Breaking Free Soaring High Novel – To everyone’s surprise, just as I caught the wedding bouquet, my boyfriend abruptly rushed out and left me behind at our friend’s wedding. I messaged Leo.”It’s done.” “Something has come up because Luna told me a client stop by unexpectedly.”He replied. I scrolled through our recent chats, Luna’s name came up in nearly every conversation. I had brought it up many times before, but his answers are always the same: “It’s just work.””She’s my secretary, it’s all professional.” “You knew back then that without her, the company wouldn’t have made it.” “You’re overthinking. Don’t be so petty.” Until… I saw them-Leo, arm-in-arm with Luna, weaving effortlessly through the crowd.
To everyone’s surprise, just as I caught the wedding bouquet, my boyfriend abruptly rushed out and left me behind. Luckily, the wedding went on unaffected by the little scene. Though distressed by my boyfriend’s left, I still genuinely happy for Emma. After seven years of an on-and-off relationship with her ex, she finally ended things when he cheated on her for the third and final time. Now fate smiled upon her again when she met her husband on a blind date. They hit it off instantly, leading them to a whirlwind romance that ended in a marriage. I, on the other hand, ended up being the last one in our group not yet married.
So today, everyone waited for me to catch the bouquet. “Liz, I’m so sorry that Leo would just walk out like that,” Emma consoled me after finishing her toasts. Our old classmates trailed behind her and tried to put good words for Leo, afraid I’d be upset over his sudden departure. “Never mind.” I said with a wry smile and downed my drink. The alcohol hit me, momentarily clouding my thoughts and stirring memories I almost forgot. Back then, I had been so sure of my future that I wore a wedding dress for my graduation photos that year. And Leo stood beside me, joyfully announcing to everyone that I was his most cherished gift. Even now, during every graduation season, someone still recounted the tale of me and Leo.
Everyone assumed I’d get married right after graduation. But seven years have passed, this most treasured gift remains unacknowledged–we haven’t gotten married. [It’s done.] I messaged Leo. [Something has come up because Luna told me a client stop by unexpectedly.] [Take a cab home.] [Okay.] We both knew he wouldn’t come to pick me up. Yet, we still went through the motions of this familiar exchange. After all, there really wasn’t much left to say. I scrolled through our recent chats, noticing that none of our conversations exceeded ten words. The most common message he sent was: [Not coming home tonight.] And then, there was always “Luna”. [I’m with Luna…] He was always traveling with Luna, meeting clients with Luna, heading to the airport with Luna. One thing Leo never tried to hide any of this from me.
But what he never understood was that it wasn’t about him telling me everything or coming to pick me up. What bothered me was that Luna’s name came up in nearly every conversation. I had brought it up many times before, but his answers are always the same: “It’s just work.” “She’s my secretary, it’s all professional.” “You knew back then that without her, the company wouldn’t have made it.” “You’re overthinking. Don’t be so petty.” After stumbling out of the hotel, I hailed a ride. The driver glanced at me and offered some advice. “Miss, seems like you’ve had a few drinks. Should I call someone to help you later? ” There was no one to call. I shook my head in silence and rolled down the window, letting the cool night air hit my face as the city lights blurred past.
Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind: Had I been too bold back then? Did I rush into wearing the wedding dress too soon? Was that why I still wasn’t married? But if I had married him, what would my life look like now? Would it always be shadowed by doubt, a loneliness I couldn’t shake? As I watched people outside the window moving through their lives, I found myself, for the first time, questioning whether I truly still wanted to marry Leo. The next day, I was jolted awake by my phone ringing non-stop. It was Emma. “Liz, the more I think about it, the more I feel like something was off yesterday. What ’s going on with Leo? You’ve been together for seven years, and he still hasn’t given you any clarity?” I hesitated. I didn’t know what to say.
Logically, I knew I should have been furious when he left me standing there. But instead, I felt nothing-because by now, I had grown numb to it. Just then, a message popped up on my screen. [There’s a company dinner tonight. I’ll come pick you up.] I paused, a little surprised. He rarely invited me to any of his company events, and now it seemed like he wanted to make it up to me. [Yesterday was just a work thing. Don’t overthink it.] Leo hadn’t changed- he was still as self-absorbed as ever, always thinking that a few gestures could fix everything. Our fights never lasted long- he’d always follow his same process, like clockwork, to solve them. Once he’d worked through his process, it didn’t matter if I agreed or not.
In his mind, the problem was already solved. And if I pushed further, he’d just leave me alone, his eyes questioning, “Why are you being so unreasonable?” He never realized that some things couldn’t be “fixed” like that. The emotions between two people aren’t like work. You can streamline work, but love doesn’t follow a formula. [Okay.] I got dressed, did my makeup, and put on my most elegant outfit. I stared at myself in the mirror, but couldn’t muster a smile. Once, I would have been thrilled that he wanted to take me to meet his colleagues. But now, I only felt exhausted. I waited downstairs for him, perfectly dressed and prepared. People passing by gave me curious glances. I waited for what felt like an eternity, but he never showed up. I called and texted him repeatedly, but received nothing in return. Eventually, I gave up and called a cab instead.
By the time I arrived at the event, the dinner was already in full swing. The guests were laughing and chatting in small groups, completely absorbed in their own conversations. I felt lost. I couldn’t find Leo, and I didn’t know anyone there. So, I retreated to a quiet corner and sinking into a chair,feeling the weight of loneliness settle in. And then, I saw them-Leo, arm-in-arm with Luna, weaving effortlessly through the crowd. The moment they entered the room, all eyes were drawn to them-they were magnetic,commending the attention of everyone around.
They gracefully moved around the room, greeting everyone with effortlessly charm. I watched as Luna handed Leo a drink with familiar ease, leaned in to whispered something, and then shared an intimate smile with him- one that I had once thought was mine alone. Surprisingly, my first emotion wasn’t anger. It was a quiet shock at how well they fit together-like two pieces of a puzzle I had never quite belonged to.