The phone rang, and Jasper answered instinctively, hoping it was my call.
I used to love calling him, but he would coldly warn me that if I called again, he’d block me. I begged and pleaded with him repeatedly until he reluctantly agreed to let me call once a day.
Josie’s furious voice echoed through the small bathroom.
“I heard from Nora that Hallie left. Let her go, then! She was just a distraction anyway. How could you get angry at Nora because of her? Don’t forget, you promised me you’d marry Nora in this life.”
“I don’t care what you promised, Hallie, and I don’t care if you’ve fallen for her. Nora must marry you. She’s the only one who can be my daughter–in–law!”
Her words yanked him back to a memory from ten years ago.
He had knelt in the rain outside his home all day and night, begging his mother to let him marry Nora. Ultimately, she gave in, pitying him, and allowed Nora to move in despite her poor family background.
Throughout college, Nora lived with the Camden family.
Josie had slowly come to adore her sweet, beautiful daughter–in–law.
But no one had foreseen that Nora would suddenly leave to study abroad.
Though furious, Josie genuinely cared for her.
“Are you even listening, Jasper? How could you love Hallie? The one you’ve always loved is Nora! You’ve spent all these years thinking about her. Now that you’re finally about to have your happy ending don’t throw it away and regret it later!”
The words “regret it later” sent a shiver down Jasper’s spine.
He already felt that regret; it gnawed at him, regret for letting me slip away.
Without saying a word, he hung up. Stepping into the yard, he was hit with the heavy scent of lavender.
He sank to the ground, running his fingers through the lavender, and for a brief moment, he could almost see me again, laughing as I ran through the lavender fields.
His body, worn from sleepless nights, finally gave out.
He closed his eyes, and the world around him faded to black as he lost consciousness.
Inside the lab in Canada, I glanced over the data on the experiment board before finally setting my instruments down.
After three days of cold bread, the warm food in the cafeteria tasted especially good.
My roommate sat beside me with her bowl, casually scrolling through her phone.
“Wow, I envy the CEO of Camden Group and his fiancée. They’ve been in love for twenty
212 800%
X371%
years, childhood sweethearts, and the CEO never once cared about her background. He’s always been loyal to her, never had another woman.”
“Wow, CEOs like that, pure and loyal, are rare these days. Hallie, look at their wedding! It’s so dreamy!”
She held up her phone to show me the screen: a grand, elegant wedding with guests seated everywhere.
The bride, Nora, looked breathtaking in her wedding gown, her face glowing with happiness.
But the groom hadn’t appeared.
Suddenly, the side door opened.
Jasper appeared on screen, his face marked by stubble, not in a tuxedo but the outfit I had styled for him just a week ago.
His bloodshot eyes burned with a mix of pain and anger as he stormed toward the exit, ignoring Nora’s desperate cries.
The livestream cut off suddenly.
My roommate’s eyes widened in shock, muttering a curse before quickly putting her phone
away.
I patted her shoulder, offering a quiet comfort. “Focusing on your success is better than relying on the right man. We can create our dream wedding, no matter what it looks like.”
Back in the dorm, exhaustion overtook me, and I slept through the entire day.
Starving by the time I woke up, I went downstairs, only to spot a familiar figure.
He was anxiously talking to a colleague, searching for someone.
My heart skipped a beat, and I turned to leave, but then he turned too, our eyes meeting in a moment of stunned recognition…
Jasper stepped toward me and pulled me into a tight embrace.
“Hallie! I finally found you! I should’ve known you’d be here; after all, this was your dream. -You gave it all up because of me. I’m so sorry, Hallie.”
16:05
