Disclaimer: I am not Pseudonymous Bosch. Ergo, I do not own the Secret Series.

Today was a very special day for Cass. It was her wedding day.

She woke up extra early today. She was too nervous and excited to sleep anyways. She was going to marry a man she knew more than half of her entire life and she was about to spend the rest of it with him. It sounded like a lifetime imprisonment to her, but hey, at least it's with a man she loves.

Cass immediately scolded herself for thinking about marriage as some sort of jail. She blamed her weird imagination to the pre-wedding jitters.

Still, she felt something was wrong. She just couldn't figure it out. Something was missing.

The bride was distracted from her thoughts when she heard someone come in. It was Melanie. Her mom said, "Cassandra, you look absolutely gorgeous." The unshed tears from seeing her daughter made her eyes glisten.

"Thank you Mel," she replied. Cass was wearing her wedding dress with her hair up in a classic hairdo. She wore make-up, something she rarely does, and even then it was light and natural.

She hugged her mother tightly before asking, "Is there something wrong with the wedding preparations?"

"No, nothing's wrong. It's just," Melanie hesitated, "somebody gave me a letter five years ago. He said I should give it to you during your wedding day."

She noticed that her mother was holding some sort of paper in her hand. Something about the way her mom looked made her feel nervous again. "Who is it from?"

"I think it's better that you find out for yourself," her mom replied. She gave Cass a long piece of envelope. It looked a little withered because of time. It reminded her of old people with their gray hair and droopy faces.

"I'll just be outside if you need me." Melanie squeezed her shoulder before going out of the room, giving Cass some alone time with the letter.

The envelope was quite old but neat. It had no writing on it, not even any indication as to who wrote what was inside it. Yet deep down, Cass knew who it came from. It was from someone she was close with back then, someone she loved deeply. It was Max-Ernest's.

Cass opened the envelope slowly, relishing the feel of the paper on her skin. The brunette released a shaky sigh. It was now or never.

Dear Cass,

By the time you read this letter, you're going to get married. But I wouldn't be there with you.

You might be wondering where I am right now. Truth is, I don't know where I'm going and I have no clue on what I'm going to do with my life. I began writing this when I decided I'm going to leave town and start anew.

I wrote this letter with the intention of telling you how I feel (it sounds cheesy, I know). And here it goes. I've been in love with you Cass. Always have and always will. I love you more than a friend loves his friend, more than a brother loves his own sister. Ever since you became my first friend, I knew that I would never be able to get you off my mind. I'm sorry if I put some extra burden on you, especially since you're getting married. But I've been friends with you for a long time to know that you're not backing out on it.

If you're asking why now, why at the time of your wedding, it's because I have to tell you something before you proceed with your march. I don't want you to regret marrying Yo-yoji. You might think, 'How did Max-Ernest know I was marrying him?'.

Remember when you told me about the sparks you felt when you accidentally brushed his hand during graduation? That was when I knew that I had no chance against him. To be honest, I felt a little jealous and hurt. You already fell for him but you just didn't know. I didn't tell you because I know you'd find out sooner or later.

That's how I also know that you're not going to cancel the wedding.

I knew that Yo-yoji felt the same way about you so I gave him my blessing. He didn't understand what I was talking about but I'm guessing he knows now.

Cass, when I decided I was leaving, that meant no communication with you, Yo-yoji, or anyone else in my past life. I don't want to bother anyone by intruding with their lives, especially yours. But most of all, I don't want to stay in touch with you since it would only hurt me more if I knew how happy you were when I'm not in the picture.

So I'm sorry if I have to sacrifice our friendship for it. I know you'd forgive me anyway because you're not the type to hold grudges.

Oops. I guess I saddened the mood there, didn't I? Well, to lighten things up, I want to wish you the best with your life. And, congratulations to you and Yo-yoji.

Sincerely,

Max-Ernest

Cass was sobbing when she finished. Her hands were shaking desperately. She felt like she was about to vomit.

She thought she was angry. No, she knew she was. Angry at herself for crying and for letting it affect her the way it shouldn't have.

She was angry at Max-Ernest, too. For leaving her, when all she wanted was her friend back. For assuming things about her, even though she knew deep down he was telling the truth. She was mad at him for not being here on her most special day, for not telling her sooner how he felt about her.

But would have that really changed anything? she thought. Would have I chosen him instead of Yo-yoji?

Would he still be here if I did?

She felt numerous things at the same time. She felt betrayed, disappointed, overwhelmed, terrified, upset, empty.

She sat down, trying to calm her nerves when someone knocked at the door.

"Cassandra?" It was her mom. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

She wiped her eyes, hoping to whatever deity that her make-up wasn't ruined. "Uh, I'm fine. I just need a few more seconds and I'll be right outside."

She held on to the letter with a new-found strength. Max-Ernest knew almost everything about her, things she didn't even realize about herself. But this time, he got something wrong. People changed with time, and so did she. He doesn't know her that well anymore.

Cass stood up, walked towards the door, and twisted the knob. She knew what she was about to do.

AN: Hello there! I hope you liked my story and I really wanna thank you for taking your time reading it. I also wanna thank you for continuing on reading fanfics in this fandom. If you're a fellow writer, I hope that you could post a story here or update your work to keep this fandom active.

Anyways, I'm sorry for the wrong grammar, spelling, etc. And the cliffhanger. I might add another chapter if I feel like it, but I'm keeping it this way (for now). Have a nice day! Reviews are greatly appreciated. :)