Chapter 1"No rain. I checked. No umbrella"
Before I left to pick up the wedding dress, Kai swore.
Boom—New York STORM.
I came home soaked. His phone lit up. Weather app: "LA's cooling down tonight."
LA? His EX's city.
I clicked. Three pinned cities—ALL HERS.
Where we'd shared for SIX YEARS? Not even on the list.
That’s when it hit me.
He didn't check the forecast wrong.
He just NEVER cared if I got wet.
Bathroom door opened. Kai frowned at my ruined dress.
"Seriously? You can't even get this little thing right?"
"Wedding's in TWO days."
I didn't argue.
That night, I canceled the wedding. Took the job overseas.
...
The Iceland firm sent a confirmation email fast.
"Ms. Winters, welcome to the Reykjavik Polar Eco-Centre. Please arrive within three days."
Three days from now—our wedding day.
I clicked confirm. Deleted the email. Cleared my browser history.
Kai didn't notice.
He grabbed his phone off the coffee table, texting Isla.
"LA's only 50 degrees. Wear something warm."
"Call me when you land."
Only after he hit send did he notice my clothes were still dripping.
"Why haven't you showered yet?"
I looked at him.
"Did you know it rained in New York today too?"
Kai froze.
Then frowned, annoyed.
"How am I supposed to track the weather every single day?"
But he clearly remembered LA—a thousand miles away—was cooling down tonight.
Water pooled inside the dress bag.
I carefully unfolded the hem.
The rose Mom embroidered herself had bled color.
Before she died, she said she hoped I'd wear this dress and marry someone who'd hold an umbrella for me.
Kai crouched down, glanced at it.
"Take it to the dry cleaner. Should be fine."
"What if it's not?"
"Then get a new one."
He said it so casually.
As if this was just some random dress from a mall rack.
His phone rang.
Isla's tearful voice came through the speaker.
"Kai, my flight got diverted to Boston."
"It's thundering outside. I'm scared to leave the airport."
Kai's face changed instantly.
He grabbed his car keys, voice going soft.
"Don't move. I'm coming to get you."
"Your gray cardigan's in the outer pocket of your suitcase. Put it on."
"Boston's windy tonight—don't wait outside."
I gripped the cold, wet hem of my dress.
He even knew exactly where Isla kept her clothes in her suitcase.
But had no idea I'd walked two blocks home in a downpour.
Kai walked to the door. Grabbed the only large umbrella we had.
The one I'd custom-ordered for him.
He complained regular umbrellas were too small and got his suits wet.
It took me two months to find the right size.
"Boston's four hours from New York. You're going now?"
He didn't hesitate.
"Isla's scared of thunder."
"She just got back. Doesn't have friends here yet."
"I can't just leave her stranded at the airport."
At the door, he suddenly remembered something.
"Isla's place is flooded. She might stay here a couple days. Clean up the study for her."
I snapped. "This is OUR apartment."
"Just two nights."
Kai's tone went ice cold.
"Thea, we're getting married in two days."
"Can you stop being difficult for once?"
I didn't say anything else.
He opened the umbrella and walked into the rain.
Only after his taillights disappeared did I call the wedding dress designer.
"Marcus, I'm not wearing the dress."
Long pause.
"But the wedding's the day after tomorrow."
"Can you remove the embroidery from the hem?"
"I can, but then the dress won't be complete anymore."
I touched the rain-stained lilies.
"It's fine."
"I don't want incomplete things anyway."
After I hung up, I started canceling the wedding.
Venue. Flowers. Cars. Favors.
But the hotel manager told me Kai had signed the venue contract.
I couldn't cancel it directly.
"Ms. Winters, if you don't want to alert Mr. Sterling, you can come to the hotel and transfer the booking."
"There's actually another couple whose date got moved up."
"They're looking for a venue."
I scheduled the paperwork for tomorrow afternoon.
At 4 a.m., I started running a fever.
The medicine cabinet was empty. Not a single fever reducer.
I'd reminded Kai to buy some last week.
He was staring at his weather app then. Said he would without looking up.
Turns out he wasn't checking New York.
At 7 a.m., I heard the door unlock.
Kai walked in, shielding Isla.
Half his shoulder soaked through.
But that wide umbrella stayed tilted toward HER the whole time.
Isla wore his jacket. Held a hot drink.
She saw me and smiled apologetically.
"Thea, sorry to impose these next couple days."
Kai shoved her suitcase toward me.
"Put it in the study. Make some hot soup."
"Isla got rained on—don't let her catch cold."
I looked at him.
"I have a fever too."
Kai touched my forehead briefly. Pulled his hand back fast.
"Then take some medicine yourself."
"Isla had pneumonia as a kid. She's weaker than you."
"Stop comparing yourself to her about everything."
Isla suddenly noticed the soaked wedding dress by the couch.
She touched the lilies on the hem—a flicker of nostalgia in her eyes.
"Kai, you actually remembered I wanted a rose wedding dress!"
"I thought you'd forgotten about that wedding we never had."
Chapter 2
The living room went quiet.
Kai frowned first.
"Thea picked the dress herself. It has nothing to do with you."
Isla smiled slightly.
"I just didn't expect her taste to be so similar to mine."
She looked at me, eyes all innocent.
"Thea, don't overthink it."
"Back in college, Kai said if we got married, he'd give me a rose wedding."
"It's all in the past."
I stared down at the dress.
The original design had camellias—Mom's favorite flower.
Two months ago, Kai got involved in the wedding planning for the first time.
Said camellias were too boring. Roses suited me better.
I was so happy then.
Thought he was finally looking forward to our wedding.
Now I got it.
He wasn't choosing flowers for me.
He just remembered the wedding dress Isla never got to wear.
"The study's ready."
I didn't ask more questions. Just put the dress back in the garment bag.
Kai's expression softened.
Probably thought I'd swallow it down like always.
But this time, I just didn't feel like fighting anymore.
After Isla moved in, she acted way too familiar for a guest.
Knew which cabinet the coffee beans were in.
Knew Kai hated blow-drying his hair right after showering.
Even knew his right leg hurt on rainy days.
At breakfast, she glanced at the rain outside, then crouched naturally in front of Kai.
"Is your leg bothering you again?"
Kai nodded.
"A little."
Isla pulled a box of pain patches from her suitcase and smoothly applied one to his knee.
I stood in the kitchen doorway, suddenly remembering the past six years.
Every rainy day, Kai's mood would turn sour.
I'd asked if something was wrong.
He'd always snap back, annoyed.
"I'm fine. Stop making a big deal out of nothing."
Turned out he wasn't unwilling to show weakness.
He just never showed it to me.
"Thea, where's my coffee?"
Kai looked up at me.
"Didn't make it."
"Why not?"
"I'm going to the office."
His face darkened.
"You're already on wedding leave."
"Still have some handover work."
Kai checked his watch.
"Just make the coffee first. It'll only take a few minutes."
I grabbed my bag.
"Coffee maker's in the kitchen."
Silence behind me.
For seven years, I'd woken up forty minutes earlier than him every single day.
Made coffee. Ironed shirts. Prepped breakfast. Tucked stomach medicine in his suit pocket.
He'd gotten so used to it all just happening.
So when I refused for the first time, he thought I was throwing a tantrum.
Isla smiled gently.
"I'll do it. Kai always liked my coffee anyway."
Before the door closed, I heard Kai say coldly.
"Let her go."
"The more you spoil her, the worse she gets."
At the office, I wrapped up my project handover.
My boss kept my resignation quiet and asked why I suddenly changed my mind.
The Reykjavik firm had reached out two years ago.
Kai didn't like long-distance.
So I kept turning them down.
I thought it was sacrifice for love.
Looking back now, I realized I was always the one giving things up.
My boss patted my shoulder.
"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone about the flight or job transfer."
"Thanks."
Before I left, my coworkers threw me a small farewell party.
By the time I got home, it was almost 9 p.m.
Half my closet had been emptied.
My clothes piled on the bed. Isla's luggage neatly hung inside.
"Isla's clothes got wet in the rain. They need to air out."
Kai leaned against the doorframe, explaining.
"Fold yours up for now. Put them back when she leaves."
I stared at the crumpled heap of clothes.
Underneath was the file I'd planned to take with me tomorrow.
"Why not put hers in the study?"
"Study's too small. She wouldn't be comfortable."
I nodded. Started packing up my clothes.
Kai seemed caught off guard by how calm I was.
"Thea, what exactly are you trying to pull?"
I didn't look up. "I'm not trying to pull anything."
"Then why've you been so passive-aggressive the past two days?"
I folded each piece of clothing into my suitcase.
"I just think everyone should take care of their own stuff."
Isla appeared in the doorway, holding a wedding itinerary.
"Thea, the planner just dropped this off. They want you to confirm."
"Kai picked such a romantic theme."
"It's called Waiting for the Rain to Stop."
My hands froze.
Kai never cared about wedding planning.
When I asked what theme he liked, he just said whatever.
Turned out he'd had a wedding he wanted to finish all along.
Isla stared at those words and laughed softly.
"The year we graduated college, LA had rain this heavy too."
"Kai waited under my dorm building all night."
She looked up at Kai.
"He said once the rain in LA stopped, he'd marry me."
Chapter 3
The next afternoon, I went to the wedding hotel.
To transfer the venue.
The hotel manager put the agreement in front of me. Confirmed multiple times.
I picked up the pen.
"I'm sure."
The manager had staff verify all the wedding elements being transferred.
Roses wall. Artificial rain curtain. LA street backdrop.
And the ceremony stage themed "Waiting for the Rain to Stop."
With each item they listed, my heart grew colder.
Then a staff member pulled out a yellowed planning proposal.
"This must be the reference material Mr. Sterling submitted originally."
The design date was seven years ago.
In the original bride column, her name written clearly:
Isla Monroe.
The venue. Flowers. Music.
Even dessert flavors—all identical to tomorrow's wedding.
Kai wasn't unwilling to plan a wedding for me.
He just copied everything he'd prepared for Isla and slapped my name on it.
While organizing audio files, a staff member accidentally played a vow recording.
Kai's voice came through the speakers—young and determined.
"No matter what city you live in, I'll always know the weather there."
"If it rains, I'll come get you."
"You won't need an umbrella, because I'll always find you."
I stared at the artificial rain curtain.
Suddenly felt how absurd this was.
Kai was planning to recite vows he'd written for his ex at our wedding.
Didn't even bother changing the words.
"Should we delete this recording?"
The staff asked awkwardly.
"Mr. Sterling said these feelings were the most genuine."
"Didn't need to re-record."
I closed the wedding plan.
"Leave everything for the next couple."
Nothing here belonged to me anyway.
I didn't want any of it.
Halfway through signing the transfer agreement, Isla walked into the ballroom.
"Thea, why'd you come early?"
She thought I was confirming details.
Walked smoothly to the control panel.
"Kai said I know the rain curtain effect best."
"Asked me to check it for you guys."
Lights came on.
She stood under cascading roses, arms spread, smiling.
The rain curtain fell slowly behind her.
In that moment, she looked more like the bride than I ever did.
Isla noticed the old proposal on the table. Her expression flickered.
Quickly, she laughed it off.
"Kai probably just didn't feel like redesigning."
"Bride changed, but same program. Doesn't really matter."
Before I could answer, Kai rushed in.
He didn't even look at me. Went straight to Isla.
"You said something happened at your studio?"
Isla's eyes instantly welled up.
"Property management said the window blew open."
"My mom's old costumes and my college dance shoes are in there."
"If the rain gets in, everything's ruined."
Kai's face changed. Turned to leave immediately.
The wedding coordinator stopped him.
"Mr. Sterling, the rain equipment hasn't been tested yet."
"The ceremony's TOMORROW."
"Deal with it later."
"But the trucks and tarps are waiting to be set up."
Kai didn't hesitate.
"Give ALL the waterproof materials to Isla first."
The coordinator looked troubled.
"Those are WEDDING supplies."
"I'll cover any losses."
Only then did he finally look at me.
"Thea, you stay and oversee the arrangements."
I asked him.
"The wedding's tomorrow. You're taking the trucks and tarps now?"
Kai's expression turned impatient.
"We can set up a few hours later. Still plenty of time."
"Isla's mom only left one set of costumes."
"If they get water damaged, no one can replace them."
I watched him quietly for a few seconds.
"Okay."
Kai seemed surprised I agreed so easily.
Reached out to touch my shoulder.
"I'll come back after I handle this."
I stepped aside.
He didn't linger. Left with Isla and all the waterproof materials.
The wedding coordinator asked me.
"Ms. Winters, should we still set up?"
"No need." I signed the last line.
"The venue's been transferred to someone else."
At 9 p.m., Kai texted.
"Got all the costumes out. Nothing damaged."
"Good thing I got there in time."
"Handle the hotel stuff yourself. You can't rely on me for everything."
I didn't reply.
When I got home, the study was packed with Isla's luggage.
Mom's twenty-seven weather journals—all gone.
I found them on the balcony with the leak.
The window wide open.
The first raindrop slipped through the gap, landing right on the journal on top.
Then the storm came pouring down.
