1

644words2026-01-26 11:24

The orchid tattoo over my heart was gone, scraped away by a dermatologist's laser just hours before my own proposal.
By the time I arrived at the proposal venue, the security guard at the door gave me an apologetic look,
“I'm sorry, Miss.Your name isn't on the list for this event.”

I was stunned for a moment, looking around before I noticed that the custom neon sign that was supposed to read “Ryan & Vivian–Forever” was gone.
In its place, an elegant banner fluttered in the breeze, “Welcome Home, Annie.”
Orchids. Thousands of them. The same rare, exquisite Aphrodite's Bloom that was now a raw, stinging patch of skin on my collarbone.
And me, the supposed star of the proposal, suddenly became an outsider without even the right to enter.
A burst of laughter and chatter drifted from inside. After standing there dazed for a while, I still took out my phone and called Ryan.
It went straight to voicemail. Of course.

One of his fraternity brothers, Mark, spotted me. A smirk twisted his lips.
He led me into the venue I had helped Ryan decorate for tonight.
As I got closer, I saw that Ryan, who should have been proposing to me, was now focused on the woman in the jade-green cheongsam printed with—of course—orchids.
Annie Taylor. The ghost who had haunted our entire relationship.

We'd met a few times and had even gotten along quite well.
She saw me first. Her eyes, warm and knowing, flickered over my simple dress.
“Ryan,”she chided softly, “You didn't even go greet your girlfriend when she arrived.”
Ryan turned. A flash of guilt, quickly masked, crossed his face. He took my hand and apologized, “Sorry, babe, Annie just got back a few days ago. We couldn't find a good place for her welcome party, so we just used this spot for now.”
“As for the proposal, I'll make it up to you. How about next month?”
A month.
Fine.
I looked around at the orchid-filled venue and gave a calm nod.
Almost immediately, voices rose around us.
“Annie,can you believe Jake? He even gave up this gorgeous proposal spot just for your welcome party.”
“Yeah, if you ever leave the country again without a word, you'd really be letting him down.”
“And these orchids— Aphrodite's Bloom, each one costs a fortune—Ryan didn't even blink buying them for your party!”
Then, out of nowhere, someone said something that made the air go still.
Everyone's eyes turned toward me.
Even though I thought I'd braced myself, I still felt crushed under their mocking stares.
Not just because everyone knew Ryan's and my couple tattoo was the Sue's Orchid Crown.
But also because the “Annie” they were fawning over was named Annie Taylor.
Seven years ago, Ryan and I got together.
In moments of passion, I'd always see that exquisitely elegant orchid tattoo over his heart and ask him what it meant.
He'd pause, his voice almost reverent, and say, “This is… the love of my life.”
I believed him. Naively.
So I went to a tattoo parlor and had the same orchid inked over my heart.
When Ryan found out, he looked at me with a complicated expression but started treating me even better than before.
He even laughed, hugged me, and said now we had matching tattoos.
Later, when he introduced me to Annie, she once pointed to my tattoo and asked what it meant.
I'd always answer sweetly, with a hint of shyness, that it was our couple tattoo.
And Annie's reaction was just like Ryan's friends', she'd nod, smile meaningfully, and say nothing more.
Back then, I had no idea what the tattoo truly symbolized. I thought their smiles were approval.
Now I know—they were secretly laughing at me.
The silence in the room stretched on.
In the middle of the tension, Annie suddenly smiled.