Rain had been falling since afternoon, washing over the windows of their home until the world outside looked like a faded painting. Inside the bedroom, only the nightstand lamp was on. Its dim light fell across the rumpled sheets and two breaths that were slowly beginning to steady.
Drew lay on his back, one arm still wrapped around Alea’s waist. She rested her cheek against his chest, listening to his heartbeat gradually return to normal.
“Are you tired?” Drew asked.
Alea gave him a small smile. “A little.”
“A little?”
Alea’s tiny nod made Drew laugh softly. His voice was low and warm, blending with the rain tapping against the roof.
Alea closed her eyes. They had been married for three years, yet there were moments when she still felt as if she were borrowing someone else’s life. This house, this bedroom, the man holding her—it was all real. But it was too easy to call it love.
Drew got out of bed and picked up the pants lying on the floor.
“I’m going to the bathroom first.” He bent down and kissed Alea’s forehead. “Want to come with me?”
Alea chuckled and shook her head.
Drew walked toward the bathroom. A moment later, she heard water running behind the door. Alea pulled the blanket up over her chest, then reached for her phone on the nightstand.
The moment the screen lit up, an incoming call from Nia appeared. Nia had been her best friend since middle school.
“Lea, are you with Drew?” Nia’s voice was nearly a shout over the pounding electronic music in the background.
“Yeah. Why?”
“Listen carefully, okay? Ishara is back.”
Alea’s fingers tightened around the phone at the name.
“Who’s Ishara?” she asked, even though she already knew the answer.
“Don’t joke around.” Nia let out a sharp snort. “Ishara, Drew’s first love. His childhood best friend.” Nia took a breath. “She just came back from overseas, got divorced, and now she’s drunk and looking for Drew.”
Alea stared at the bathroom door. The water was still running behind it.
“What did she say?”
“She kept calling Drew’s name. All she wants is for your husband to come pick her up. I just happened to be here dropping off a client, so I called you right away.”
Alea fell silent for a long time. She could no longer hear Nia’s rambling on the other end.
She didn’t know what bothered her more—the fact that a woman named Ishara had returned, or the fact that Nia still remembered her as Drew’s first love.
“Send me the club’s address,” Alea said.
“You’re coming here?”
“I just want to know.”
“Lea, be careful. Ishara isn’t a stranger to Drew.”
The words struck deeper into Alea’s heart than they should have. A faint flutter suddenly stirred inside her for some reason.
After the call ended, Alea lowered the phone into her lap. The rain outside grew heavier. Its sound filled the room, but it wasn’t loud enough to drown out her memories.
Three years earlier, she had accepted a blind date arranged by both their parents. Drew arrived in a black shirt, wearing a smile so faint it was almost invisible. He didn’t say much, but every answer he gave felt honest. There was no excessive flirting, no fabricated sweet promises. He needed a wife to reassure his parents and grandmother. And Alea needed a husband to put an end to her parents’ relentless pressure to get married. They agreed. It was purely a practical arrangement.
“There won’t be any love in our marriage,” Drew had said, his expression almost unnervingly calm.
Alea nodded. Her heart whispered…
If I had even one chance to marry someone who would never love me, while I loved him… Could love grow if one of us kept nurturing it?
They got married a few months later.
Alea truly loved Drew. She remembered what kind of coffee he liked, prepared his suit for important meetings, and waited for him to come home even when midnight had long passed. She believed that if she was sincere, everything would become easier.
But the past never truly goes away just because someone chooses to start a new chapter.
The bathroom door opened. Drew came out with his hair still wet, wearing pants and a black T-shirt. He immediately noticed the change in Alea’s expression.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
Drew stared at her for a few seconds. “You always say that when something’s wrong.”
“Nia called.”
Drew picked up Alea’s phone. “What’s the passcode?”
“Our wedding date.”
Drew’s hand stopped scrolling. He looked up and stared intently at Alea. Then, without a word, he entered the numbers Alea had given him. The messaging app opened. Drew’s expression didn’t change at all.
“Ishara is back,” Alea said.
“I know.”
The answer made Alea’s chest tighten. “You know?”
“Vino sent me a message this afternoon.” Drew handed the phone back to Alea. “I didn’t think it was important.”
“She’s drunk and looking for you.”
“Alea.” Drew sat down in front of her. “I’m not interested in going back to the past.”
Alea studied his face, trying to find any hesitation there. Rain streamed down the glass, forming long lines that looked like tears.
“It all ended three years ago,” Drew continued. “When I decided to marry you.”
Alea lowered her head. She wanted to believe him. But a small part of her was still afraid—not because Drew had given her any reason to doubt him, but because Ishara had once possessed something Alea could never have: Drew’s childhood.
“I’m going to the bathroom,” Alea said at last.
Drew nodded. The moment Alea closed the bathroom door, Drew’s phone, lying on the nightstand, began to vibrate.
Drew answered the call. “Yeah, Vin?”
“Drew, Ishara’s still at the club. She keeps saying your name. If you don’t come, I don’t know where to take her.”
“Take her to her mother’s house.”
“She refuses. She says you’re the only one who can pick her up.”
Drew looked at the bathroom door. “I’m married, Vin.”
“I know, but—”
“It wouldn’t be right for me to go there and pick her up.” Drew’s voice hardened. “It all ended three years ago.”
“Your marriage is just for show, Drew. Do you really think it’s going to be fun getting married without love?”
“As long as I can get satisfaction, it’s still fun. Even without love.” Drew drew a long breath. “Don’t call me about Ishara again tonight,” he continued. “I’m not coming.”
He ended the call before his friend could answer.
Behind the bathroom door, Alea stood motionless. She had heard the entire conversation. Relief flickered through her for a moment. But Drew’s final words drew the boundary between them once again. Without love…
The next morning, Alea opened her flower shop at eight. The scents of roses, lilies, lavender, and hundreds of other flowers filled the room. She was arranging a bouquet for an order when the bell above the door rang.
Alea looked up with a polite smile. “Good morning. How can I hel—”
The words caught in her throat. Her smile instantly faded. A long-haired woman stood in the doorway. An elegant outfit hugged her figure, and she pushed her oversized sunglasses up onto her head. Her eyes were slightly puffy, but her gaze was sharp as it swept across the shop before finally locking onto Alea.
The woman stepped closer, then stared intently at Alea with a faint smile.
“Hello,” the woman said, her voice hoarse yet arrogant. “You’re Drew’s wife, right? Let me introduce myself. I’m Ishara.”