I had been in love with Lily for four years. We promised to get married once my company went public. But on the last day before that milestone, she became someone else’s bride. I looked at her painfully, wanting her to give me a reason, but she was pulled behind by the man next to her. “Jack, I have a terminal illness with not much time left. My only wish in this life is to marry Lily once,” Ryan said. Lily’s eyes were brimming with tears, her voice choked with sobs: “Can’t you be a little less petty? I’m just helping Ryan fulfill a wish, it’s not like I’m really marrying him.” I smiled bitterly and turned to leave, saying “You might as well really marry him then.” That same day, I packed up all her things and threw them out. There was just one day left before my company’s IPO. But Lily had disappeared without a trace. The mutual friends Lily and I shared looked at me with complex expressions, as if they had something they wanted to say. I had a bad feeling and frantically tried calling Lily, but no one answered. Until a friend sent me a photo. [You won’t be able to reach her. She’s getting married.] [If you come now, you can still make it.] The message included an address. I had a feeling this wasn’t a joke. Lily was someone who loved romance but wasn’t proactive. She would never arrange some romantic proposal ceremony herself. As I got closer to the destination, the unease in my heart grew deeper. Until I saw Lily’s brother at the entrance, along with those friends. Lily’s brother looked like he’d seen a ghost: “Shit, which bastard told my brother-in-law the address?” His outburst completely confirmed my suspicions. I pointed at the tightly closed doors and asked, my voice trembling: “Why couldn’t you tell me?” “Let me rephrase – is that your sister getting married in there?”
Lily and I had basically grown up together. We were both excellent students – I was always first in the class, she was second. We were the model children other parents always talked about. Even when Lily and I got together later, people would just say: “Those two are a perfect match. It’s only natural they ended up together.” I thought so too. Because we were mature for our age, the behavior of our peers often seemed childish to me. This also meant I didn’t have many friends. I had thought more than once that if Lily wasn’t by my side, I would probably die of loneliness. I was grateful that heaven had sent her to me. Whenever I said this, she would lean close to my ear and laugh. “Have I ever told you that without you, I’d die of boredom too?” I would just look at her tenderly, my heart slowly filling up. How fortunate I was to have her by my side. I kept my promise – once the company went public, we would get married. But with just one day to go, she became someone else’s bride. Lily’s brother ultimately couldn’t stop me. When I pushed open the doors, Lily’s gaze turned to me along with the guests. In an instant, her face changed dramatically. Just as she was about to speak, Ryan pulled her behind him. He looked at me apologetically: “Jack, please don’t blame Lily.” “I have a terminal illness with not much time left. My only wish in this life is to marry Lily once. Lily is just fulfilling this wish for me.” Lily’s eyes were brimming with tears, her gaze full of accusation as she looked at me. “Jack, can’t you be a little less petty? I’m just helping Ryan fulfill a wish, it’s not like I’m really marrying him.” “Ryan is dying, can’t you let him have this?” Looking at her expression, all the questions I wanted to ask died in my throat. I could feel the strength rapidly draining from my body. I nodded and smiled bitterly: “Fine then. I’ll let him have this. I’ll let you go too!” I slowly took off the couple’s ring I had worn around my neck for so long and threw it violently to the ground. My heart clenched painfully. “You two are a match made in heaven. I wish you a lifetime of happiness together.” With that, I turned and left. Lily hadn’t expected me to be so resolute. She wanted to chase after me, but stopped when she heard Ryan’s voice. “Lily, go after him if you want. I’m a dying man, I have nothing left to hope for.” “Jack is the one you’ll spend your life with. I don’t mind!” In the end, Lily didn’t come after me.
Lily’s brother and our mutual friends watched me come out and all rushed to try to persuade me. “Jack, my sister and Ryan are really just friends, don’t overthink it!” “Come on man, be a little more open-minded. It’s not like they’re really getting married.” “Jack, you and Lily have been together for so many years. Don’t throw it all away over something so small…” Looking at these former friends, I felt a wave of desolation. “Stop calling me Jack. From now on, if we pass each other on the street, let’s pretend we don’t know each other. I can’t afford friends like you.” Among them were classmates I had known for over a decade and childhood friends I had grown up with. But when it came to Lily’s situation, Their first thought wasn’t to tell me. It was to hide it from me. Wanting me to continue living in blissful ignorance in that fairy tale relationship I had constructed. Like an idiot. But why should I? Sitting in the driver’s seat, I slowly opened the front compartment. Inside was a property deed for the riverside apartment Lily had been dreaming of for so long. I had bought it for her. I was planning to give it to her as a wedding gift. Now it seemed there was no need.
Actually, there had been signs of something between Lily and Ryan for half a year. It was around the time my company first started taking off. I rarely came home then. On the rare occasions I did make it back, I never saw Lily around. Whenever I called to ask where she was, she always brushed me off with various excuses. “I’m playing mahjong with my girlfriends. I’m often not home. What, am I not allowed to stay with my friends?” Hearing her coquettish complaints, I felt guilty. “I’m doing this for our future. Once this busy period is over, I promise I’ll spend more time with you.” “Take your time honey, don’t worry about me. I’m not some clingy vine that needs constant attention. You focus on your work – that’s how we’ll have a good future.” I was touched by how understanding she was. I subconsciously dismissed the unfamiliar male voice I heard in the background as coming from the TV. Looking back now, she wasn’t playing mahjong with friends at all. She was in bed with another man. How ironic. I contacted the sales manager for the riverside apartment, intending to put it back on the market. I didn’t care about the price. But to my surprise, within a few hours, a buyer had already contacted me. And coincidentally, it was one of the few mutual friends Lily and I had who hadn’t shown up at that deceitful ceremony today – Olivia. She looked at me and sighed softly. “Was this apartment meant for Lily?” I nodded, smiling self-mockingly: “Not anymore.” Seeing my expression, she sighed helplessly: “I see you found out about that ridiculous situation.” Her expression was complex: “I tried to talk her out of it. How can you treat marriage so casually, using some ‘dying wish’ as an excuse? But she’s always been stubborn. The more you try to dissuade her, the more determined she gets.” “I know Ryan. He’s been a spoiled rich kid since childhood. He’s liked Lily for a while, but even so, he’s never stopped seeing other women.” “I heard he found out he doesn’t have much time left, so he’s trying to fulfill his ‘dying wish’. Lily is being so foolish!” Olivia felt the whole fake marriage thing was completely out of line. To get married to someone else when you already have a fiancé? That’s basically no different from cheating. How could she claim her heart still belonged to her boyfriend? Wasn’t she afraid he’d break up with her when he found out? She probably wasn’t afraid. She probably didn’t even care. What other reason could there be? I didn’t know.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to push the pain from my mind. Olivia took out her phone, looking frustrated: “I actually wanted to tell you about this at first, but you had blocked me on everything.” I picked up my phone, pretty sure I knew who was behind that. Seeing I was in a bad mood, she dropped the subject of being blocked and suggested we go get a drink instead. As soon as the alcohol hit my throat, it exploded. My stomach started burning, the pain of betrayal, hurt, and humiliation all masked by the violent churning in my gut. My head was spinning, scenes flashing before my eyes like a zoetrope. As I slowly lay down, He was still so young. The first thing he did when he got home from work was ruffle my hair, then go to the kitchen to cook. He made my favorite dishes and mom’s favorites, but never his own. I asked him once why he never cooked things he liked. Dad always smiled gently but helplessly: “Dad likes spicy food, but mom can’t eat it or even smell it.” “I may not get to eat what I like, but I get to look at your mother every day. As long as she’s by my side, what’s giving up a little food pleasure?” I didn’t understand much then, but I understood what dad meant. To love someone is to accommodate them. It’s to hope for a long future together. But a father like that didn’t end up getting the lasting relationship he wanted. That day when I came home, I saw dad crouched on the floor drinking alone. Mom appeared in front of him wearing a fancy dress I’d never seen before, handing him a folder. “Let’s part on good terms. I was the one who emotionally cheated first, so I’ll take responsibility. I’ll give up everything in the house, and I won’t fight you for custody.” “I’ll send money every month for the child’s expenses.” With that, mom left with her luggage, her departing figure resolute. She used divorce to teach dad a lesson. Love yourself first before loving others. Dad was in a daze for a while. In the end, he pulled himself together. He didn’t wallow in self-pity. During that time, he completely forgot about my existence. I survived on snacks every day, and when those ran out, I could only eat vegetables that hadn’t gone bad. Finally, one day at school, I fainted from hunger. That’s when the teachers realized something was wrong. They contacted my dad. Seeing how weak I looked, dad cried. The father who hadn’t shed a tear when mom betrayed him cried when he saw me sick. From that day on, he pulled himself together. He sold our old place and took me to a new environment. I was happy because dad was finally moving on.
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296001”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #浪漫Romance #励志Inspiring #惊悚Thriller
Leave a Reply