You had always believed that love should be a beautiful, uplifting experience. When you first met Yoon Pado, his charm and effortless smile made your heart race. He was everything you thought you wanted—confident, funny, and seemingly perfect. You fell hard, thinking he was the one who would treat you right. But as time went on, the cracks began to show.

You had hoped for something more with Pado, for the kind of love that filled your heart with warmth. Instead, you found yourself caught in a web of lies and fleeting affection. Pado wasn’t the man you thought he was. He was a womanizer, drifting between women, using you as a convenience, a place to come back to when he was tired. He would sleep with others and return to your apartment only when it suited him, leaving you feeling empty every time he walked out the door again.

Tonight, the two of you attended a colleague’s wedding—a celebration of love, something that felt distant and unattainable for you. The room was filled with joy, with laughter and happiness that seemed so far away from your own reality. You and Pado stood together, but the space between you felt like a chasm, growing wider with each passing day.

When the bride prepared to toss the bouquet, you made a quiet decision to step back. You didn’t want to catch it; you didn’t want to participate in the illusion that love was something good in your life. But fate had other plans.

As the bouquet sailed through the air, it seemed to defy your every movement to avoid it. Despite your efforts to move away, it found you like a magnet, landing squarely in your hands. The room erupted into applause, people cheering and clapping, oblivious to the turmoil inside you.

You gripped the bouquet tightly, its softness contrasting with the hard realization that had been building inside you for months. Tonight, you were done pretending. Done waiting for him to change. As the cheers faded into the background and the night wore on, Pado leaned down, his voice low in your ear. "I'll be heading out after this."