The day after we set our wedding date for the tenth time, my fiancé reached past me to kiss his adopted sister. He presented crimson roses to her as she descended from the stage. "My princess, in this lifetime, I'll only ever be your protector." I stood quietly beyond the cheering crowd, then turned and walked away without looking back. After five years of engagement, this was the moment I finally gave up hope.
View MoreExhausted from crying, Lucas raised his red-rimmed eyes. "Is there really no hope for us?"I regret everything, Sophie. I truly do."These past days have made me realize - you were always the one. Holly was just a mistake...""Stop," I cut him off coldly. "I don't want to hear this. I have a boyfriend now, we're happy, and we're getting married soon.""I only came because you said this would be our last conversation. If you have something to say, say it. Otherwise, let's just leave the past behind."My words hit him like a physical blow.Lucas stared at me, fresh tears welling up in his impatient gaze."I can't believe this," he choked out. "You're still wearing our engagement ring."With a sigh, I slipped off the ring and held it in my palm, studying it one last time.Lucas watched me, desperate hope written across his face.Taking a deep breath, I hurled the ring against the wall.It clattered to the floor."Have you lost your mind?" Lucas shouted."If this ring gave you
Everything happened in a blur. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for impact.Then strong arms wrapped around me, spinning me away from danger. A familiar scent of pine and cedar enveloped me.When I opened my eyes, Lucas lay beneath me, his leg twisted at an awkward angle.The nursing home staff rushed to call 911.I couldn't speak, my throat tight with emotion.—Later at the hospital, I stood by Lucas's bedside, my face carefully blank."Please don't be angry," he said through pale lips, attempting a smile. "I couldn't watch you get hurt."His words only fueled my frustration. "Thank you for saving me."I'll cover your medical expenses and arrange for private care."He touched his injured leg, giving me a pleading look. "Would you stay and take care of me instead?"I shook my head and walked out.Alexander waited in the hallway, idly adjusting his designer cufflinks."Thought old feelings might win out," he teased as I emerged.I strode past him, keeping my expression n
"You never truly loved me - Holly was always the one," I said firmly."You couldn't even be honest with yourself about falling for someone else, about your feelings changing.""Lucas, you selfishly let two women waste their youth pining after you while you only thought of yourself.""And let me guess - you fired Holly to protect her from me when I returned to the studio, right?"The color drained from Lucas's face."Oh, and one more thing," I added. "I was never the one who liked red roses - that was always Holly's thing."Without another glance, I walked away.Under the warm glow of a streetlight, I saw Alexander waiting.Taking his arm with a smile, I pushed away the heaviness in my chest. "Ready to go?"Once in his car, he carefully fastened my seatbelt before handing me his phone and settling into the driver's seat."I'm still learning my way around here. I found these restaurants online - which looks good?"We'd always shared similar taste in food. Every place he'd chos
He smiled at me, "Maybe a change of scenery would be nice?"A long-dormant string in my heart began to stir with ripples of emotion.Even more surprising was seeing Lucas waiting at the terminal.He walked toward me as if nothing had ever happened, gently reaching out to brush the hair from my forehead.But this time, another hand stopped his in mid-air.Alexander's tall figure loomed over me as he spoke commandingly, "Who do you think you are, trying to pick up my girlfriend at the airport?"Lucas's face darkened, and he ground out the words as if unable to accept this reality, "Sophie, is what he's saying true?"During those few seconds while he waited for my answer, his fists clenched and unclenched.I stepped closer to Alexander and gave a firm "Yes."Lucas's eyes reddened, but he said nothing and turned away.Watching his retreating back, I marveled at how strange time could be.Looking at his silhouette, I felt absolutely nothing.I felt warm breath on my neck.Alexa
Looking at the ring in my palm and Lucas's regretful eyes, I felt nothing."Lucas, that night, I almost said yes to you."But you couldn't even follow through with your own apology and promise. You left me again, and that's when I truly gave up."We were together for ten whole years. I gave you my brightest youth, yet you mocked me for being too old."But you forgot - I was barely twenty when we got together."Whether you prefer younger women or truly fell for her, it doesn't matter anymore. I've completely moved on."I placed the ring back in his hand and turned away.In the past, I was always the one waiting.This time, I'd be the one to leave first.An hour later, I boarded the plane again.The tarmac outside was empty.The man who'd played such a major role in my story had finally disappeared into the crowd.First-class passengers gave me curious looks before turning away to whisper."What a scene - a rich man stopping a plane for love."I closed my eyes, ignoring the
Fireworks suddenly burst across the night sky.Every couple in the restaurant shared brighter smiles.Except me, sitting alone.Whether it was the proposal five years ago or tonight's reconciliation attempt, I always ended up abandoned here.My phone buzzed with a message.Opening it, I could practically see Holly's smug, triumphant expression between the lines."Sophie, he chose me again!"The video she sent showed Lucas shielding her, fighting the men who had pressured her to drink.I remembered what Holly had told me when leaving the studio that afternoon."He'll apologize to you tonight, but don't worry, he'll still take my side.""He'll always choose me."I won't lie - when Lucas apologized earlier, my resolve had wavered.I'd thought that if he could really change, I'd give him one last chance.But sadly, he couldn't even do that.—Two days later, I went to apply for my international visa.After finishing the paperwork, I took the ring to visit Aunt Larson at the
With each example I listed, my eyes grew more tearful."Lucas, you love her, and you've betrayed me. Do I need to go on?"The line went dead with a click.Lucas couldn't even manage a single apology.What a coward he truly was.—Not long after that call, Lucas left town.He went to Hereford for a business deal, with Holly tagging along.I tried not to keep tabs on him, but Holly kept flooding social media with updates.Fed up, I finally blocked her.My life narrowed down to just the dance studio and home.Before, I used to squeeze time out of my busy schedule to prepare Lucas's lunch.I'd cook, pack it up, and trek all the way to his office, only to hear him say Holly's takeout tasted better.Now all that saved time meant I could finally get proper rest.No more dozing off at the studio, no more choking down bitter espressos, no more catching naps on hard benches.A week later, Lucas returned.He appeared at the studio entrance in a black checkered coat, cutting a stri
”Holly's dating someone? He looks kind of familiar."I froze, instinctively pulling out my phone to check Holly's Instagram.She'd posted a photo of herself holding hands with Lucas at the orphanage.The caption read: "After all these years, we're finally walking side by side."Posted at 12:07 - December 7th, the day they first met.I pressed my lips together, the sweat on my forehead no longer bothering me.The photo of Lucas dressed as Santa at my birthday party still sat prominently on my desk.Without hesitation, I took apart the frame, walked to the shredder, and fed the photo in.The machine slowly turned the photo into confetti.Gone without a trace.I returned to my seat and took a long drink of water.By evening, I was dragging my exhausted body out of the dance studio.My phone rang with a familiar tone.I hesitated for thirty seconds before pulling it from my pocket.A wave of disappointment and hurt washed over me."Sophie, when did you and Lucas...""Mom, w
What started as a publicity move somehow turned into Lucas's unconditional devotion to her.And then came the constant postponements of our wedding.Holly's affairs became Lucas's top priority.The first time Lucas stood me up for Holly was on my birthday.The family driver had secretly told me Lucas was planning to propose that day.Lucas wasn't exactly the romantic type.I didn't want my life's next chapter to begin in some unremarkable setting.So I reserved the best table at the Sunset Restaurant.I sat in the center of that beautifully romantic restaurant, surrounded by flowers and applause, using my dinner knife to cut into an exquisite little cake.A ring appeared, gleaming in the sweet-scented air.I was overjoyed.But the next moment, Holly showed up."Brother, I think I have a fever."The moment he saw Holly, Lucas stopped his proposal mid-motion and walked toward her.My smile vanished.The "what are you doing?" on my lips met his cold stare and turned into "S
That evening, I went to see Lucas Larson with our wedding invitations from five years ago and engagement ring we'd exchanged at our engagement party."Let's call off the engagement."My voice was completely devoid of emotion.Lucas's beautiful eyes studied me for a long while.Then, he leisurely leaned back on the sofa, looking at me through narrowed eyes. "Sophie Tucker, what kind of joke is this?"I shook my head. "I'm serious." As if to emphasize that this was a well-thought-out decision, I added, "I've been thinking about this for years."The last rays of sunset streaming through the window cast shadows across the sofa, making Lucas's expression appear even darker.After a long moment, he nodded and stood up, saying dismissively, "Whatever. I'm busy. Take your ring with you."Without a word, I walked past him into the study and saw the aged wedding invitation.I picked up the ring we'd exchanged, took a deep breath, and slowly stood up.Lucas and I had been together for t...
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