Emily Meyers stood in front of the mirror in the dimly lit bathroom, staring at her reflection. The sound of the party outside—the laughter, the clinking glasses, and the hum of casual conversations—felt like it belonged to another world. She was supposed to be out there, celebrating with everyone else, but instead, she was here, trying to steady her trembling hands.

The proposal. That damned proposal. The moment that had changed everything. The ring had felt heavy in Luke's hand when he'd shown it to her earlier, his eyes bright with excitement and love. It was supposed to be perfect. But all Emily felt now was a crushing sense of dread, the weight of everything she wasn't ready for, everything that was slipping through her fingers.

The lyrics from Taylor Swift's "champagne problems" played in her mind like a haunting melody: "You booked the night train for a reason, so you could sit there in this hurt..." She had made her decision hours ago, but now, standing in the aftermath, she wasn't sure how to face Luke, how to explain the tangled mess of emotions swirling inside her.

Taking a deep breath, Emily splashed cold water on her face and left the bathroom, her heart pounding in her chest. As she made her way through the crowded room, her eyes found Luke standing by the bar, his back turned to her. He was talking to a few colleagues, a drink in his hand, his expression easy and relaxed—completely unaware of the storm that was about to hit him.

She approached him quietly, her stomach churning with guilt and fear. "Luke, can we talk?"

Luke turned to her, his smile widening when he saw her, his face lighting up in that way it always did when she was near. But then he saw her expression, and the smile faltered.

"Em, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

Emily swallowed hard, her throat tight as she struggled to find the words. "Can we go somewhere private?"

Luke's brow furrowed, but he nodded, leading her out of the room and down a quiet hallway. They stopped near a window, the city lights casting a soft glow around them. Luke turned to her, his eyes searching hers.

"What's going on?" he asked gently, though there was a note of worry creeping into his voice. "You've been acting strange all night."

Emily bit her lip, looking down at her hands as they twisted nervously. "I... I need to talk to you about something. About us."

Luke's face fell, and he took a step closer to her. "Emily, whatever it is, we can work through it. You know we can."

She closed her eyes, hating herself for what she was about to say. "I don't think we can, Luke. I don't think... I don't think I can do this."

Luke's eyes widened in confusion, his voice shaky. "Do what? What are you talking about?"

Emily opened her eyes, meeting his gaze, her heart breaking at the hurt she saw there. "I can't marry you."

The silence that followed was deafening. Luke stood frozen, his mouth slightly open as if he couldn't quite process what she had just said. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely a whisper. "What... what do you mean?"

"I mean..." Emily's voice cracked, tears welling in her eyes. "I mean, I'm not ready. I thought I was, but... I'm not. I'm sorry, Luke. I can't do this."

Luke took a step back, his face pale as the realization hit him. "You're... you're breaking up with me?"

Emily wiped at her eyes, trying to hold herself together. "I don't know. I just know that I can't marry you. Not now. Maybe not ever."

Luke's expression shifted from shock to disbelief, then to anger. "You've got to be kidding me. We've been together for years, Emily. We've been through so much, and now, just when we're finally supposed to start our lives together, you're... you're throwing it all away?"

"I'm not throwing it away!" Emily cried, her voice rising in frustration. "I'm just... I'm trying to be honest with you. With myself. I love you, Luke, but I don't think I'm ready for this kind of commitment."

Luke's eyes flashed with hurt and betrayal. "You don't think you're ready? You didn't seem to have a problem with us before. What changed, Emily? Why now?"

Emily shook her head, her hands trembling. "I don't know! It's just... everything's been moving so fast, and I feel like I'm losing myself. I don't know who I am anymore, and I don't want to drag you down with me while I figure it out."

Luke ran a hand through his hair, pacing back and forth as he tried to process what she was saying. "So, what? You need time? Space? You think that's going to fix everything?"

"I don't know," Emily whispered, her voice broken. "But I can't pretend everything's okay when it's not."

Luke stopped pacing and turned to face her, his eyes filled with pain. "I don't get it, Emily. I thought we were happy. I thought you wanted this."

Emily looked down at her hands, unable to meet his gaze. "I did. I do. But something changed, and now I feel... lost. I need to figure out who I am before I can be with you. I can't be the person you need me to be right now."

Luke stared at her, his chest heaving with emotion. "So, that's it? You're just... leaving me?"

Emily wiped at her eyes, tears spilling over despite her efforts to hold them back. "I don't want to, Luke. But I can't stay in something that doesn't feel right. It's not fair to you. You deserve someone who's sure, who knows what they want. And right now... that's not me."

Luke's face crumpled, and for the first time that night, Emily saw tears welling in his eyes. "I can't believe this. I can't believe you're doing this to us."

"I'm sorry," Emily whispered, her voice barely audible.

The two of them stood in the hallway, the silence between them thick with unspoken words and shattered dreams. The party continued on in the background, the sound of laughter and celebration a cruel reminder of the future they had once planned together.

Luke shook his head, his voice hollow. "I never thought... I never thought it would end like this."

Emily felt her heart shatter at his words, but she knew there was no going back now. She had made her decision, and as much as it hurt, she knew it was the right one.

"I'm sorry, Luke," she said again, her voice trembling. "I'm so sorry."

Luke didn't say anything, his face pale and expressionless as he turned away from her. He walked down the hallway, disappearing into the crowd of partygoers without another word, leaving Emily standing alone in the quiet.

She stood there for a long time, staring at the spot where he had stood, the weight of what she had just done crashing down on her. She had ended it. She had broken his heart. And maybe, in the process, she had broken her own too.

The lyrics from "champagne problems" echoed in her mind once more: "Your heart was glass, I dropped it..." It felt like she had shattered something delicate and precious, something that could never be put back together again.

And as she walked out of the party, into the cold night air, Emily couldn't help but wonder if she had made the biggest mistake of her life.