Chapter 1

My fiancé of five years lent the white rose greenhouse—the one we built for our wedding—to his junior for her graduation project.

"Postponing the wedding to next year won't change anything. Elara, we've been together for five years. A few more months won't matter, right?"

He was certain I couldn't live without him, expecting me to wait around for him to cash his empty promises of marriage, just like I had countless times before.

My voice flat. "She can have the greenhouse. But I'm done waiting for a five-year-old promise."

He froze for a second, then his brows furrowed, assuming I was just throwing a tantrum again. "Fine, act out all you want. I'll make it up to you once I'm done with this busy period."

Until a month later, when he scrolled through his social media feed and my wedding photos popped up on his screen.

Surrounded by a sea of white roses, I was in a wedding gown, smiling radiantly.

Staring at the screen, Julian was suddenly struck by the memory of the night I handed over that key.

My best friend, Maya, had practically gritted her teeth as she asked me:

"Didn't we agree that once this garden bloomed, you'd put on your dress and be the most beautiful bride in the world? He just gave away your wedding venue with a single sentence. What does he even take you for?"

I fought back the last bit of foolish obsession in my eyes and gave her a smile. "The wedding goes on as planned."

If Julian didn't want to get married, so be it.

I'd just marry someone else.

......

"Cheers! To five years of Julian and Elara's hard work, and to a whole garden of Juliet roses finally in full bloom!"

The clinking of champagne flutes echoed through the greenhouse.

The Juliet roses blossomed like snow, filling the air with their rich, sweet fragrance. This was the greenhouse Julian and I had built with our own hands, planting every single seedling over the last five years.

When he proposed five years ago, he pointed at this barren plot of land and made a promise: "Elara, the day these Juliet white roses fully bloom is the day we'll have our wedding."

Today, they bloomed.

Tipsy, Maya smiled and stirred up the crowd. "Julian, the flowers have bloomed. It's time to cash in that five-year promise, right? If you don't give us a straight answer today, we're not letting you off the hook!"

Our friends chimed in with good-natured teasing, all eyes suddenly turning to Julian.

I stood beside him, my palms damp with sweat.

Once the flowering season drew near, he started pushing back every date we discussed.

But in this very moment, a spark of hope still ignited in my chest.

Julian didn't look at me. Instead, his gaze instinctively drifted toward Chloe.

Chloe was his junior from university, who had joined his studio half a year ago. That was also exactly when Julian started flaking on me time and time again, all for her sake.

Julian cleared his throat. "About the wedding... we might need to put it on hold for a bit."

The cheerful chatter came to a dead halt. Maya's smile stiffened, her brows knitting together. "On hold? What do you mean? You kept pushing the date back because the flowers hadn't bloomed yet. Now they have, and you're still putting it off?"

"Chloe's been running into major issues with her botany graduation project. She's under a lot of pressure right now and hasn't been able to sleep for nights."

Julian turned to the crowd, and then to me, trying to justify himself. "The climate control system in this greenhouse is top-tier. I want to lend it to Chloe for a few months so she can finish her thesis. As for the wedding... let's just wait for the blooming season next year."

A dead silence fell over the greenhouse.

With red eyes, Chloe looked up at me timidly. "I'm so sorry, Elara. Maybe... maybe I just shouldn't take up your greenhouse. I can't ruin your wedding. At worst, I just won't graduate."

As she spoke, she made a show of trying to return the key to Julian.

Julian immediately grabbed her hand, his brow furrowing defensively. "Don't be ridiculous. What's more important: your future or a ceremony? Elara isn't the type to be unreasonable. She'll understand."

He looked at me, a hint of warning and absolute certainty in his eyes. "Right, Elara? The wedding can happen anytime, but Chloe only gets one shot at her graduation project. Just be the bigger person."

This wasn't the first time he'd told me to be the bigger person.

On New Year's Eve half a month ago, he left me standing alone by the riverside in freezing temperatures just to go pick up Chloe after her car broke down.

At my birthday dinner last month, he rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night because Chloe cut her finger, leaving me alone at a table full of cold food.

Every single time, he'd say, "She's all alone in this city and having a tough time. Don't be so petty."

I looked at the garden of white roses before me.

Five years ago, to successfully cultivate these roses, I pored over endless research materials and stayed up for countless nights.

My hands were pricked by thorns more times than I could count, and I even broke out in severe hives from allergies.

I poured my heart and soul into this, just so we could have our wedding sooner. Meanwhile, he used every excuse in the book to stall.

And now, he was nonchalantly giving away this greenhouse—the very place holding every bit of my hope—to Chloe.

Miraculously, a wave of unprecedented clarity washed over me in that very moment.

"It's fine," I heard my own voice ring out, completely calm.

Julian let out a sigh of relief, wearing an I knew you'd be reasonable expression on his face. Chloe discreetly relaxed as well, the faintest ghost of a smirk pulling at the corners of her lips.

"But I'm done waiting for a five-year-old promise." Without another word, and ignoring the absolute shock in Maya's eyes, I turned on my heel and walked out of the greenhouse.