We’ve been dating for five years, and my lawyer fiancé, Aaron Moore, has canceled our wedding for the fifty-second time. During our first wedding, his law firm intern, Nicole Williams, messed up some case files. He rushed back to the office, leaving me alone on the beach all day. At our second wedding, halfway through the ceremony, he heard Nicole was being hassled by another lawyer. He immediately went to her rescue, leaving me to face the guests’ snickers alone. After that, no matter when I scheduled our wedding, Nicole would always have some emergency that required Aaron’s help. Finally, heartbroken, I decided to end the relationship. The day I was preparing to leave Los Angeles, Aaron anxiously searched the entire city for me. ***** Today is my fifty-second wedding attempt with Aaron. This time, I didn’t invite any friends—only our families are present. I’m running a high fever but still confirming final details with the wedding planner, while Aaron couldn’t care less about any of it. In the makeup room, he’s busy applying ice to Nicole’s ankle, who rushed here despite her sprain. My parents see this and shake their heads in disappointment. “He’s never cared about your feelings.” Everyone knows how much this wedding means to me and how I hoped for a perfect ending. But just as the ceremony is about to begin, Aaron, who should be waiting at the altar, cancels our wedding yet again. I chase after him, but he stops me, saying, “Nicole’s ankle has gotten worse. I need to take her to the ER. Let’s cancel the wedding. Next time, I promise I won’t leave.” With that, Aaron shakes off my hand and helps Nicole into the passenger seat. We’ve been together for five years, and this is the fifty-second time he’s canceled our wedding because of Nicole. In the past, I would have hysterically demanded to know why he always leaves during our weddings, but this time I just stand quietly aside and smile, saying, “It’s okay. Nicole’s injury can’t wait.” Aaron pauses, seemingly surprised by my agreement. He says, “I’m glad you understand. I’ll bring you your favorite red velvet cake tonight.” I nod, watching him drive away before dropping my smile. He forgot that I hate red velvet cake—I hate all sweets. The one who loves red velvet cake isn’t me. Once, he bought cake to cheer me up. I couldn’t bear to refuse, so I reluctantly took a bite and only afterward told him I disliked sweets. Aaron immediately pulled out his phone and made a note, saying he would never forget. Yet in just five years, he has forgotten. The scorching sun burns my skin, but my heart feels cold. I laugh bitterly, return to the church to announce the cancellation, and publicly cut to pieces the wedding dress I’ve worn fifty-two times. I know it’s time to cut off these five years of feelings as well.
Eventually, my parents stayed to persuade me, “Why don’t you come back to Boston with us?” This wasn’t the first time they’d tried to convince me to return. I slumped on the couch, looking up to see the hopeful expressions on my parents’ faces. They were the founders of Boston’s largest law firm, and it was their influence that led me to become a lawyer. Originally, they had planned for me to intern at the family firm after graduation, but because I met Aaron in college, I followed him to Los Angeles instead. He grew up on a Midwestern farm and hated when people mentioned my privileged background. So for five years, I never told him about my family background. In his eyes, I was just an ordinary person. Over those five years, I grew from a junior lawyer into a litigation attorney with a solid reputation. We won the firm’s Best Partnership Award three years in a row, and colleagues referred to us as the “Golden Duo.” Our lives kept getting better, and I thought the time was right, but I never found the right opportunity to tell him the truth. Thinking back on all this, I sighed. Now these things would never need to be said. I said, “Okay, I’ll go back with you.” My parents were delighted, squeezing my hands tightly as they said, “Sweetheart, we’ll book your ticket right away. We won’t let you suffer here anymore!” After settling my parents in their accommodations, I returned to the apartment. The apartment was as empty as ever. I ate something quickly, then opened Instagram to see Nicole had just updated her status. In the photo, she was wearing tight yoga clothes, taking a selfie with her arm intimately wrapped around Aaron’s shoulders. [Tricked Aaron away from wedding prep to play tennis, and he was a little annoyed. But when I invited him over for dinner at my place, he cheered up immediately!] Seeing this post made me sick to my stomach. I knew Aaron wouldn’t be coming home tonight, just like countless nights before. Thankfully, we never officially got married. I wouldn’t have to swallow my pride anymore. Early the next morning, I took my packed luggage to the firm to process my resignation. Because of my outstanding performance, my boss Walter Johnson tried hard to keep me. While we were talking, Aaron walked in with some files. I glimpsed the hickey on his neck and smelled the distinct peach perfume on him. Clearly, he’d enjoyed himself last night. In the past, Aaron hated when I left marks on him, saying it affected his professional image. So I always restrained myself when we made love. Turns out he didn’t dislike being marked—he just disliked being marked by me. As soon as Aaron entered, Walter sighed and said, “Perfect timing. Talk some sense into Olivia. She suddenly wants to resign. Did you two have a fight?” I said, “It has nothing to do with him.” Aaron asked, “You’re resigning?” We spoke simultaneously. I saw his gaze fixed intently on me, his expression serious. He said, “So you’re still angry about canceling the wedding yesterday, aren’t you?” Walter left, giving us the office to ourselves. Once the door closed, Aaron strode over to me and demanded, “I already told you I canceled yesterday because Nicole injured her ankle. Why are you being so petty?” Suppressing my anger, I lied, “I’m not angry. I’m resigning because I’m exhausted and need a break to regroup.” He frowned and said, “If you want a break, you can use your vacation days. If you suddenly resign like this, people will think you have something against Nicole. She just started her career—how is she supposed to work at the firm after this?” He’d forgotten that I’d already used up all my vacation days this year, wasting them on his repeatedly canceled weddings. And all he cared about was Nicole’s situation at the firm. I was disappointed. I stared at the hickey on his neck, saying nothing. He noticed my gaze and instinctively covered his neck, explaining, “It’s a mosquito bite, don’t misunderstand.” I was somewhat surprised that instead of arguing with me this time, he tried to explain. But his excuse was so clumsy—in the past, I might have believed it. I nodded, still silent. Aaron sighed with relief, thinking I’d calmed down. He smiled and put his arm around my shoulders, saying, “That’s more like it. Being gracious is how you become a top lawyer. Don’t resign. Tonight I’ll take you to a Michelin-star restaurant as compensation, okay?” I still didn’t speak, which he took as agreement. I abandoned my original plan to properly say goodbye to Aaron. Now I didn’t want to tell him about going to Boston at all. “Mr. Moore!” Nicole barged in without knocking. Aaron pulled away from me as if he’d been shocked. Nicole pretended to be embarrassed, smiling as she said, “Sorry to interrupt, but I really don’t understand this case…” Aaron walked toward her without looking back, carefully examining the file and patiently asking which parts confused her. Nicole deliberately stood very close to Aaron. They conversed as if I wasn’t even there. As they left, Nicole clung to Aaron’s arm, and before closing the door, she turned to give me a challenging smile. Only the sound of my breathing remained in the empty office. The next moment, the bracelet on my wrist unexpectedly fell off and broke. It was a gift Aaron gave me on our first anniversary. He said he hoped our relationship would be as perfect as that bracelet. After a long silence, I picked up the broken bracelet and, along with the last trace of reluctance in my heart, threw it into the trash.
I insisted on submitting my resignation to Walter, then returned to my desk to begin the handover process. Brittany Taylor, who was responsible for the transition, had a good relationship with me and seemed reluctant to see me leave. “Olivia, are you really leaving? Now I’ll have to watch Aaron and Nicole’s flirtatious drama in the office every day!” she said. Following Brittany’s gaze, I saw Aaron explaining case details to Nicole. Nicole seemed upset, as if Aaron had scolded her. To cheer her up, Aaron pulled out a Cartier bracelet. Nicole immediately smiled and put it on. Noticing my gaze, Nicole hurriedly stood up and said, “Olivia, there’s nothing going on between Aaron and me, this is just a casual gift!” Her comment immediately drew the attention of everyone in the office. They all looked back and forth between Nicole and me. We had been dating for five years, and Aaron had never given me expensive gifts. Plus, like Aaron, they all thought I came from an ordinary family background. The people around me looked at me with pity. Standing beside me, Brittany lowered her voice and said, “You two are still engaged! The way they’re openly flirting is absolutely humiliating you.” I placed my hand on Brittany’s and shook my head, signaling her not to get worked up, then calmly looked at Nicole and said, “That bracelet is beautiful. It suits you.” When Nicole didn’t see me get angry, she continued to provoke me, saying, “Olivia, it really is just a casual gift, don’t be upset.” I found it laughable. Of course I wasn’t upset. I had many such pieces of jewelry, they were just kept at my home in Boston. Aaron stood up when he heard this and scolded me, “Olivia, stop being unreasonable.” I sighed, shook my head, and said, “I’m really not upset. Please stop overanalyzing my reactions.” My tone was too calm, which clearly caught Aaron off guard. He then snorted, “It better be that way.” Then he pulled Nicole back to sit down. Brittany couldn’t help but whisper to me, “You’re just going to let them act like this?” While organizing files, I replied, “Yes, after all, I’ve already broken up with him unilaterally.” I’ve planned fifty-two weddings, none of which succeeded. I’m tired. After work, Aaron surprisingly came over to help me pack up. He said, “Let’s go. I made a reservation at the restaurant for eight o’clock. If we leave now, we’ll arrive just in time.” Aaron suddenly noticed my bare wrist and anxiously asked, “Where’s the bracelet I gave you?” I said, “I was afraid of damaging it, so I left it at home.” Aaron visibly relaxed and smiled, “Didn’t you used to wear it every day? Why so careful all of a sudden?” As I was thinking of how to respond, Nicole came running over, saying, “Mr. Moore, I’m ready!” Aaron was immediately drawn to Nicole, gesturing for her to wait in the car. I watched as Nicole went straight to the passenger seat—the seat Aaron had said was reserved for his future wife, the one he said I could only sit in after we were married. Seeing Nicole’s challenging look, I lowered my head without responding. I felt completely calm. At the restaurant, Aaron and Nicole sat on the same side and ordered without asking what I wanted. I didn’t care, just quietly gazing at the night view outside the window. After tomorrow, I would never see this city again. When the food arrived, Aaron surprisingly peeled some lobster meat for me. He said, “The lobster here is excellent.” I looked up to see Aaron’s rare gentle smile. I hadn’t expected him to be considerate of me at a time like this. Nicole immediately took credit, saying, “I recommended this lobster to Mr. Moore! Last time we came, Aaron ate three portions by himself!” Aaron said embarrassedly, “Why are you telling Olivia this…” Nicole pretended to be apologetic, “I’m sorry, Olivia. Please don’t let this affect your impression of Aaron.” They smiled at each other right in front of me. Looking at the lobster before me, I suddenly lost my appetite. I forced myself to eat a little and said, “I don’t really like it. You two can have it.” Aaron and Nicole’s laughter abruptly stopped. Aaron cautiously asked, “Are you unhappy?” I shook my head and said, “No, the lobster is just too fishy.” I thought to myself, “This lobster is like your relationship—disgusting.” After dinner, Aaron drove the drunk Nicole home, and I was the one who closed her car door. Watching their car drive away, I immediately took a taxi to the airport. On my phone, Aaron was still sending messages discussing our next wedding. Perhaps out of guilt, Aaron volunteered to plan this wedding himself. [Don’t worry, this time it will go smoothly. No one will disturb us!] I emotionlessly replied: [Okay.] I knew it was impossible. This wedding would inevitably be canceled like all the others. Before boarding, Aaron sent another message: [Nicole has a stomachache from drinking too much. I won’t be coming home tonight. Take care of yourself.] I let out a cold laugh, not surprised at all. I replied: [That’s fine. You can even stay at Nicole’s place. I’ve already left with my luggage, and from now on, we have no relationship.] [Aaron, goodbye forever.] After sending that final message, I deleted all of Aaron’s contact information. As the plane took off, I watched the brilliant lights of Los Angeles gradually fade away beneath me. Meanwhile, Aaron was in for quite a surprise.
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “397892”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #B×G #regret #Intelligent #Happyending #LoveAfterLoss
Leave a Reply