Chapter 3: “Do You Regret It?”

The church bells tolled, soft and solemn, as guests shuffled into pews lined with white roses and flickering candles. Everything looked beautiful like a dream someone else had built.

I stood at the entrance for a long moment, just breathing. Trying not to bolt.

Ishang gently nudged me forward. “Come on. We’re already here.”

I nodded, legs heavy. Each step down the aisle felt like walking through water. We found our seats near the back, quiet enough to be invisible, but close enough to see him.

And there he was.

Lark.

He stood at the altar, hands folded, chin lifted, waiting for his bride. His suit was sharp. His posture is calm. But it was the look on his face that undid me.

Peaceful.

Certain.

Radiating joy.

It was the same look he used to give me when we talked about the future under the ceiling of my room. Only now, it wasn’t mine.

The music changed. The guests stood.

And then… Elara walked in.

She was stunning. Soft lace, windswept hair, that serene, glowy kind of beauty reserved for brides and fairytales. Lark’s eyes sparkled the moment he saw her. Like she was everything he’d ever waited for.

My chest ached, a slow-burning twist that crept through my ribs and settled in my throat.

“Do you regret it now?” Ishang suddenly muttered, not looking at me.

I scoffed quietly, trying to mask the tightness that wrapped itself around my chest. “No. I don’t regret letting him go…”

My voice cracked on the word go.

“But I also didn’t expect my decision to lead to this.” I lowered my gaze. My eyes shimmered with unshed grief, but I blinked it back, refusing to let it spill over. “I—I didn’t think he’d be tied down this fast…”

"Are you okay? Should we go home?" she asked looking worried like she didn't insistently push me to come.

“I thought I was okay,” I admitted. “But I guess I’m not.”

“Of course you’re not,” she said, with a softness that surprised me. “You two have been friends for decades. You spent years hiding your feelings. You watched him grow, evolve—you were his safe space. Of course, it still hurts.”

She wasn’t wrong.

Lark and I had history. Not the kind you scrapbook, but the kind that lingers in the spaces between conversations and memories. We met in grade school. We grew up like vines tangled in the same soil. Best friends, always circling something more.

In college, he waited for me.

Three years.

And I never said yes.

Not because I didn’t love him, but because I thought we had more time.

If someone asked why we never ended up together, I’d say we just… drifted. That love alone wasn’t enough. That timing betrayed us.

Because it did.

“Friend,” Ishang leaned closer, her tone a little teasing, “Lark and you were never even official. So why are you sulking like a heartbroken ex?”

“Hey, FYI—he courted me for almost three years!” I hissed, trying to stay quiet.

“Yeah, and you never said yes. That’s on you.”

I slumped back in my chair, defeated. “I didn’t back out. I just… thought we had more time. I thought there was no need to rush.”

But time didn’t wait for us.

At the altar, Lark took Elara’s hands in his, his face radiant with a kind of happiness I’d never seen before. The kind I’d only imagined he’d have—with me.

That smile… it used to be mine.

Ishang nudged me. “So? What’s your realization now?”

“That I was stupid,” I whispered.

“Exactly.” She smirked, but her gaze softened. “But you’re here. You came. You’re watching him get married. That means something.”

I clenched my jaw, willing myself not to cry. “It means… it’s time to let go.”

She nodded. “You’ve been carrying these feelings for too long. Maybe it’s finally time to put them down.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “And how exactly do I do that?”

“Start by admitting it,” she said, gently. “Not just to me but also to yourself.”

The church bells rang again, this time for their first kiss.

I closed my eyes. Swallowed the lump in my throat.

And then I smiled.

It was small, fragile but real one.