Chapter 4: The Wedding Photoshoot That Wasn't Mine

"Let's not go for our wedding photoshoot tomorrow," Dante said.

I checked the calendar on the table. The words "wedding photoshoot" were clearly written in the box for the next day.

I wasn't sure why Dante was suddenly asking to cancel the photoshoot. Nevertheless, I didn't intend on going through with the wedding anyway. If he hadn't said anything, I would've found an excuse to call off the photoshoot. Since he was bringing it up himself, it not only saved me the trouble but also made me feel relieved.

Nodding, I said calmly, "Fine. I'll call the photographer to cancel the photoshoot."

Dante was startled. He hadn't expected me to agree to it so readily. Then, doing his best to hide his uneasiness, he continued, "You don't need to cancel it. Isobel says she might never have a chance to get married, so she wants to do a wedding photoshoot with me. That way, she can pretend like she got married as well and won't have any regrets.

"Isobel and I will do the photoshoot tomorrow. You and I can have a replacement wedding photoshoot in the future."

His tone was calm and nonchalant, as if he were merely describing what he'd like to have for lunch tomorrow. He made it sound like his request was a perfectly ordinary one. He'd done the same thing two weeks ago when he told me he wanted to have a baby with Isobel. Although he phrased it like a discussion, his tone made it clear that he had already made up his mind. He was merely informing me about it.

Dante didn't know there wasn't going to be a "future" with us still together.

"Fine," I replied coolly before heading to bed.

Since the wedding wasn't happening, it didn't matter to me who Dante took wedding photos with.

As he watched me leave, Dante felt a strange, uneasy feeling he couldn't explain. I was too calm. I didn't even question him. All of the arguments and reasons he prepared went unused. He expected me to get emotional and demand to know why he made such a decision, but I showed no reaction at all.

The next morning, I woke up just in time to see Dante get ready to leave. While putting on his shoes, he said to me, "After the wedding photoshoot, I plan on taking a trip with Isobel. She's been longing to go on holiday to Northshore Island, so I'll go with her.

"Keep the wedding simple. I won't be able to attend the rehearsal, so you'll have to make all the decisions. You don't need to ask for my opinion."

While munching on a piece of toast, I curtly said, "Got it."

He wanted me to keep things simple, huh? Well, the wedding wasn't going to have any photos, guests, or an officiant. It wasn't even going to have a bride.

Dante looked at me as I calmly ate my breakfast. After giving it some thought, he added, "After the wedding, let's go to Aerona for our honeymoon. I know you've always wanted to go."

In the past, if I'd heard Dante voluntarily suggesting a honeymoon, I would've happily begun planning for it. After all, I'd asked him countless times to go on holiday with me, but he'd always rejected me. He kept saying that he hated traveling and thought it was too exhausting.

But now, I merely focused on my food without giving him a response.

Dante wanted to continue speaking, but when he saw the clock on the wall, he rushed out the door after saying, "We'll talk more when I get back."

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

There were 12 more days left.

After breakfast, I began tidying up the house, clearing it of unwanted items, such as the photo album with fewer than five photos inside, the dust-covered project in the corner, and the couple-themed pajamas that had never been worn.

We'd been together for five years. I had carefully selected every single item in this place, slowly turning the empty house into a cozy home.

If I'd paid closer attention, I'd have noticed that Dante had never touched most of these things. He said that even though he was dating me, he was still his own person. He didn't like using couple-themed items. They made him feel like he was being controlled by another.

Since that was the case, it was better to get rid of everything and let these memories disappear as well.