Part 3Three's a Crowd: Quitting My Couple Channel

Irene smiled excitedly. "Yes. The brand partner wants that feeling of two people destined for each other.

"Edith and Caden are at the height of their popularity right now. This is guaranteed to go viral."

I froze.

After Edith and I got together, she once said she would marry me when the channel reached 10 million followers.

But when we hit that follower count, she said she was too busy and asked to wait until 50 million followers.

When we reached 50 million, she said the channel was still growing and going public with our relationship would affect its future.

And now, the account had 70 million followers, and the proposal theme had finally arrived.

Yet the person who would propose to her in front of the camera still wouldn't be me.

Edith walked over and glanced at the contract. "That works."

She turned to me and said, "Holden, you write the script. Caden said he wants a snowy mountain, a ring, and a declaration of love.

"You're the best at capturing this kind of feeling."

She said it like it was the most natural thing in the world.

So casually, it was as if she had completely forgotten. A proposal in the snow was once the moment I wanted most.

A long time ago, I showed her a photo of a snowy mountain.

I said, "Edith, if I ever propose to you, I want it to be in front of a snowy mountain."

Back then, she hugged me and laughed.

"Okay," she said. "When that day comes, you'll be the most handsome man standing in front of that mountain."

I looked down at the words "Proposal-Themed" on the contract.

I felt my chest tighten slowly. The pain wasn't sharp, but it lingered until I could barely breathe.

I asked Edith, "What about me?"

Edith froze for a brief moment.

Then quickly, she spoke in a gentle tone. "Holden, don't read too much into it. It's just a commercial shoot.

"When it's over, we'll have our own engagement."

I stared at her. Suddenly, I couldn't say a word.

So the snowy mountain proposal I had waited years for could simply come after Caden's.

He would be the one to wear the suit and propose to Edith first.

Everyone would hear his declaration of love first, and he would receive everyone's blessing.

And only then would it be my turn to use the same snow Caden had already filmed in and the romance Edith had already given away.

It was just like everything I had gotten over the years. It would always come after Caden. It felt as if I was forever getting someone else's leftovers.

I looked down at the contract. My chest ached until it went numb.

Forget it.

I didn't want something that someone else already had.

Edith, I don't want you anymore either.