July 1st.
That was the day she was scheduled to die.
July 1st was a very special date.
It was Scarlett’s birthday.
Three years earlier, on that same day, Nathaniel had proposed to her.
She would never forget that night.
Candle flames flickering, her favorite starry design on the cake…
Twenty-three-year-old Nathaniel kneeling before her, earnestly presenting everything he owned:
“Here’s my car title, my property deed, this card has all my savings.”
The soft candlelight illuminated his youthful face as he took a deep breath, gathering courage to look up at her.
“I thought the timing and location for this moment needed to be perfect, but later I realized the only thing that matters is you. I know you’ve always wanted to go to Switzerland, but I can’t wait any longer. We can get married in Switzerland, but right now, I just want to know…”
“Scarlett, will you marry me?”
The scenes from the past replayed frame by frame before her eyes.
Now, they were both standing on Swiss soil as promised.
Nathaniel was heading toward marriage, while she was heading toward death.
Scarlett looked at Nathaniel. His face was the same, but she could no longer see a trace of who he used to be.
She took a deep breath, tears flowing wildly inside her heart, though not a single drop showed on her face.
She smiled and said, “Congratulations. I wish you both happiness.”
The wind moaned through the hospital corridor, as if crying for someone.
After leaving the hospital, Scarlett went to the medical facility to deliver her documentation.
The staff member took the papers and said, “During the assisted suicide procedure, a family member should be present…”
With that, he looked at the empty space behind Scarlett, his gaze pausing briefly.
Scarlett gave a small “hmm.”
“I’ll be fine alone.”
The staff member didn’t press further, just sighed softly.
“You have three days left. Try to… enjoy your remaining time.”
After leaving the facility, Scarlett received a call from Nathaniel.
She hesitated for a few seconds before answering.
There was no immediate response from the other end, just light breathing, but Scarlett’s eyes still welled up.
She silently cursed her own weakness, taking a deep breath before shakily saying, “Nathaniel…”
But the next moment, Riley’s voice came through: “It’s not him, it’s me!”
Like being doused with cold water, Scarlett snapped back to reality. “Sorry, did you need something?”
“Tomorrow Nate and I are going to pick out wedding dresses. He has terrible taste, and I don’t have any female friends here. I was hoping you could help me choose—would that be okay?”
Riley’s voice sounded sweet through the phone.
Scarlett gripped her phone tightly, instinctively wanting to refuse. “I…”
But before she could finish, Nathaniel’s detached voice cut in: “Tomorrow at ten AM. I’ll text you the location.”
He hung up immediately, giving Scarlett no chance to decline.
Moments later, Scarlett received a text from Nathaniel with the location and five hundred dollars.
With a final message: [Payment for your time. I don’t want Riley to be upset. Please.]
Scarlett stared at these words for a long time before replying: “Okay.”
The next day, Scarlett arrived at the bridal shop as agreed.
She sat on the sofa, watching Riley flip through dress catalogs, smiling as she asked Nathaniel if they looked nice.
Nathaniel gazed at her tenderly, saying each one looked beautiful.
Scarlett stared blankly, suddenly remembering a time long ago—
Nathaniel had once shown her wedding dress pictures too, smiling as he promised to make her the most beautiful bride in the world.
Back then, the tenderness in his eyes could have drowned her, and she truly believed they would walk down the aisle together one day.
She never imagined that a year later, she would be the ex-girlfriend witnessing Nathaniel’s happiness with someone else.
Waves of pain shot through Scarlett’s heart. She looked away, not wanting to see more, but Riley brought the selected photos right in front of her.
“His taste is terrible. This set is clearly gorgeous, but he absolutely refuses it, says he’d rather die than choose this one. What do you think?”
Scarlett looked down and saw that Riley had chosen the exact dress she had once told Nathaniel she loved.
Was that why Nathaniel didn’t want this one?
Scarlett couldn’t help blurting out, “You still remember…”
“Remember what?”
Nathaniel raised an eyebrow, cutting her off in a detached tone. “I just think the style is outdated.”
Scarlett stared at Nathaniel’s cold expression.
After a moment, she nodded. “Yes, it’s out of style.”
The style was outdated.
And so was she.
She tried to smile gracefully and move past the awkward moment, but couldn’t manage to curve her lips upward. She could only lower her head to hide her expression.
Suddenly, she felt warmth at the tip of her nose, and bright red blood dripped onto the catalog.
She froze, about to wipe it away when Nathaniel abruptly stood up.
“What’s wrong with you?”
