Runaway Bride, New Sunrise

1: 1

Whenever I went out with my best friend, my boyfriend Percival Harding never left our side.

We'd get boba, and he'd check first to make sure mine wasn't too hot.

We'd shop for clothes, and he'd weigh in on whether something showed too much skin.

Even when we went to the restroom, he'd remind me not to take too long.

I teased him for being so clingy.

He only looked worried.

"Laurie, you don't get it. Deidre Swanson is cut from the same cloth as my ex. I'm afraid she'll be a bad influence on you."

Before he met me, Percival had an ex he'd dated for five years.

Their breakup had gotten ugly.

He'd even fallen into a depression and tried to take his own life over it.

Caught in the middle, all I could do was try to smooth things over between him and Deidre.

Until five days before the wedding, when I saw Percival, who was supposed to be in a meeting, with his arm around Deidre, picking out rings.

He was smiling as she chattered on and on, letting her lace her fingers through his.

There was a tenderness in his eyes I'd never seen before.

In that moment, it hit me.

The more loudly a man claims to hate a woman, the more he's obsessed with her.

"Laurie, what are you doing here?"

Deidre waved me over.

Percival jumped like he'd been shocked and put a step of distance between them.

He frowned when he saw me loaded down with bagsthe wedding gown, the dress, the shoes I was supposed to wear on the big day.

"You could just leave all these little errands to the wedding planners. Why wear yourself out?"

I was about to point out that he was the one who'd told me yesterday the wedding party would gather at my little apartment instead.

That it would feel more like home than a hotel.

Then Deidre suddenly threw an arm around my neck and held up the ring on her hand for me to see.

"Laurie, what do you think of this one?"

I followed her gaze.

It wasn't the star-and-moon diamond ring I'd talked about with Percival.

It was a plain, simple band shaped like a love knot.

The clerk beside us smiled and explained that this ring meant you're a part of me and I'm a part of youit was this year's bestseller.

Clearly, she'd taken me for a friend of Percival and Deidre's.

Percival cleared his throat and pulled me aside.

"Laurie, don't read too much into it. The ring you wanted couldn't be ordered in time. Deidre just happened to be passing by, and she said she knows your taste, so I let her help. I was going to explain later."

Percival was swamped with work, and yet he'd carved out his free time.

To lock in the size and color of the gown, the shoes, the dress, the accessories.

Something in me softened. Maybe I really was overthinking it.

"Laurie, just bear with this for now. Don't worry, I'll get you the ring you like as soon as I can."

I nodded. And then the next second my eyes caught the letters engraved on the inside of the band. "XY."

But my name is Laurel Lyons.

All those days of running around suddenly seemed to have an answer.

So that was it. The waist of the gown was the wrong size, the shoulders of the dress were a finger too wide, the shoes weren't the silver-gray I'd chosen, the necklace didn't match my style.

None of it was Percival being careless and mixing things up.

None of it had been prepared for me at all.

I set the ring down and said quietly, "Percival, let's break up."

His face changed completely.

"Just because we couldn't get the ring you wanted?"

I sighed. "No. Because I've realized you don't love me anymore."

"The gown, the dress, the shoes not a single one is my size. How am I supposed to marry you like this?"

I turned to go, but Percival gripped my wrist tight.

"We're about to get married. What are you throwing a tantrum about now?"

"If something doesn't fit, we just swap it. Why drag out this 'you don't love me' nonsense? You have no idea how exhausting you are like this."

Deidre shoved him away.

"Can't you be a little gentler with Laurie? When a girl's upset, you're supposed to comfort her."

She put her arm around my shoulders, striking the same pose she always did, like she was taking my side.

But all I felt was how fake it was, and I twisted away from her touch.

"You're no different from him. From now on, I don't want to see either of you again."

Deidre's face froze, and she stood there at a loss.

Percival's patience was gone entirely.

"Laurel, aren't you being too much?"

"Deidre was only trying to help. What gives you the right to sneer at the two of us?"

I looked at him, and for some reason my eyes stung.

When had it become natural for him to say "the two of us," lumping himself in with Deidre?

For the first time, right in front of me, he pulled Deidre to his side and threw down a challenge.

"Come on, I'll break my own rule and take you home today. Let her have some time to think about what she's done."

We walked out of the mall, and Percival's familiar Cullinan rolled past me.

Not slowing for even a second.

My phone rang.

The wedding planners, wanting to settle the timing for hair and makeup on the big day.

I wiped the tears off my face and said softly,

"There's no need. The wedding's off."

2: 2

Ms. Lyons, you can't be serious. The girl on the phone sounded like she couldn't believe it.

You've come by our office more than a dozen times to put this wedding together.

You looked at dozens of different wedding styles, visited the venue seven or eight times, and designed the invitations yourself. I've never met a bride who put so much of herself into it

The truth was, this wedding of mine and Percival's had come together in a rush.

Only because Grandma didn't have long, and she wanted to see me married and settled before she closed her eyes.

I talked it over with Percival, and he said right away that he'd make sure Grandma's wish came true.

And now this wedding sat in my throat like a swallowed fly.

Cancel it, I cut her off. Because I don't want to get married anymore.

Back home, I listed the wedding gown, the dress, the wedding shoes, and all the designer bags Percival had given me that never fit and I'd never carried, on the resale app.

The moment the upload finished, my phone chimed.

Deidre had posted an update on social media.

What am I supposed to do? No matter how fast I try to stay mad, it never beats how sincerely a certain someone gives gifts!

The photo showed Herms's newest limited-edition bag.

And the figure in the background, I knew at a glance, was Percival.

I got up and went to the walk-in closet, took down from the shelf the bag that was exactly like Deidre's.

It was the birthday present Percival had given me a week ago.

After comparing them again and again, it all came clear.

Soon the comments on the resale app confirmed what I'd guessed.

Are you kidding me? A pile of knockoffs, and you've got the nerve to price them this high.

Right? Out of these ten, only the smallest one is real, and she still dares to call them authentic.

Probably some rich guy fobbing off a clueless Cinderella like her. See, wherever the money goes, that's where the love is.

Tears struck the screen, and my throat felt stuffed with wet cotton.

So it turned out his love had quietly moved on without my ever knowing.

My phone rang, and Percival's voice came through, thick with resentment.

Laurel, are you done making a scene?

Selling off the gown and the dress. Do you plan to marry me stark naked?

Take the things down right now, apologize to Deidre, and we'll let today's whole mess go.

A laugh escaped me. What did I do wrong that I need to apologize to her?

Percival sighed, like he was lecturing a child who wouldn't listen.

Let's stick to the facts. Deidre worked herself ragged helping you arrange this wedding, and the moment you're unhappy you want to cut her off. You're telling me that's not wrong?

And you know perfectly well she's insecure in relationships, and today you still said something that cut so deep. Do you have any idea? She cried the whole way home when I dropped her off tonight.

Just because I spoil you doesn't mean you get to jab at her sore spots every chance you get.

Every line sounded like he was looking out for me, and every word was defending Deidre.

I never knew that Percival, who had once loathed Deidre so much, had somehow become the person who understood her best.

I won't apologize, because the ones in the wrong are you two.

I hung up and sold everything on the resale app at a low price.

In less than an hour, it had all been snapped up.

I fell asleep alone at home, until a burst of frantic ringing woke me in the dead of night.

Ms. Lyons, come quickly. Your grandmother's been taken into the emergency room. We need you to sign the critical condition notice.

3: 3

I threw on my clothes and rushed straight to the hospital.

"The patient's condition has suddenly worsened. It's very serious."

"Isn't there anything else you can do?"

The doctor thought for a moment. "Harding Pharmaceuticals recently developed a new drug. If we could get hold of it, there might be a chance. But it isn't on the market yet, so it would be difficult."

I called Percival right then, hoping he'd ask his uncle, one of their researchers, for help.

It took five calls before he finally picked up.

"Percival, can you call your uncle? I need that new drug they just developed. My grandmother isn't going to make it."

It was loud on his end. I thought I could hear Deidre laughing.

After a while, his voice came through, impatient.

"Laurel, since when did you learn to play the pity card?"

"Just because Deidre had a rough family, now you want to do the same thing to get my attention? How childish can you be?"

"Besides, your grandmother's been at death's door plenty of times, and she always pulls through. If you're going to mess with me, at least use your head."

Before I could say another word, he hung up.

I called again. His phone was already off.

Not long after, the doors to the emergency room opened.

The doctor, his face full of regret, handed me a death certificate.

I looked at my grandmother under the white sheet, and everything went black. I fainted.

When I came to, I followed the funeral home's car in a numb daze to make the arrangements.

It was already past noon the next day when I got home.

I tucked my grandmother's memorial portrait into the deepest corner of my suitcase.

My phone buzzed. Deidre had posted something.

In the photo she leaned against Percival, surrounded by the Harding elders.

So that was where they'd been last night. Celebrating Percival's grandmother's seventieth birthday.

I opened my chat with Percival.

The last message still sitting there was from a week ago, saying he had to work late.

My fingers started shaking on their own.

So while my grandmother was fighting for her life, he was taking Deidre home to meet the family.

And I, his fiance, hadn't known a thing.

My finger slid down, and I blocked him and Deidre everywhere.

Then I quickly wrote up my resignation and sent it to my boss.

He replied with some regret. "Finish this project and I was going to put you on the next round of promotions. Leaving now isn't worth it."

I smiled and turned down his kindness.

I'd stayed in this city because of Percival.

He was the first person willing to give my grandmother and me a home.

But now my grandmother was gone and Percival's heart had moved on, so there was no reason left to stay.

My boss nodded, resigned.

"All right. Three days to hand things over, and then you can go."

4: 4

Over the next two days, I buried myself in the work handover and the arrangements for Grandma's funeral.

I never reached out to Percival again.

On the third day, he showed up outside my office building.

"Laurie, let's talk."

He took me to the restaurant where we'd had our first date.

I'd mentioned once, offhand, that I liked the place, and he'd gone straight out and gotten a VIP card so I could come eat whenever I wanted.

When we reached our usual table, there sat Deidre, plain as day.

Percival said, smiling,

"I was racking my brain over how to win you back, and in the end it was Deidre who came up with the plan. She'd get you out, she'd do the coaxing, and I'd pick up the tab."

"If you ask me, you could stand to learn a little of her thick skin. Stop keeping score over every little thing. Otherwise, once we're married, I'll be spending every single day trying to smooth you over."

Deidre took a red velvet box out of her bag and opened it. Inside lay a crystal bracelet.

"Laurie, this is the best-friend bracelet I made Percival buy. One for each of us."

She covered her mouth and gave a deliberately wicked little grin.

"I really soaked him for it, too. Consider it me teaching him a lesson on your behalf."

Watching the two of them play off each other so smoothly, I felt strangely like I'd woken up in another lifetime.

The Percival I used to know had, the very first time he met Deidre, written her off as the loose, bad-girl type.

Because of it, he'd kept me on the tightest leash, terrified she'd drag me down with her.

Every time the two of them were in the same room, it was either an argument or an all-out fight, like they'd been enemies in some past life.

And now these two, who'd never been able to stand the sight of each other, had somehow become allies.

After the meal, I went home with Percival.

He looked a little startled at the suitcase by the door.

"We're getting married any day now, and you're going on a business trip?"

I made up an excuse on the spot. "Going to keep Grandma company."

Something seemed to click in him, and a flicker of awkwardness crossed his face.

"Right, Grandma's out of the woods, isn't she? Honestly, those critical-condition notices from the hospital are just routine. She pulled through the last few times, so this time's no different. We get married tomorrow, why don't we bring her home to stay with us for a few days?"

I wanted so badly to tell him Grandma was never coming back.

But right then my phone rang.

Deidre's irritated voice came through the line.

"Harding, what is wrong with you? Laurie's new wedding dress and jewelry are still sitting here with me. You planning to have her walk down the aisle tomorrow with nothing on?"

Percival scratched his head, embarrassed. "Ah, I forgot. I'll come get them right now."

Once he left, I wheeled my suitcase out the door.

At the entrance to the complex, I suddenly saw his car drive past.

Curiosity pulled me after it.

I never expected him to go to the apartment he'd given me before the engagement.

At our one-year anniversary, he'd bought it outright, cash, saying he wanted to give Grandma and me a home.

Later I moved into his big open-plan place, and I rarely came here anymore.

He got out his key to unlock the door, and the door swung open from the inside.

Deidre, in a fiery red dress, grabbed him by the tie and kissed him hungrily.

I froze where I stood, biting my lip until it bled.

On the way to the train station, I called the real estate agent.

"I need you to sell this apartment fast, even below market."

...

In the morning, Percival woke to his alarm.

He sent Laurel a message, reminding her to get back to the apartment and do her hair and makeup, that they'd be coming for the bride at ten-thirty sharp.

But Laurel didn't answer.

She was probably already washing up and getting ready, he figured, so he didn't push.

Yet when the group arrived at the apartment to collect the bride, there was no sign of her at all.

Instead they found the agent walking a few people through the place, sizing it up.

"Who let you in? Don't you know there's a wedding happening here today?"

The agent hurried to explain.

"Ms. Lyons hired me to sell this apartment fast."

Percival, refusing to believe it, called Laurel. No one picked up.

Then he called the wedding planning company and learned the wedding had been cancelled three days ago.

The color drained from his face. He turned and rushed to the hospital.

He ran to Grandma's room, and the nurse told him the patient had passed away days ago.

"That's impossible. She said just yesterday she was coming to be with Grandma. How could"

The nurse cut him off, her voice gentle with sympathy.

"The patient took a sudden turn for the worse. Ms. Lyons said she could get the new special drug Harding had developed, but for some reason she came back empty-handed in the end, and the old woman didn't make it..."

In his mind, Percival heard again the choked sound of Laurel's voice on the phone that night.

His legs gave out, and he sank down onto the floor.