Chasing The Star He Lost

Everyone knew Ava Chen was just keeping Dr. Julian Vance' s spot warm.

He, a brilliant Columbia astrophysicist; I, a New York financial analyst.

We were dating, but his great love, my former best friend Chloe, was merely on fellowship, her return an unspoken ticking clock.

The clock exploded the day Julian stood me up at City Hall for our marriage license.

An Instagram story appeared instead: Julian, smiling, at Chloe' s surprise welcome-back party.

My heart didn' t just break; it fractured into a dull, final ache.

I shredded the marriage application.