wheels, and the cries of childrena massive, interwoven cacophony.

He didn't hear me clearly. He waved a confused hand and called out, "What?"

I didn't answer again, just waved vigorously at him.

He frowned, seeming to sense something, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes, as he wavered, wanting to turn back.

Mia tugged his arm from behind, her voice a playful whine: "Ethan, hurry up! We're going to miss it!"

He followed her, walking on.

He kept turning back to look at me as he walked.

I smiled, watching them, until they were completely out of sight.

Leaving the airport, I went to the amusement park alone.

The carousel spun on, tirelessly.

The first time Ethan took me out, we rode the carousel.

It was one of the few rides that didn't require an extra ticket, but we were ecstatic.

He picked two horses side-by-side, one white, one brown.

The music started, and the carousel began to turn.

"Chloe. I love the feeling of riding side-by-side."

He reached out, and in the rhythm of the rising and falling horses, he took my hand.

"On our path forward, all I'd have to do is turn my head to see you."

"That's my ultimate happiness."

Ding-dongthe music stopped.

The carousel slowly ground to a halt.

I sat alone on the white horse, the brown one beside me empty.

I stepped out of the railing.

I looked back.

Only seven or eight rotations, and I was back at the starting point.

My phone vibrated in my pocket.

A message from Cassie:

"Tomorrow we're going to the island to finalize the venue and arrangements. Are you really sure about this?"

I looked up. A seam split open in the overcast sky, revealing a sliver of clean blue.

Tomorrow, I was going to see the ocean.