Sarah pushed down her emotions and said quietly, “Alright. I’ll go.”
Shane’s friends were already making a fuss, and after he’d spoken like that, Sarah didn’t have an excuse to refuse.
Besides, she’d be leaving soon.
Whatever time they had left—this would be the last of it.
She might as well treat it as a farewell.
Sarah changed her clothes and got ready to head out with Shane.
Once they were in the car, her gaze drifted and landed on Shane’s keychain.
It was a pink-and-white bunny.
Etched into a barely visible corner were the letters “NW.”
Clearly, it was from Nora.
Shane had used it for a long time and kept it in perfect condition.
Sarah hadn’t known the story behind the keychain back then. She’d just joked once that she wanted it.
Shane had laughed and coaxed her, “Sarah, this is very important to me. What are you gonna trade for it?”
She hadn’t understood at the time. She’d just been upset that he couldn’t even part with a keychain.
Looking at it now, it was obvious—this thing meant the world to him.
“Why are you staring at that keychain again?” Shane teased with a smile. “Like it that much? I’ll have someone make you a new one.”
His eyes curved with laughter, full of warmth.
Sarah used to love those eyes.
Now, she realized—maybe it was those very eyes that had tricked her into believing she was loved.
She stayed quiet for a long time before shaking her head. “No need, Shane. I’m too old for little trinkets like that.”
The keychain. Shane’s love.
She didn’t need any of it.
Shane just ruffled her hair and drove them to the club.
By the time they arrived, the room was already packed.
Seeing Sarah, everyone grinned and teased.
“Had to be Nora. Otherwise, Shane would’ve ditched us tonight for sure.”
Shane wrapped an arm around her and led her to a seat.
The lighting was dim. Shane’s features looked cold and refined, calm and effortlessly superior.
Even in a crowd, he stood out.
He knew Sarah was shy and reserved. Seeing the group teasing her, he spoke slowly to smooth things over.
“You guys reek of alcohol. Stay back a little, would you?”
“Exactly,” someone jumped in, laughing. “Sarah doesn’t drink, right? Juice or milk? I’ll have someone bring it over.”
Shane rarely let her drink. He patted her head and asked softly, “Milk again?”
His voice was gentle, eyes warm. That warmth had held her captive since she was young.
But now, all she felt was tired.
She wasn’t a child.
Kindness didn’t equal love.
“Either’s fine,” she answered quietly.
The milk was brought over quickly.
Everyone in the room was considerate of her—even avoided smoking nearby.
Let alone the usual crude jokes men tossed around.
But none of it could lift Sarah’s mood.
Shane noticed and asked gently, “Little Sarah, are you feeling alright?”
Everyone turned to look at her with concern.
“ Are we being too loud? Are you okay?”
Sarah looked around, remembering the tone Shane’s childhood friends used when they talked about Nora that day—so warm, so familiar.
She couldn’t pretend anymore.
“I’m fine. It’s just stuffy in here. I need some air.”
“Alright,” Shane said with a smile, draping his coat over her shoulders. “It’s cold outside. Make sure you wear this.”
Sarah left the room without a word.
The night breeze was crisp. She stared at the starry sky, her mind replaying the years she’d spent with Shane. The sadness inside was unrelenting.
Nora had been Shane’s crush.
And Shane—hadn’t he been hers?
But some lights were never meant to shine on her.
She stood lost in thought when a familiar figure appeared not far away.
The woman wore a white dress. Her features were soft and elegant, bearing a faint resemblance to Sarah.
Nora… had come too.
Sarah froze.
She’d assumed Shane would never let the two of them cross paths—yet here Nora was.
Suddenly, Shane’s words echoed in her mind: “Unless your sister-in-law agrees to come with me, I’m not going anywhere.”
Who had he meant by that—her, or Nora?
Sarah’s fingers curled slightly. Her chest felt tight as she trailed after Nora without thinking.
The door to the room wasn’t shut all the way—just slightly ajar.
Nora walked in, clearly familiar with Shane’s circle.
The guys lit up the moment they saw her. “Nora! You’re finally here. Shane’s been waiting for you all night.”
“Yeah, he was totally out of it until you showed up.”
“Quit it,” Shane cut in mildly, but he didn’t stop Nora from sitting right next to him.
Sarah watched it all quietly, a hollow numbness spreading in her chest.
Of course.
Everyone around Shane knew about Nora.
In their eyes, the real “sister-in-law” had only ever been Nora.
Just then, her phone buzzed with a text.
It was from Shane.
“Don’t worry. I’ll behave—won’t touch anyone else. Just having a drink with them.”
A photo came attached—him holding a drink.
They always used this method to check in with each other.
In love, Sarah was no different from any ordinary girl.
Clingy, insecure, possessive.
To make her feel safe, Shane would always update her like this when they were apart.
But a second later—
Her eyes drifted to Shane’s arm around Nora.
They sat close, intimate—like a couple.
The man who had just promised her he’d “behave,” the man who had just sworn not to touch anyone else, was now holding the one woman she couldn’t stand.
Sarah stared at them.
Something inside her shattered.
Maybe it was time for all this to end.
She opened her phone and booked a flight back to Capital City—twenty-nine days from now.
Shane’s friends were already making a fuss, and after he’d spoken like that, Sarah didn’t have an excuse to refuse.
Besides, she’d be leaving soon.
Whatever time they had left—this would be the last of it.
She might as well treat it as a farewell.
Sarah changed her clothes and got ready to head out with Shane.
Once they were in the car, her gaze drifted and landed on Shane’s keychain.
It was a pink-and-white bunny.
Etched into a barely visible corner were the letters “NW.”
Clearly, it was from Nora.
Shane had used it for a long time and kept it in perfect condition.
Sarah hadn’t known the story behind the keychain back then. She’d just joked once that she wanted it.
Shane had laughed and coaxed her, “Sarah, this is very important to me. What are you gonna trade for it?”
She hadn’t understood at the time. She’d just been upset that he couldn’t even part with a keychain.
Looking at it now, it was obvious—this thing meant the world to him.
“Why are you staring at that keychain again?” Shane teased with a smile. “Like it that much? I’ll have someone make you a new one.”
His eyes curved with laughter, full of warmth.
Sarah used to love those eyes.
Now, she realized—maybe it was those very eyes that had tricked her into believing she was loved.
She stayed quiet for a long time before shaking her head. “No need, Shane. I’m too old for little trinkets like that.”
The keychain. Shane’s love.
She didn’t need any of it.
Shane just ruffled her hair and drove them to the club.
By the time they arrived, the room was already packed.
Seeing Sarah, everyone grinned and teased.
“Had to be Nora. Otherwise, Shane would’ve ditched us tonight for sure.”
Shane wrapped an arm around her and led her to a seat.
The lighting was dim. Shane’s features looked cold and refined, calm and effortlessly superior.
Even in a crowd, he stood out.
He knew Sarah was shy and reserved. Seeing the group teasing her, he spoke slowly to smooth things over.
“You guys reek of alcohol. Stay back a little, would you?”
“Exactly,” someone jumped in, laughing. “Sarah doesn’t drink, right? Juice or milk? I’ll have someone bring it over.”
Shane rarely let her drink. He patted her head and asked softly, “Milk again?”
His voice was gentle, eyes warm. That warmth had held her captive since she was young.
But now, all she felt was tired.
She wasn’t a child.
Kindness didn’t equal love.
“Either’s fine,” she answered quietly.
The milk was brought over quickly.
Everyone in the room was considerate of her—even avoided smoking nearby.
Let alone the usual crude jokes men tossed around.
But none of it could lift Sarah’s mood.
Shane noticed and asked gently, “Little Sarah, are you feeling alright?”
Everyone turned to look at her with concern.
“ Are we being too loud? Are you okay?”
Sarah looked around, remembering the tone Shane’s childhood friends used when they talked about Nora that day—so warm, so familiar.
She couldn’t pretend anymore.
“I’m fine. It’s just stuffy in here. I need some air.”
“Alright,” Shane said with a smile, draping his coat over her shoulders. “It’s cold outside. Make sure you wear this.”
Sarah left the room without a word.
The night breeze was crisp. She stared at the starry sky, her mind replaying the years she’d spent with Shane. The sadness inside was unrelenting.
Nora had been Shane’s crush.
And Shane—hadn’t he been hers?
But some lights were never meant to shine on her.
She stood lost in thought when a familiar figure appeared not far away.
The woman wore a white dress. Her features were soft and elegant, bearing a faint resemblance to Sarah.
Nora… had come too.
Sarah froze.
She’d assumed Shane would never let the two of them cross paths—yet here Nora was.
Suddenly, Shane’s words echoed in her mind: “Unless your sister-in-law agrees to come with me, I’m not going anywhere.”
Who had he meant by that—her, or Nora?
Sarah’s fingers curled slightly. Her chest felt tight as she trailed after Nora without thinking.
The door to the room wasn’t shut all the way—just slightly ajar.
Nora walked in, clearly familiar with Shane’s circle.
The guys lit up the moment they saw her. “Nora! You’re finally here. Shane’s been waiting for you all night.”
“Yeah, he was totally out of it until you showed up.”
“Quit it,” Shane cut in mildly, but he didn’t stop Nora from sitting right next to him.
Sarah watched it all quietly, a hollow numbness spreading in her chest.
Of course.
Everyone around Shane knew about Nora.
In their eyes, the real “sister-in-law” had only ever been Nora.
Just then, her phone buzzed with a text.
It was from Shane.
“Don’t worry. I’ll behave—won’t touch anyone else. Just having a drink with them.”
A photo came attached—him holding a drink.
They always used this method to check in with each other.
In love, Sarah was no different from any ordinary girl.
Clingy, insecure, possessive.
To make her feel safe, Shane would always update her like this when they were apart.
But a second later—
Her eyes drifted to Shane’s arm around Nora.
They sat close, intimate—like a couple.
The man who had just promised her he’d “behave,” the man who had just sworn not to touch anyone else, was now holding the one woman she couldn’t stand.
Sarah stared at them.
Something inside her shattered.
Maybe it was time for all this to end.
She opened her phone and booked a flight back to Capital City—twenty-nine days from now.
