"What?.."
The crowd stilled, holding its breath as Leyla's answer echoed across the café like a cracked bell.
"No."
Liam's hand, still holding the velvet box, trembled slightly. His posture remained frozen, like a statue abandoned mid-sculpt. Whispers crept into the silence like vines growing around stone.
Did she just say no?
Was this a prank?
Mina stared, mouth open, caught somewhere between admiration and horror. Leyla, on the other hand, remained calm. She reached forward, gently took the bouquet from her left hand, and placed it back in Liam's arms with grace. Then, she snapped the ring box shut and dropped it into his hands like final punctuation on a closed book.
"No," she said again, clearer this time.
The ring was no longer a dream. It was a burden she refused to carry.
Liam flinched like he'd been slapped. He stood abruptly, reaching for her arm.
"Leyla, wait—why are you doing this?" he asked, voice tight with disbelief and panic. "Didn't you say you loved me? That you'd marry me no matter what?" His hand trembled. "I've worked hard to be worthy of you."
The weight of embarrassment began to settle on his shoulders like cement. His knees buckled. The bouquet and box slipped from his grasp and scattered across the floor as he fell into a full bow.
"I LOVE YOU, LEYLA!" he shouted, his voice cracking. "If I failed to meet your expectations—if I upset you—just tell me! I'll do better! I'll be a slave, I'll give everything! Just don't leave me!"
Leyla's stomach twisted in disgust. She glanced around at the faces now whispering and frowning—not at Liam, but at her. He had twisted the story, painting her as the villain, a cold woman toying with a devoted man. She caught sight of her—the woman in the corner, smiling into her glass like she'd just watched her favorite scene in a drama.
Leyla's jaw tightened.
So, we're playing this game, huh?
Fine. Let's play.
She turned without shame, walked to the table, and picked up her purse. Then, with cool precision, she stepped back to face Liam still groveling on the floor.
If this had been her old self, she might have cried. She might've said yes.
But that girl was dead.
Crouching down, she met Liam's eyes. Her tone was soft—but laced with poison.
"You made me wait for eight years, Liam. Eight years. All that time, not once did you say you loved me. Not once did you truly see me. I stayed because I believed in you, in us. But just like people change…" she stood again, rising taller in her power, "I've changed too."
She turned to the crowd, raising her voice.
"My decision is final. And I don't care what any of you think. Love can't be begged for. Love can't be bought. It can't be timed like a proposal stunt after years of silence."
"for anyone who wants to judge me; I don't owe anyone my silence. I don't owe anyone my future. And I sure as hell don't owe anyone a yes just because they asked with a ring and a rehearsed sob story."
Her gaze swept across the room and landed on Ashley—the snake. That glare sent by a future backstabber burned no differently now than it had years later.
Leyla's smirk deepened. "I waited for him for years, hoping. But not anymore. You can only stay blind for so long."
I glanced at the woman I'd spotted earlier, the one sending me those nasty looks, the one I knew all too well.
And I smiled at her. Sweetly. The kind of smile you give right before you burn down the lies.
"I hope this was a good show," I added, "because it's the last time either of you will get to write my story."
Without another word, she walked out the café doors. Mina, blinking away her disbelief, quickly ran after her.
Liam remained on his knees as the crowd slowly dispersed. Even Ashley didn't rush to comfort him.
Outside, the street welcomed them with noise and breeze. Leyla kept walking until she felt a hand tugging her back. Mina pulled her around and placed a palm on her forehead.
"Do you have a fever? Are you sick?"
Leyla playfully shoved her hand away. "I'm fine. I'm just thinking clearly for the first time in my life."
Mina crossed her arms dramatically. "Clearly? CLEARLY? The girl who spent every second of university daydreaming about her wedding to Liam just said NO. That's not clear thinking, that's cosmic brain fog."
Leyla laughed. She had missed this. Mina's sarcasm was sharp, warm, and nostalgic.
"You even used to calculate how many kids you'd have," Mina huffed.
Leyla raised an eyebrow. "I didn't count that far."
Mina pointed accusingly. "You almost got expelled for fighting that girl who called Liam trash, remember?"
Leyla flushed and looked away. "That was… different."
Mina giggled and shook her head. "Nope. I'm still in shock. Where is the girl who would've fainted if Liam sneezed in her direction?"
Leyla smiled and pulled Mina into a side hug. "She died. You were the only one who mourned her."
They walked in silence for a moment, Mina watching her friend's eyes quietly studying the street.
"…Mina," Leyla said softly, "can you take me to the hospital?"
Mina's brow furrowed. "Wait, are you actually sick?"
"No," Leyla replied quickly, cheeks coloring slightly. "I just want to check something. It's been a long time since I've been back and I… forgot the way."
"What was that?" Mina asked.
"Nothing," Leyla said with a shrug and a light smile. "Just take me there, please."
Meanwhile…
CRASH!
A wine bottle shattered against the expensive living room wall, red liquid dripping like blood.
"How could she DO THAT TO ME?" Liam roared, pacing like a lion in a cage. "In front of everyone! She humiliated me!"
Ashley lounged on the white leather couch, swirling another glass of wine. She didn't even flinch.
"She said I never loved her," Liam hissed, grabbing at his hair. "I loved her—at least… her beauty…"
Ashley rolled her eyes and patted the space beside her. "Raging like this won't fix anything. Sit down before you pop a vein."
Reluctantly, Liam slumped into the couch. She poured him another drink and handed it over.
He sipped angrily. "She made me look like a fool."
Ashley, now sprawled comfortably with her head on his lap, smirked. "Maybe she's just on edge. Maybe something got into her head today. But if she really loved you before," she traced a finger across his arm, "then nothing's changed. She'll come crawling back."
Liam looked down at her, troubled.
Ashley smiled again, more venom in her voice this time. "Besides, we still have time. She's not getting away. She never could."