The Hundredth Attempt

Chapter 1

On the day Miles's first love staged her hundredth crisis, Miles prepared to abandon me at the altar for the hundredth time.

Every single time, he claimed a life was at stake. He always begged for my understanding.

This time, I couldn't help but hold onto him. If she keeps threatening to end it all, are we just never going to get married? I asked.

He brushed my hand off with a look of pure annoyance.

"Can you stop being so dramatic? If she actually does something to herself, can you live with that guilt?"

"Besides, we've been together for years. Even if we never marry, does it really change anything?"

I watched his back as he rushed toward the girl who held his heart. This time, something inside me finally died.

There wouldn't be a next time.

......

The venue was packed with our friends and family. In the bridal suite, I carefully adjusted my hairpiece.

I had spent hours on my makeup, making sure it was the most perfect look I'd achieved in a hundred attempts.

The woman in the mirror looked radiant and glowing. I felt like I was at my absolute best.

"This time, it's actually going to happen," I whispered to my reflection, forced a bright smile.

As the ceremony time approached, I carefully lifted my lace train to head out. Suddenly, I ran into my best friend, Sienna.

She was out of breath, her face flushed with anger as she grabbed my shoulders.

"Miles ran off again! Zoe is making another scene, threatening to hurt herself!"

My heart skipped a beat. I didn't think. I just grabbed my skirts and bolted toward the parking lot.

This was the hundredth time. The previous ninety-nine times had all been for the exact same reason.

Whenever Zoe signaled a crisis, Miles would drop everything and leave me without a second thought.

I managed to throw myself in front of his car just as he was about to pull away.

"If she's always going to have an emergency, are we ever going to have a life together?" I screamed.

Miles stepped out of the car and dragged me to the side. His eyes were cold and filled with irritation.

"Stop making a scene, Quinn! If she actually hurts herself, are you going to take responsibility for it?"

"We've been together forever. Why does a wedding matter so much to you right now?"

I gripped his sleeve, my voice trembling with a final, desperate resolve.

"If you leave right now, Miles, we are done. We are never getting married."

"Quinn, she's your cousin. We grew up together. How can you be so heartless?"

"You know she struggles with her mental health! She's fragile!"

He didn't hear a word I said. He shook my hand off with a rough jerk, climbed back into his car, and sped away.

I tried to chase him, my heavy dress weighing me down, until I tripped and hit the pavement hard.

By the time I looked up, his taillights had vanished into the distance.

The world went silent, save for the sound of my own ragged breathing.

The sun beat down on me, making the asphalt burn against my skin. Yet, I felt a bone-chilling cold.

I pushed myself up, wincing as I saw blood oozing from the scrapes on my arms.

"Ouch," I whispered, touching the wound. "That really hurts."

Everything had been so perfect today. I had begged our friends and family to come one last time, promising them this would be it.

Miles had promised me, too. He said he would show up.

But on our hundredth attempt at a wedding, he stood me up again. It was no different from the other ninety-nine times.

With Sienna's help, I had to dismiss the guests once again, offering apology after apology.

By the time the last chair was folded, it was dark. Sienna, worried about my state of mind, took me back to her place.

She cried as she cleaned my wounds, her hands shaking with anger.

"Miles is a complete jerk! He doesn't deserve you!"

I pulled out my phone and the first thing I saw was Zoe's latest post on social media.

The first photo showed her sitting in a hospital bed with a full, home-cooked meal in front of her.

The second was a selfie of her making a peace sign, while in the background, Miles was leaning over, carefully peeling fruit for her.

The caption read: "So lucky to have you. You've saved me a hundred times."

Miles looked so gentle in the photo. It was a side of him I rarely sawDa stark contrast to the cold man who had just pushed me onto the street.

He was a world-renowned neurosurgeon. His hands were considered priceless, the hands of a god.

At home, his hands were too precious for chores. I did everything, even peeling his fruit while he just sat there.

On the rare occasions he had to do something physical, he always wore gloves to protect his skin.

Now, looking at the photo of him holding a sharp knife without any protection, he felt like a total stranger.

My grip tightened on the phone until my knuckles turned white. My vision blurred.

It wasn't that his hands were too precious. It was just that I wasn't worth the effort.

"Quinn, you're so stupid," I whispered. "How did it take you this long to see it?"

Chapter 2.

Sienna was startled by my voice. She snatched the phone from my hand, and her face turned bright red when she saw the post.

"How dare they! These people have no shame!"

She started typing furiously on my phone, her thumbs flying across the screen.

I watched her through a haze of tears, tempted to stop her, but she held me down with one hand.

Finally, she let out a long breath and handed the device back to me.

"You're such a pushover, Quinn. No wonder he thought he could do this a hundred times."

I couldn't even argue. I looked at the screen and saw a wall of scathing comments she had left.

She had said everything I had been too afraid to say for years.

Suddenly, I burst out laughing. I threw my arms around Sienna and sobbed into her shoulder, soaking her shirt.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

I had chased Miles for three years and lived with him for seven.

We met when I was hospitalized with a head injury. Back then, I had grabbed his coat with teary eyes.

"Doctor, am I going to turn into an idiot?" I had asked.

He had gently moved my hand away, his expression unreadable.

"No. Though I think you might already be one."

I had burst into tears right there in his office. He looked panicked and pulled a sour lemon drop from his pocket to quiet me.

"I was kidding. Please stop crying."

I had taken the candy, and just like that, I fell for him.

Later, after a night of too many drinks, things happened between us.

He was wasted, and as he pressed me into the mattress, he whispered a name: "Zoe."

My heart turned to ice. My name wasn't Zoe. I didn't even know who Zoe was back then.

I tried to ask, but he silenced me with a kiss. I closed my eyes and let myself drown in the moment.

The next day, we made it official. He brought me to his house, and it became our home.

Two years later, with everyone cheering us on, I proposed to him. He said yes.

I thought it was the start of my happily ever after. I thought maybe, one day, he would look at me with real warmth.

But then, Zoe showed up at our door.

Chapter 3.

It was a rainy night when Zoe appeared. She was drenched to the bone, her eyes red and swollen as she pounded on the door.

"Miles, he left me. I have nowhere else to go."

Miles, usually so composed, looked frantic. He threw the door open and ushered her inside immediately.

I walked out of the kitchen with a bowl of fruit, stopping dead in my tracks.

"Zoe?"

Zoe froze. Miles's hand stopped mid-air as he was taking off his coat to wrap around her.

I didn't notice the strange tension at the time. I just saw my favorite cousin shivering and rushed to get her dry clothes and a hot shower.

Zoe was as sweet as ever, letting me blow-dry her hair.

Then Miles burst into the room with a medical kit. He pushed me aside to check her temperature, his brow furrowed with worry.

He applied a cooling patch to her forehead with such tenderness, as if she were a piece of fine porcelain.

I told myself he was just being a good doctor. He treated everyone with care, right?

Zoe looked up at me, her voice small. "Am I being a bother to you, Quinn?"

She started crying again. "I just couldn't go back to my parents' place like this."

Miles, who usually didn't care about anything, actually looked angry.

"As long as I'm here, you can stay as long as you want."

"If that guy ever bothers you again, I'll handle him myself."

I stood there, feeling like a ghost in my own guest room.

She grabbed Miles's hand. "Can I stay here for a while? Like we used to?"

I didn't even get a chance to speak before Miles agreed.

After we got her settled in bed, Miles pulled me out into the hallway.

"Zoe has a fever. Make sure the meals are light for the next few days. No spicy food."

Finding out that the "Zoe" he had whispered about was my own cousin made me uneasy.

"Who is she to you, really?" I asked.

"Just an old friend. Don't be paranoid."

I bit my lip, unhappy with his answer. "An old friend? You've never cared about me this much."

I wanted to tell him I knew he'd said her name in bed, but the words died in my throat.

Miles went back to his cold, distant self. "She's a patient, Quinn. Do you want me to just ignore someone who's suffering?"

"We're getting married in a month. Stop overthinking things."

The mention of the wedding made my heart flutter. I smiled despite myself.

He was right. Why was I jealous of my own cousin? Whatever they had was in the past.

In a month, I would be his wife.

Chapter 4.

The next day, Miles took Zoe to the hospital for a check-up.

They promised to be back by dinner, but late afternoon came and went with no sign of them.

I called Miles several times, but he didn't pick up.

I eventually drove to the hospital, only to find out they had left hours ago.

Panic started to set in. What if something had happened?

Then, my phone buzzed. It was Zoe.

"Hey Quinn, we're just at the grocery store. We'll be back soon."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, as long as you're safe."

The line went dead. I stared at my phone for a long time.

They were fine. They were just shopping. But a knot of anxiety tightened in my chest.

When they finally came home, it was already dark. Miles was carrying several bags, laughing and chatting with Zoe.

I felt a pang of envy. Miles and I never talked like that.

But then I saw how much he was carrying. Worried about his surgeon's hands, I rushed over to help.

Miles handed the bags to me without a word, as if it were my job.

Zoe giggled beside him. "Quinn, you're such a perfect housewife. Miles is so lucky to have you."

The comment stung, but Miles didn't react. He just told me to go wash the fruit.

By the time I came back with a platter, they were already curled up on the sofa together, picking out a movie.

There were only two peaches left. Zoe took them both, handing one to Miles.

He took it naturally, and they both started eating. They looked so perfectly in sync.

Seeing my empty hands, Zoe offered me a peach she had already bitten into.

"Oh, I forgot you liked peaches too. Here, you can have mine."

"You don't mind, right?"

I shook my head and reached for some watermelon instead. I didn't want anyone's leftovers.

Zoe didn't push it. She turned back to Miles to discuss the movie plot.

It was a movie I hated, and I couldn't find a way into their conversation.

I sat there, eating watermelon in silence. For some reason, the fruit tasted salty.

How could watermelon be salty? I hated it.

Chapter 5.

"Quinn, let's go. Let's find a new place and start over," Sienna said, hugging me tight.

"A hundred times is enough. That man is garbage."

I clung to her, feeling the full weight of my own stupidity. It took a hundred failures for me to finally give up.

The first time Miles stood me up, he had at least sounded sorry.

Zoe had threatened to end her life, and he claimed he had to be there.

I had been terrified back then. I didn't know Zoe was struggling so much, so I told him to go.

Sienna wasn't around that day. I had to face the guests alone, apologizing while people whispered and glared.

I told myself it was just a one-time thing.

But as the count grew, Miles stopped apologizing. He acted like it was my duty to wait.

That's how we ended up here. I finally understood that he simply didn't want to marry me.

I pulled away from Sienna and decided to pack my things that very night.

Sienna's eyes lit up. she drove me back to the house immediately.

The house was dark. Miles wasn't home, which didn't surprise me.

I walked through the rooms, grabbing my essentials.

It took me less than twenty minutes to pack. After seven years, my entire life fit into one small suitcase.

I had spent all my time and money on Miles. I bought him everything he needed, always putting him first.

I realized I owned almost nothing in this house.

With my light suitcase in hand, I left that city forever.

After settling into a small town a few hours away, I started looking for work. I found a listing for an art tutor.

I went to the interview with low expectations.

The house belonged to a single mother named Shelly. She was kind and warm, and she hired me on the spot.

I was stunned. Things were actually going my way for once.

Shelly led me to a room where her daughter, Lily, was reading. The little girl looked up at me with shy, curious eyes.

"This is Lily," Shelly said.

I pulled out a small gift I had prepared. "Hi, Lily. This is for you."

Lily's eyes brightened. She hopped off her chair and took the gift. "Thank you, Quinn," she whispered.

Life began to feel peaceful. One afternoon, as I was waiting for the bus after a lesson, it started to rain.

My phone rang. I picked it up without checking the ID.

"Quinn! Where the hell are you? And what's with all the trash talk you sent me?"

It was Miles. I hadn't heard his voice in weeks.

When I didn't respond, he got louder. "Get home right now. The house is a mess. Everything is covered in dust!"

In the background, I heard Zoe's voice, sounding pathetic.

"I'm so sorry, Quinn... I didn't mean to have a crisis on your wedding day... I just couldn't help it..."

I realized I hadn't officially said goodbye. I might as well do it now.

"I'm not coming back, Miles."

"I'm done. Ten years was long enough. You can have each other."