The Shape of Goodbye

On Valentine’s Day, while I was working at the county clerk's office, I caught my fiance, Chase Mitchell, showing up to get married to his female best friend, Ariya Holland. He handed over his ID and casually explained, "Jenna, don’t get jealous. I lost a dare. The punishment is to marry Ariya for one day. I’ll bring her back tomorrow to get a divorce." Ariya was wearing his white shirt. In a pointed, mocking tone, she said, "Jenna wouldn’t refuse to process our marriage, would she? Then again, she’s always had a problem with me. I really don’t understand women…" Before she could finish, I brought the stamp down hard on the application form. "Of course not. I totally get it. You two are just best buddies, nothing more. You only lost a dare. "Take this form over there for your wedding photos. Congratulations!" Seeing how utterly indifferent I was, Chase’s expression darkened instantly. He put his arm around Ariya and stormed off. The next day, when he showed up at the office with her again, I glanced at the glaring hickey on his neck and smiled. Then I promptly issued them a Divorce Cooling-Off Notice. "Sorry, but we’ve received new instructions. Couples like you who rush into divorce need to go home and think things through. If you really want to get divorced, come back in six months." Chapter 1 On Valentine's Day, while I was sorting through paperwork, a sharp tap sounded against the service window in front of me. "Jenna, don't be mad. It was just a dare." I looked up and saw my fiance of five years, Chase Mitchell. Standing beside him was his close friend, Ariya Holland. She had her arm wrapped affectionately around his, wearing a man's white shirt that was obviously too big for her. I recognized it immediately. It was the birthday present I'd given Chase the week before. Chase slid two IDs through the window, wearing an ingratiating smile. "We lost a game, and the punishment was to get married to Ariya for one day. Don't worry. We'll come back first thing tomorrow morning and get divorced." Ariya leaned against Chase's shoulder, laughing so hard she could barely contain herself. The provocation in her eyes was impossible to miss. "Jenna, you wouldn't be so petty as to refuse to process our marriage, would you? "We're practically siblings. It's all just a joke. You're not seriously going to take it to heart, are you?" I took their documents, my fingertips cold. One of them was the man I'd sworn to spend the rest of my life with. The other was the person he always described as "closer to me than my own sister." And now, on Valentine's Day, they wanted me to personally register their marriage. The whole thing was absurd and laughable. I could feel my colleagues' curious glances from around the office and hear the whispers of the couples waiting in line behind me. Chase looked a little uncomfortable and urged me on, "Jenna, hurry up. We'll leave as soon as we're done." Meanwhile, Ariya deliberately rested her head on his shoulder and silently mouthed to me: "He was mine last night." I took a deep breath, suppressing the disgust churning inside me. Then I lifted my head and gave them a perfectly professional smile. "All right. We'll follow the proper procedures." I took out the marriage license application form and walked them through filling it out. I handled every step and every detail flawlessly, as though I were dealing with two complete strangers. My composure clearly caught them off guard. Chase frowned, seemingly displeased that I was being so sensible and understanding. "All right, head over there to get your wedding photo taken. That area is less crowded." Chapter 2 I handed over the completed application form, my voice perfectly steady. Chase took it and stared at me for several seconds, apparently hoping to find even the slightest sign that I'd been hurt, but he found nothing. I simply met his gaze calmly and even offered a thoughtful reminder, "Make sure you smile in the photos. After all, it's a wedding." When they returned with their freshly printed marriage certificate photo, I took it from them. My eyes lingered on the photo, where Ariya leaned against Chase with a painfully happy smile. Then I reached for the official stamp on my desk. Thump! The stamp came down firmly on their marriage paperwork. I handed their newly issued marriage certificate back to them and said in my usual professional tone, "Congratulations to you both. Happy wedding day." When I opened the door, the apartment was pitch-black. Chase's shoes were missing from the entryway. The house slippers I'd prepared for him were still sitting neatly beside the door. He wasn't coming home tonight. I changed my shoes without turning on the lights and walked straight to the couch. The darkness blurred all the traces of him around the apartment, giving me a brief chance to breathe. Out of habit, I pulled out my phone and unlocked it. The little red notification dot at the top of my social media feed stood out painfully. I tapped it. Chase had posted an update half an hour earlier. There were nine photos in a carousel, every single one showing him and Ariya being intimate. In one, they were feeding each other cake at a restaurant. In another, they were laughing heartily together in the wind by the river. And in the last, they were holding up their newly issued marriage certificate for the camera, Ariya's head resting happily on Chase's shoulder. They looked far more radiant in those photos than they had at the county clerk's office that day. The caption read: "The best dare is turning a joke into reality." There were already hundreds of comments and likes. "Holy shit! Chase, you actually went through with it? Congratulations!" "I always said you two were perfect for each other! You should've gotten together ages ago!" "Happy newlyweds! When are we celebrating?" Ariya replied to everyone with the same boastful enthusiasm, "Hehe, thanks, everyone! We'll treat you all to lunch sometime soon." I scrolled through the screen expressionlessly, as though watching a farce that had nothing to do with me. My phone vibrated. A mutual friend had sent me a private message. "Jenna, what's going on with Chase and Ariya? Have you two... broken up?" Before I could figure out how to respond, Dawn Baldwin, my mother, called. Her voice was full of anxiety. "Jenna, did you see Chase's post? What does it mean? Did you two have a fight? How could he do this with Ariya..." "Mom," I interrupted, my voice so calm it sounded strange even to me. "We've broken up." There was silence on the other end for several seconds. Then my mother spoke again, struggling to contain her anger, "When did this happen? Why didn't you tell us? Did Ariya..." "It's nothing," I said softly. "We just weren't right for each other. Please don't bring him up again." I didn't want to explain the filthy, ridiculous reasons behind it all, and I didn't want my parents worrying about me. After reassuring her briefly, I hung up. The whole world seemed to fall silent. I stood up and switched on every light in the living room. The harsh brightness illuminated the entire apartment, exposing every ugly thing about this relationship. I went into the bedroom, pulled my suitcase out from beneath the wardrobe, and began packing my belongings one by one. Chapter 3 As I packed the nightstand, I spotted the matching mugs we'd picked out together. Without hesitation, I put mine into the suitcase. As for Chase's, I left it for him and Ariya to use. I finished packing quickly. Half the wardrobe was empty, and the vanity table had been stripped bare. Piece by piece, every trace of me in that home was erased. My phone lit up again. A message from Chase appeared. "Jenna, don't overthink things. I'm out celebrating with the guys. I'll be home later. You were so calm today that I thought you really didn't care. Tomorrow, after I divorce Ariya, I'll explain everything properly." I stared at the message without replying. He couldn't even be bothered to call me. I opened our conversation, tapped the menu in the upper-right corner, and deleted it without hesitation. Finally, some peace and quiet. Dragging my suitcase to the door, I took one last look at the place I'd once believed would be my home for the rest of my life. I had decorated every corner by myself—the abstract painting we'd bought together at an art exhibition hung on the living room wall, the gardenia on the balcony almost ready to bloom, and even the ergonomic chair in his study that I had specially chosen to ease his neck pain. When we first moved in, Chase had wrapped his arms around me and spun me around in the otherwise empty living room. "Jenna, from today on, this is our home. Our home for the rest of our lives." Back then, I'd believed him. Later, traces of someone else began appearing in our home more and more often. Ariya's laughter, the hair ties she left lying around… Even the refrigerator was packed with the fruit-flavored sparkling water she loved. The first time I voiced my displeasure was on our third anniversary. I had booked a restaurant and prepared a gift, but Chase didn't call until the restaurant closed for the night. "Jenna, I'm sorry. Ariya just went through a breakup today. I need to keep her company. I don't feel comfortable leaving her alone." Through the phone, I could faintly hear Ariya's tearful voice. "Chase, am I interrupting your plans together? This is all my fault..." Sitting in front of a table full of cold food, I said softly, "It's okay. Go keep her company." I told myself to be generous, to understand his so-called loyalty to his best friend, but my patience only encouraged them to push their limits. Last winter, I came down with a terrible cold. In the middle of the night, my fever climbed to 102 degrees, and I was shivering all over. I called Chase because I wanted him to take me to the hospital. He answered, but the background noise was deafening. People were howling along to karaoke songs. "Jenna? What's wrong?" He sounded impatient. "I have a fever. I feel awful. Can you come home and take me to the hospital?" He was silent for several seconds. Then Ariya snatched the phone from him, her voice slurred with alcohol and dripping with affected sweetness. "Jenna, you're being so unreasonable! It's my birthday party tonight. Chase came all this way just to celebrate with me. You can't drag him away over a little cold, can you?" A burst of laughter erupted from the other end. Then Chase took the phone back and spoke in an irritated, dismissive tone, "Just call yourself a ride. We're all adults here. I can't leave right now. Ariya and all her friends are here. Stop making a fuss." The call ended. Chapter 4 That night, I sat alone in the cold infusion chair in the emergency room, watching the IV fluid drip down one drop at a time. With every drop, my heart grew a little colder. From that day on, I understood that an insurmountable wall had long stood between Chase and me, and Ariya was right in the middle of it. All my compromises and silent endurance meant nothing to them. They thought they were simply entitled to them. As the tide of memories receded, I finally shut the door behind me. The cold night wind blew against my face. Chase still hadn't sent another message or made another phone call. Perhaps, in the world he shared with Ariya, I, his fiancee, had long since become insignificant. I pulled my suitcase along without looking back. 'Goodbye, Chase. And I hope you enjoy your newlywed life.' The next morning, the county clerk's office had barely opened when Chase and Ariya arrived. Neither of them had bothered to make themselves presentable. Their hair was disheveled, and exhaustion from a night of indulgence lingered beneath their eyes, yet neither could hide their smugness. Chase slapped the brand-new marriage certificate onto my desk, his tone flippant, as though he were discussing something utterly trivial. "Jenna, take care of this. We're here to get divorced." As he leaned forward, I clearly saw the glaring red hickey on the side of his neck. It was fresh, its color almost unnaturally deep, like a stamp marking his territory. My heart remained perfectly still. Not even the slightest ripple disturbed it. "Jenna, thanks so much for yesterday," Ariya said with a coquettish laugh. Her fingers deliberately brushed over the mark on Chase's neck. "Chase was right. That dare was pretty exciting." I ignored her provocation, took their marriage certificate, and began the procedure. "IDs," I said in a strictly professional tone. Chase impatiently pulled two ID cards from his wallet and handed them over, his brows furrowing. "Hurry up. We have plans this afternoon." I accepted the IDs and typed their information into the computer at an unhurried pace, bringing up their registration records. Their marriage record from the previous day appeared on the screen. "The information checks out." I looked up with my standard professional smile. Chase visibly relaxed, apparently believing the whole thing would soon be over. Ariya straightened her clothes, ready to reclaim her freedom. But I didn't reach for the divorce application. Instead, I slowly pulled a freshly issued document from the drawer on my right and laid it flat on the desk, sliding it toward them. The title was printed in bold, black characters and stood out unmistakably: Divorce Cooling-Off Notice. Chase's smile froze. "What's this?" I pushed up my thin-framed glasses, my gaze perfectly calm behind the lenses. "I'm sorry, Mr. Mitchell, Ms. Holland." My voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly through the quiet hall. "To prevent couples from rushing into divorce on impulse, the latest regulations issued by the higher authorities require you to undergo a six-month cooling-off period."