The room was filled with laughter, champagne glasses clinking and the soft glow of fairy lights. Lucy's heart raced as Marcus got down on one knee, a small velvet box in his hand.
"Will you marry me?" he asked, his voice steady, eyes bright.
For a moment, the world seemed to stop. Her friends cheered. Her family smiled, tears glistening in their eyes. Lucy's chest swelled and she barely managed to nod through the lump in her throat.
"Yes," she whispered. "Yes, of course."
He slid the ring onto her finger and the applause swelled around them. For one perfect night everything felt like it had fallen into place.
Two weeks later, that perfection shattered.
Marcus came over to Lucy's apartment "I have to move, Lucy, the company…it's in Boston. I want you to come with me."
Her stomach twisted. Boston? Now? She had worked so hard to build her music career here, every gig, every client….she couldn't just walk away.
"I…I can't," she said, voice trembling. "My career, everything I've worked for … it's here."
There was this silence. Then, quietly: " I guess…I'll go. I love you."
And just like that, he was gone.
Days had passed since the breakup, but Marcus's absence gnawed at her like a constant ache. He hadn't called. He hadn't texted. Not a word.
At first, she told herself it was temporary. Maybe he was busy. Maybe he'd realize she was right to stay, that her career mattered. But the months dragged on. The silence became unbearable.
And then, on a quiet Wednesday evening, she did one thing she had sworn she wouldn't, she checked his social media.
Her chest tightened before she even saw it. There he was, smiling in a perfectly staged photo, his arms around another woman. They were both laughing, their heads tilted close together, like the world had conspired to erase her from his life.
And then she saw it. The caption: "She said yes! Can't wait to start this new chapter with you❤️"
Lucy's stomach dropped. She read it again, as if looking twice would make it disappear. But it didn't. He had moved on. He has proposed. And she… she was left behind.
Lucy's thumb trembled as she scrolled further. Comment after comment flooded the post, heart emojis, congratulations, inside jokes from people who clearly knew the story she had just been erased from. Someone mentioned how perfect they looked together. Someone else joked about how fast love can find you when it's meant to.
She stared at the ring on the woman's finger, zooming in before she could stop herself. It was elegant. Tasteful. Exactly the kind Marcus would choose.
She sank onto the couch, the apartment silent except the faint hum of the city outside. Her chest ached. She poured herself a glass of wine. Then another. The warmth spread through her, dulling the sharp edges of the grief, but only slightly.
Somewhere in the haze of her third glass, exhaustion and alcohol combined, and she drifted into sleep.
In her dream, the world shifted. She was back in a warm, intimate karaoke lounge, soft lights casting golden glows across the small stage. The room buzzed with laughter and chatter, but her eyes were fixed on Marcus. It was his birthday. She had convinced him to come out for the night, a little escape from work and responsibilities.
Suddenly a host's voice called her name.
"Lucy! Come up here!
Excited, she stepped onto the stage, microphone in hand. The opening chords of " Man I need " by Olivia Dean filled the air, soft and familiar. She sang their song, their slow, tender melody. Each note carried the memories of their laughter, their late night talks, their dreams whispered in the dark. The crowd faded away. There was only him, only them.
When the final note lingered in the room, Lucy stepped down from the stage. Marcus was waiting, his eyes shining, a smile breaking across his face.
"I love you," he whispered.
She smiled, tears blurring her vision, and leaned in. Their lips met, slow and electric. The warmth of the kiss, the rush of love, made her heart soar in a way that reality hadn't in weeks.
But then a faint voice echoed around her dream:
"Lucy! Lucy! Are you in ? Lucy open the door!"
The sound grew louder , more urgent , until Lucy blinked against the morning sunlight streaming through her curtains. She groaned, disoriented and realized it wasn't a dream anymore.
She sat up and squinted towards the door. Lila's familiar energy practically radiated through the wood. With a smile too bright for the gloom that still clung to Lucy, she knocked again.
"Open up, dude! You do not get to be locked in here all day," Lila called. "I have amazing news for you!"
Lucy pushed herself off the couch and shuffled to the door, opening it to see her best friend practically bouncing with excitement.
"You remember that thing you applied to, the resort gig in Fiji?" Lila said, brandishing an envelope. " They got back to you."
She pushed the envelope toward Lucy, practically shoving it into her hands. Heart pounding, Lucy tore it open as Lila read it aloud.
"Congratulations! We would like to invite you to perform at our resort in Fiji for one week. All expenses paid. Travel, lodging and accommodation included. We can't wait to welcome you to paradise.
Lucy's eyes widened. "Fiji…perform…a week?"
"Yes! Beach, sun, no stress, just you and your music. You need to get your groove back on, you haven't performed in a while. You need this, trust me."
Lucy hesitated, clutching the envelope, she didn't want to leave the safety of her apartment. She didn't want to face anyone. She didn't want to move, breathe or exist outside her grief.
"I…I don't know, Lila," she whispered "I'm not sure I can".
"Yes you can," Lila interrupted firmly. " A week on a tropical island. No schedules. No reminders of what you've lost. Just sand, sun, and music which you love. You deserve this, Lucy. You need this."
Lucy looked down at the letter again. A small reluctant spark of curiosity flared inside her chest. Maybe it was time for a change . Maybe she needed a new scene, new energy, a reset.
Lila leaned in, her eyes softening. "Come on, Lucy. Take this trip. Perform, breathe, live a little. I'll be with you. Just…say yes."
Lucy exhaled slowly. The hesitation lingered, but the thought of Fiji, the sun on her skin, the sound of waves, the chance to step out of her sorrows, felt like a lifeline.
But maybe, just maybe, it was time.
As the plane lifted off the runway, Lucy pressed her forehead to the window, watching the clouds drift past. Somewhere below, the island paradise awaited. She had no idea that this trip, meant to heal her heart, would also bring her past hurt, unexpected encounters and complications she never imagined.
And somewhere in the back of her mind, a tiny whisper reminded her: the past has a way of following you…even to paradise.