A few days passed and the island was abuzz with excitement for Candace and Julius' wedding. Akari didn't know the two were together much less engaged. Julius had an obsessive crush on Candace that everyone could see except her. She was terrified of him. Or at least she used to be. For all Akari knew, he probably held her hostage until she accepted the proposal. But Candace did look happier. She walked around with rosy cheeks and a tiny smile. She talked a lot more, although people often had to lean in and ask her to repeat herself. And Julius? Oh boy. If he wouldn't shut up before, there was no stopping him now. He paraded Candace around like a shiny gold trophy, announcing to everyone who would listen that she was his "future wifey". Akari knew Julius would orchestrate the whole affair, from the venue to the decor to who was going to sit where in order of importance.

The whole town was invited. Knowing Candace, she probably preferred a smaller, intimate wedding with her grandma and sister. But Julius most likely planned his own wedding back when he was ten years old. Akari found the frilly purple invitation in her mailbox that morning, lined with ribbon and doused in glitter, which read: "You are invited to the most extravagant wedding Castanet Island has ever seen! Julius and Candace. Bring a gift to RSVP!" Akari decided she would go, even though she was only friendly with the two and not particularly close. She accepted that she was going to sit near the back with the other friendly acquaintances, two of who happened to be dear, personal friends.

"Purple is not your color, Akari," Selena said, holding a violet satin dress in front of Akari and scrunching her nose.

"Gee, thanks."

Kathy snatched the dress from Selena and held it to her own body. She twirled in front of the full length mirror. "But it looks good on me, right?"

Selena nodded. "Yeah. That dress was made for you."

Akari rolled her eyes and wondered why she agreed to go shopping with Kathy and Selena for the wedding. It was supposed to be a fun outing, but she was growing more annoyed by the minute. She was frustrated that she was taking everything so personally. But it made sense. She had officially broken up with Owen and began detective work with Chase, although he made her swear on a stack of cookbooks that she wouldn't say anything. Chase was oddly protective of his reputation, despite his claim that he didn't care what people thought.

"Okay, guys. It's been almost an hour, and I still haven't found a dress," Akari said.

Selena sucked her teeth. "Luna, could you please find Akari a dress before she has a bitch fit?"

Kathy stepped between the two ladies before Akari could open her mouth to respond. "Girls, seriously. We're supposed to be hanging out, not cutting each other's throats!"

Akari sighed. She couldn't blame Selena for the attitude. She had been snippy and sarcastic all day and she knew one of them would get fed up with it sooner than later.

"I'm sorry, Selena," Akari said. "I don't know what's wrong with me today."

Selena flashed a genuine smile. "I know what's wrong with you. Stop thinking about that bastard. It's over. You're free. You should be celebrating!"

Kathy watched Akari as she shuffled through the racks of clothes. She was the first to know of the breakup. She didn't ask any questions, and Akari didn't divulge any details. At this point, she felt like the little girl who cried wolf.

Luna strolled over with four dresses in tow, two draped over each arm. She gave Akari a quick up down before handing her a peach colored dress. "This will look cute on you. Candace made it specifically for the wedding. Go try it on."

Akari searched for the dressing room, stepping over boxes and piles of used fabric before pulling back the curtain to a small room. She paused to look at herself in the mirror. Dr. Jin removed the stitches from her forehead just in time for the wedding preparations. She couldn't imagine taking photos with gauze on her face. The scar was barely noticeable now, even without a face full of makeup. She should have been happy. The one reminder of her past was already fading away.

You're a whore!

She could hear his voice inside the tailor's shop. She peeked her head from outside the dressing room and held her breath. Kathy and Selena's laughter filled the room instead. She felt a twinge of jealousy. What if they didn't want anything to do with her because of her drama?

Akari slipped out of her overalls and stepped into the dress. The garment fell below her knees and featured a lace bodice with silver glitter around the hem. The dress cinched at her waist and flared out from her hips. The peach color complemented her skin tone perfectly. She did a little twirl as she admired her reflection. Candace did an amazing job. She wondered if she designed her own wedding dress. Candace often tailored outfits for the shop, but Akari had never seen her create something as extravagant as this.

Candace and Julius' engagement felt bittersweet. Of course she was happy for them, but it was hard not to feel a little envious considering her situation. Before Owen, she thought she'd live the rest of her life single, like every millennial who failed to find love before the age of twenty. He was her first kiss, first relationship, first love. How would she ever get over that?

She blinked back tears before they spilled over onto the dress. Everything was going so well. Why did he suddenly turn on her?

"Akari!" Kathy said. "What's taking so long?"

Akari exhaled and pulled the curtains back with a flourish. Kathy and Selena stood at the far end of the room, mouths agape.

"Oh. My. God," Selena said. "That is the most beautiful dress I've ever seen."

Kathy squealed. "Akari, you look gorgeous!"

She smiled and struck a few poses for her friends. Kathy adjusted her hands to form an imaginary camera as Akari pranced around in a circle. Seemingly impressed, Luna gave Akari a curt nod. "Now, do you want to put it aside or what? As soon as you put it back, someone's gonna buy it. I guarantee it."

Akari frowned. "How much is it?"

"7000g."

Selena fumbled with a pair of heels before they clattered to the floor. "Damn. That's insane."

"Aw, man," Akari said. "I can't afford that."

Luna shrugged and extended her hand. "Well, hand it over before you mess it up."

The bell to the front door chimed and a familiar figure stepped in and wiped her sandals on the doormat. Everyone turned to look and the girl blushed.

"Hi, ladies," Candace said.

Kathy enveloped Candace in a tight but brief embrace. "Congratulations! I'm so happy for you."

Candace's eyes sparkled. "Thank you…"

Selena laughed. "Julius, though? Looks like there's going to be two brides. Which is cool if you're into that."

Candace averted her eyes and combed through her long blue hair. Kathy punched Selena in the arm. "Shut up!"

As Akari walked over to express her congratulations, Candace's face beamed yet again. "You're wearing my dress!"

She nodded. "It's absolutely beautiful. You did an amazing job."

Candace admired the dress like she had seen it for the first time. "Are you going to buy it?"

Akari shook her head. "No. It costs way too much. I'm sure someone will."

Luna huffed and tapped her foot. "Not if you keep wearing it."

Candace shot her sister a disapproving look and then furrowed her brows in thought. "You know what? Keep it."

"What?" Luna and Akari said simultaneously.

"I don't want anyone but Akari to wear it."

Selena whistled as Akari began flailing her hands around in protest. "No, Candace. You worked way too hard to give this away for free."

"And think about all the material you used. Hello? We pay for that!" Luna added.

Candace ignored her. "Please accept it, Akari. It suits you perfectly."

She opened and closed her mouth as she struggled for something to say before throwing her arms around Candace.

Luna rolled her eyes. "Grandma is not going to like this."

"Oh, can it, shorty," Selena said. "Don't be a hater."

Luna turned on her heel and stomped into the back room. Akari pulled away from the hug and held Candace's shoulders. "I don't know how to repay you."

Candace smiled. "You don't have to. I can't wait to see you wear it again."

"Of course."

Their grandmother Shelly wasn't upset at all. In fact, she enclosed it in a box and placed it on a dark shelf to keep it preserved until the wedding day. Kathy decided on a similar powered pink dress sans the lace and glitter and Selena chose a sexy, tight-fitting emerald ensemble. Akari left the shop with a pair of heels, a silver necklace, and a heart that felt a hundred times lighter than before. She couldn't believe she allowed Owen to dampen her mood when he wasn't even around. Like Selena said, she was finally free. That dark cloud could never rain on her again. Selena waved goodbye as she took the last boat to Toucan Island for the evening. Kathy and Akari walked arm in arm towards the Inn to grab a bite to eat before an older gentleman met them at the door.

"Hello, dear."

Akari's eyes widened. "Mr. Ramsey?"

The heavy bags under his eyes added ten years to his appearance. "Yes. May I have a word?"

Her heart sank. She knew what this was about. Kathy gave her an encouraging squeeze on the shoulder before heading inside the inn.

Ramsey and Akari took a seat at one of the tables outside. She listened to the sounds of drilling and hammering from below as Luke, Dale, and Bo continued their work on the bar. The setting sun cast soft shadows over the town. Seagulls squawked overhead, occasionally swooping down to gobble food scattered around the dumpster nearby. Akari bounced her foot on her knee as she waited for Ramsey to speak. What did he possibly have to say to her? They barely exchanged words even when she and Owen were together.

"Do you want water or anything?" Akari asked, breaking the overwhelming silence.

He cleared his throat. "No. I'm sorry. I'm trying to figure out how to say this."

She chewed her lip. "Say what?"

Ramsey lifted his eyes to meet hers. "Owen was crushed by the letter you left by the shop."

Figures. She expected a response but not from Ramsey. On the night of the incident, she sat hunched over in bed, scrapping and rewriting at least ten different breakup letters. The final draft was pure perfection. Simple, sweet, and to the point. At 1:08 am, she folded the letter into an envelope and basked in the subsequent relief. It read:

Owen, I'm breaking up with you. Have a nice life.

Revolutionary, really. If only all girls could cut the cord so easily. What was the point in rehashing the same issue and giving him false hope? It was really over this time. Kaput. Done. Final. Still, the relief didn't last long. As she turned off the light and sank into her mattress, she hugged her pillow and cried herself to sleep. The loneliness followed her into the early hours of the morning as she dragged herself out of bed to start the day. She pictured him walking away from the farm, walking away from her for the last time. She had never seen him cry. His strength and resolve broke at the moment she refused to take him back. It was oddly satisfying but unnerving at the same time.

She studied Ramsey, not exactly sure what response he was expecting from her. "I don't know what you want me to say."

"I just wanted you to know that he really did stop drinking. Until recently, after he read your letter."

Akari shrugged. Big whoop. That didn't change the fact that he called her a whore and humiliated her in front of Chase. "That's not why I broke up with him. I don't know how much he told you about us, but he was abusive and..."

She paused, realizing that she finally admitted to the abuse. The word felt strange rolling off her tongue. Just a few weeks ago, she defended Owen after Chase made the same accusation. Now it totally dawned on her that he was right. The jealousy, the possessiveness, it all made sense. And now he was drinking again. His sobriety couldn't have meant much to him. It was just something he said to placate her as usual.

Akari winced as Ramsey raised his eyebrows. She already spoke too much. This was Owen's grandfather after all. "Anyway, it's just better if we're apart," Akari continued. "I want to move on. He should too."

Ramsey folded his hands under his chin and nodded. "I understand. I'm sorry that my grandson caused you so much grief. He's been through a lot."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want to speak out of place, but I raised him and Chloe for a reason." He turned his gaze out toward the ocean as if he were searching for something. "Anyway, he told me to tell you that he wishes you the best."

He patted Akari's hand and gave her a small smile before taking his leave. She watched him disappear beyond the church grounds until she allowed her to process what was said. She knew Owen's parents died when he was younger, but she never knew how. It just wasn't a topic for discussion. The one time she mentioned it, he said, "Yeah, I lost my parents when I was young, and my grandpa has cared for me ever since." And it was never brought up again. It seemed so long ago that they had that conversation. She didn't know him as well as she thought she did. Owen wasn't the same gentle guy she fell in love with. He was a tortured soul with dark secrets. She probably didn't even know the half of it.

None of it mattered anymore. Whatever demons Owen was dealing with wasn't her problem now. Maybe he could find another woman more equipped to handle it. She had bigger fish to fry. Speaking of fish…

"Something smells good," she said.

"Turn around."

Akari tilted her head back and saw Chase holding a bowl of piping hot seafood curry. She jumped to her feet.

"Dude! You scared the crap out of me."

He set the bowl on the table and grinned. "Yeah, that was my intention. I saw you talking to Ramsey, so I just bided my time." He handed her a plastic spoon. "Well?"

"That's for me?" She gestured toward the curry.

"I'll take it if you don't want it."

Akari slumped down in her chair and brought a spoonful of the curry to her lips, jerking back as the spice hit her tongue. "Oh my God, that's so hot."

Chase shook his head. "You aren't the sharpest tool in the shed, are you?"

"Shut up. And what are you even doing here? I thought you were on reconnaissance duty."

Although Akari's stitches had been removed days ago and Dr. Jin gave her clearance to work again, she didn't inform Chase that she no longer needed his help. She had gotten used to his company, no matter how aggravating his company could be at times. Plus, his golden thumb proved to be quite profitable. Never in her life did she expect to make 20,000g for her produce. At this rate, she could compete with Marimba Farm and Horn Ranch. But that was a pipe dream. She wouldn't have Chase forever. He still needed a job, so she didn't feel too guilty for holding him hostage. However, the repairs to the bar were coming along nicely, and she felt a little wistful about things returning to normal.

He laughed. "This isn't a military mission. You wish you were that important. But I think I might have a lead."

Before she could respond, Kathy flew out of the inn, hastily wiping at her eyes. She left the door ajar in her wake and froze when she spotted Akari and Chase at the table. Tears ran down her face.

"Kathy, what's wrong?" Akari said. She stood up to hold her friend's hand.

Kathy ticked her head toward the front door. Akari turned around. Owen leaned against the doorframe, his hair tousled and his shirt halfway unbuttoned. When he saw Akari, his eyes widened.

"Akari," Kathy said. Her voice wavered. "There's something I have to tell you."