One

"Elaine!" My best friend throws her arms around me, pulling me into her embrace.

"Hey, Leigh." I return the hug.

We held the hug for a good five minutes, relishing the moment as if we hadn't seen each other in ages, which is true.

"I missed you so much, E," she says, smiling at me by the time we pulled away. "You look different from the last time I saw you. It's a good different." She ruffles her fingers through my dark curly hair, which was now reduced to a pixie cut.

"A lot has happened while you were away. Plus, I thought I'd upgrade my look and try something different." I reply with a flustered laugh.

"And I would love to hear catch up over a drink at our favourite bar. Drinks on me."

"You don't have to."

"Well I invited you and that means I'm paying. You can't convince me otherwise."

I let out a relentless sigh and gave in. There's no convincing this stubborn woman once her mind is made up. "Alright. But only if you let me pay next time okay."

"Deal!"

We're sitting at our usual spot. Leigh's having a margarita since she loves the sour taste of lemon and lime mixed with tequila. I'm having a bittersweet symphony since the taste matches my current state of mind and everything I've been through the last couple of months.

"How was Rome?" I ask, sparking the conversation.

Leigh had been away for a business exhibition in Rome for the last four months. Not to forget there was a gala celebrating her company's twenty-fifth anniversary which she had to attend.

"Fantastic!" she quips with enthusiasm. "The place is literally the epitome of beauty and aesthetics. And the food - fabulous! I know where I wanna go for my honeymoon."

I chuckle.

"Speaking of honeymoon, have you and Jaehyun chosen a destination yet? You know it's only two weeks until the big day." She says wiggling her eyebrows playfully.

My smile slowly disappeared and a familiar twinge of pain in my heart and throat started resurfacing. And my reaction doesn't go unnoticed. Leigh knows me well enough to know that something was wrong.

"What's with the face? Is everything okay between you two?" she asks, knitting her eyebrows with a frown on her face.

I swallow the lump in my throat, "He called off the wedding."

Saying that she's shocked is an understatement. A great lie even. That's very much established when she nearly choked on her drink after hearing the news. I quickly react by gently patting her back as she coughs violently.

"What do you mean...he called off...the wedding?!" She exclaims slowly recovering.

I frown and avoid her demanding gaze, "Exactly what I said. He called it off almost three months ago. We haven't spoken to each other since."

"But...I thought you were happy. Y'all didn't have any problems."

"Yeah...I thought so too."

"What happened? What made him second guess two years together?"

I look down at my cocktail and don't say a word.