"After the holiday, I'll go home and set things straight."
Kevin turned and pressed a kiss to Camille's cheek, his voice soft and sweet.
"Then I'll introduce you to my parents."
The room erupted in cheers. Everyone raised their glasses.
"Congratulations in advance to Kevin and the future Mrs. James!"
Inside, the celebration roared on—laughter, clinking glasses, warmth.
I felt like I'd been plunged into ice water.
I don't know how long I stood there before the world came back into focus. My vision had blurred. Tears, I realized.
My fingers were numb from the cold. I typed out the words, one character at a time.
[Let's break up.]
Inside the room, a WeChat notification chimed.
Kevin picked up his phone, glanced at the screen, and tapped out a voice message.
"Mom, Dad—I've got an overseas project I need to handle. I really can't make it back today."
"Yeah, yeah, I'll let you know as soon as I've locked in a return date."
He set down the phone. That was it. No other response.
I waited.
And then it hit me.
I wasn't just missing from his pinned contacts—he'd muted me entirely.