Liam Leo Ava Novel The Ten-Year Red Thread Burns to Ashes

My roommate, my brother, always went for the sweet, girl-next-door type. I was always drawn to the strong, sophisticated woman.
We used to joke that wed never end up as rivals in love.
But three years after my girlfriend vanished, I saw her again. She was at my roommates wedding.
She was the bride. I was the best man.
A friend clapped me on the back, laughing as he recounted their love story.
Her company went bankrupt back then, and she was about to jump off a roof. I was the one who saved her. I heard some other guy was clinging to her at the time, but I took her abroad to start fresh.
Pretty smooth, right, Liam?
Leo was still talking, beaming, but I couldnt hear a word. My mind went white.
Three years. Over a thousand days and nights. The love of my life had been hidden away for three whole years by the man I saw every single day.

1
I listened to my friends words, my legs feeling like they were about to give out. A tremor started in my hands and spread through my whole body.
Leo noticed my pale face and quickly helped me into the bridal lounge, his voice laced with concern.
Liam, whats wrong? Are you feeling sick?
For three years, I had searched for Ava. Id traveled to countless cities, questioned hundreds of people, plastered up missing person posters, filed police reports, and scoured the internet.
Even her own family had given up, convinced she was truly gone. I was the only one who believed she was still alive, the only one who never stopped looking.
I dont know how many nights I spent standing on the edge of a rooftop, contemplating an end to the crushing despair.
And now, it was all a joke.
I looked down at the network of faded white scars that crisscrossed my forearms. A bitter sting filled my eyes, and my heart felt like it was being shredded.
Leo sighed. Youre thinking about her again, arent you? Let it go, man. Its been too long. You need to move on. You could find a great girl, just like I did, and start over.
Ill get everyone together soon, he added, trying to cheer me up. Ill have Ava introduce you to some of her friends.
Just as he finished speaking, Ava walked in. She was wearing a magnificent wedding gown, her figure as stunning as it was three years ago.
The only thing that had changed was the way she looked at me. Before, her eyes held only me. Now, she gave me a fleeting glance before turning to adjust Leos suit.
Her bridesmaids followed behind herthe same friends who used to call me their brother-in-law. I remembered it all so clearly.
When they saw me, their eyes were filled with unspoken words, a flicker of pity and guilt.
A moment ago, I might have been able to delude myself into thinking shed lost her memory in the fall.
But every one of her friends standing there was a silent testament to the truth. She hadnt forgotten. She remembered everything.
She just didnt love me anymore.
Leo gazed at Ava with pure adoration. Honey, tell your friends not to leave tonight. Well have a big party, celebrate properly. He shot me a meaningful look.
Ava gave a noncommittal nod, her eyes fixed on Leo. She never looked at me again.
It was as if we were complete strangers.
I slowly closed my eyes, the feeling of a giant hand squeezing my heart, crushing it, then tossing it into a fire.
The pain it was unbearable.
I stumbled into the bathroom, my back sliding down the cool tile wall as a wave of agony washed over me.
My chest heaved with a pain so deep it felt physical, and a choked sob escaped my lips.
Ava, how could you leave me?

2
As I walked out of the bathroom, I overheard one of her friends asking her in a hushed tone, Ava, are you sure about this? You really dont love Liam anymore?
Her reply was flat, devoid of emotion. Hes just some broken relic from the past. You can have him if you want.

The ceremony began.
Leo, sensing my state, found someone else to stand in for me at the last minute.
Ava watched with a serene expression as Leo knelt before her, waiting for him to slide the ring onto her finger.
I stood in the furthest corner, watching her smile and say, I do.
A bitter jealousy surged through me. I wanted to rush the stage, to stop them, to scream at Leo and ask him why hed stolen my girlfriend.
Why did he hide her away? Why did he let me search for three agonizing years?
And I wanted to ask Ava why she was pretending not to know me.
Why didnt she come find me when she returned? Why did everyone keep this secret from me?
I wanted to burn the whole wedding to the ground.
But I didnt.
I just sat in my corner and, after they exchanged their vows, I was the first to applaud.
I clapped so hard that people nearby turned to stare.
I didnt care. I just held Avas gaze when she looked out at the crowd.
Our eyes met. My nose stung, and the tears Id been holding back finally broke free.
Avas expression flickered for a fraction of a second before her gaze slid away, her dark eyes as cold and empty as ice.
My fingernails dug into my palms. I think I was going insane.
I pulled out my phone and sent her a text.
[Ava, I dont wish you a happy marriage.]
[I hope you never find the one you love. I hope you spend the rest of your life searching!]
The moment I hit send, I felt like a fool.
The man she loved was already her husband. My curse was meaningless.
I left before the reception ended. If I stayed any longer, I was afraid Id lose control completely.
Over a year ago, after another long stretch with no news of Ava, I had tried to kill myself.
But I failed. My neighbor found me and I was rushed to the hospital.
When I woke up, Avas mother was holding my hand, her face streaked with tears, begging me to live. For her daughter.
But a world without Ava was just darkness. It was too much to bear.
We had grown up together, started dating right after middle school. We were just about to pick a date to get married after graduating from college.
Then her company collapsed, leaving her with a mountain of debt. She couldnt take it. She jumped. And then she was gone.
I went to the police station countless times, questioned every single person who was there that day. The story was always the same.
No one saw her.
Now she was back. But she didnt love me anymore.

3
I fell into a restless sleep. When I woke up, I checked my phone.
Besides a string of missed calls from Leo and a comforting message from Avas mom, there was one other notification that stood out.
A single, cold reply from her.
[Get lost.]
A bitter laugh escaped my lips. The connection I had clung to so desperately was nothing more than a joke to her.
Suddenly, my gaze fell upon my wrist.
A thin red thread was tied around it, a gift from Ava three years ago.
The color had long since faded, but I could never bring myself to take it off.
Before our engagement, she had gone to a temple on a mountain. She had climbed ten thousand steps to get this one precious thread from a master artisan.