Chapter 3
Sophia stared at the invitation.
The date blurred through her tears.
One year from today.
A wedding.
Their wedding.
She slowly looked up at Ethan.
"You..."
"...already planned this?"
Ethan nodded.
"Before Claire got sick."
His voice was quiet.
"I never threw it away."
Sophia unfolded the invitation completely.
It was beautiful.
Cream-colored paper.
Gold lettering.
The venue they had visited together.
The flowers she had chosen.
Even the song they had argued over during dinner one night.
Everything...
Had been planned.
Everything...
Except life.
Claire smiled softly.
"I found it."
Sophia looked at her.
"It was inside a drawer at Ethan's apartment."
"He tried to throw it away."
"I wouldn't let him."
Ethan sighed.
"It didn't seem fair."
Claire interrupted him gently.
"Love isn't fair."
"Cancer isn't fair."
"Life isn't fair."
She looked toward Sophia.
"But kindness..."
"Kindness is always a choice."
The chapel remained silent.
Even the guests were crying now.
This wasn't a love triangle.
It never had been.
It was three people...
Trying to survive a tragedy that none of them had chosen.
Claire slowly walked toward Sophia.
Her steps were weak.
Ethan instinctively moved to support her.
She smiled.
"I'm alright."
Then she stood directly in front of Sophia.
"I owe you an apology."
Sophia immediately shook her head.
"No."
"You don't."
Claire smiled sadly.
"I interrupted your future."
"No."
Sophia whispered.
"Cancer did."
For several seconds...
The two women simply looked at one another.
Neither saw an enemy anymore.
Only another heart carrying unbearable pain.
Then...
Claire reached out her hand.
Sophia took it.
And without saying a word...
They hugged.
The entire chapel watched in silence.
Many guests quietly wiped away tears.
The priest cleared his throat gently.
"We can postpone the ceremony."
Claire slowly shook her head.
"No."
She looked at Ethan.
"I've waited my whole life to hear one promise."
She smiled weakly.
"I don't have much time left."
Ethan looked at her.
Then nodded.
The ceremony resumed.
But this time...
Sophia remained.
Not as someone trying to stop the wedding.
But as someone quietly witnessing the fulfillment of another woman's final dream.
When the priest finally asked,
"Do you take Claire Bennett to be your wife..."
Ethan answered through tears.
"I do."
Claire smiled.
The happiest smile Sophia had seen all day.
When Claire whispered,
"I do..."
Her voice was barely audible.
But it carried more courage than anyone in the room had ever heard.
The guests applauded softly.
Claire laughed.
Then suddenly coughed.
A few drops of blood stained the white handkerchief she quickly hid from everyone.
Everyone...
Except Sophia.
Sophia saw it.
She also noticed something else.
Claire discreetly slipped a small envelope into Ethan's tuxedo pocket.
He didn't notice.
She did it while hugging him after the ceremony.
As though she wanted him to find it later.
The reception ended early.
Claire was exhausted.
An ambulance quietly waited behind the church—not because something had gone wrong, but because her doctors insisted she never travel without medical support.
As the guests slowly left...
Sophia walked alone through the empty chapel.
A folded piece of paper lay near the altar.
It had fallen unnoticed from Ethan's pocket.
She picked it up.
It was the same envelope Claire had slipped into his jacket.
Sophia hesitated.
She should leave it.
But the flap had already come open.
One corner of the letter was visible.
She accidentally read a single sentence.
"If you're reading this... then I'm already gone."
Sophia's heart stopped.
She quickly folded it shut.
Just then, Ethan returned to the chapel.
He saw the envelope in her hands.
His face turned pale.
He whispered,
"...She wrote that?"
Sophia slowly nodded.
"I think..."
"...Claire knew something she never told you."
May you like
Together, they stared at the unopened letter.
Neither of them was ready to read the words that Claire had written for the day after her own death.
