The Illusion Of Us

CHAPTER 1

"I'm getting married!" Ava exclaimed, her voice bubbling with excitement as she displayed her 5-carat diamond engagement ring to her friends at the King Cole Bar. Ethan was nearby, sharing in the joyous moment.

Her girlfriends gasped in awe at the sight of the ring. "OMG, Ava! You two finally did it! Congratulations!" Amy, her best friend since their first year of college, said with a burst of excitement, pulling Ava into a tight hug. "Oh, I'm so happy for you!"

"Thank you, Amy!" Ava returned the warmth of her friend's embrace, her smile wide and genuine. In the background, she could hear their other friends offering their congratulations to Ethan.

"So, how did Ethan propose?" Jasmine, another college friend, asked curiously, sipping her apple martini.

Ava glanced over at her boyfriend, now fiancé, with a giggle. "Babe, do you want to tell them, or should I?" she asked, looping her arms around him. He mirrored her affectionate gesture, their comfort with public displays of affection evident.

"You should, babe. You're great at storytelling," Ethan replied, planting a sweet kiss on her forehead. Their friends watched, squealing with delight at the couple's evident happiness.

Ava went on to tell their friends how Ethan had proposed to her the previous night in front of her parents. It was a candid moment, yet deeply romantic for her, fulfilling her long-held wish to have her parents present during the proposal. Ethan had made that dream come true.

Their romance had begun at the age of 20, when both attended the same university. Initially, Ava had a significant crush on Ethan but thought he was more interested in her friend, Violet, due to the attention he seemed to give her. Consequently, she had distanced herself from him. To Ava's surprise, Ethan had chosen to pursue her instead of Violet, turning their friendship into a blossoming romance. They quickly became one of the most admired couples on campus and had remained deeply in love ever since.

Years after graduating from college, many around them had expected an engagement, yet Ethan hadn't proposed. There were times when Ava wondered if he really wanted to marry her, but she later discovered that Ethan had been waiting to finish his internship before proposing. Ethan had recently started his residency at Greenwood Medical Center.

Ethan's residency at Greenwood Medical Center wasn't just a professional milestone; it was a convergence of his personal life with a prestigious medical legacy. The hospital, established by Ava's grandfather Jameson Greenwood Sr., was a pillar in the medical community, renowned for its excellence and the lineage of surgeons it had produced.

Ava's family had long been intertwined with the history of Greenwood Medical Center. Her father, James Greenwood, held the esteemed position of chairman, having previously served as the chief of surgery. Her older brother, Nate, continued the family tradition as the chief of the Cardiology Department, and her mother was renowned for her tenure as the chief of general surgery.

Despite the deep medical roots of her family, Ava had charted a different path, one that was met with understanding and respect from her family. Her passion led her to the world of patisserie, a craft she pursued with the same dedication and excellence her family showed in medicine. Ava had just celebrated the opening of her second La Belle Époque Patisserie branch.

When Ava and Ethan's relationship blossomed, it was more than just a personal connection; it was the joining of two families with deep ties to Greenwood Medical Center. Ava's father, James, was overjoyed upon learning that she was dating Ethan, seeing the union as a harmonious blending of past and present. Ethan, the son of Harry Williams, the current chief of surgery and an old friend of James, was already well-regarded in the Greenwood family.