Today is my happiest day because today is my wedding day to Christian Grant, the man I've been in a serious relationship with for the past year. I love him very much, and he loves me too.We have been planning this wedding since three months ago. Christian left all the wedding preparations to me, and he gave me the freedom to choose what theme I would choose for our wedding party.Christian is a very kind and caring man. We met in one of the cafes some time ago by accident. Then, we started exchanging cell phone numbers and communicating. After a month of knowing each other, we decided to have a serious relationship.Right now, Christian and I are standing in front of the altar with a priest standing in front of us. I was wearing a bone white wedding dress, the wedding dress of my dreams. I made the lace fabric into an A-line dress design with a sweeping tail and an off-the-shoulder cut. To give a graceful impression to my appearance, I also used a wedding veil to add a sacred impress
I decided to stay at a small and cheapest inn on the outskirts of town. I deliberately didn't choose an expensive inn because I didn't have much money to survive, plus I had also been evicted from my home and didn't know how long I would stay there.I've never gotten any money from my father. Father decided on such a thing because he thought of me as a lowly person. Unlike my stepbrother, my father would be generous and spoiled him a lot. That made me jealous of Adeline.My head was dizzy thinking about the incident earlier that I thought would be my happy day. It turned out to be the worst day of my entire life. I was still wondering why did that happen?I went into the toilet, which was very small, to wash my face with cold water. My hand rubbed the dewy mirror of the sink. My eyes were puffy after crying so much earlier.I let out a long breath. "I should be able to move on, right?" I asked, staring at my pathetic reflection in the mirror.After finishing my business in the small r
I opened my eyes slowly as a bright light dazzled my eyes."Where am I?" My hand gripped my head, which suddenly hurt a lot. Opening my eyes wide, I began to scan my surroundings. This place was like a hospital room but smaller. "What happened to me?" I also saw that my clothes had changed into hospital clothes."Hi, welcome back." A woman dressed as a nurse came to see me. The woman smiled kindly at me.Perhaps she saw the confusion on my face, so she explained how I ended up in this clinic before I asked."There was someone who brought you here. You were unconscious, and all your clothes were wet."I let out a long breath. I seemed to remember the incident where I was about to head to the inn to rest because my clothes were wet."Can I meet the person who helped bring me here? I want to thank him."The head nurse shook her head slowly with a very regretful look. "Unfortunately, that person has left. He said he was swamped, so he couldn't wait until you woke up."I was a little disap
Chris' POVTonight, I was at a bar in the city center, enjoying my drink alone. I poured my bottle, which was half empty, into a round glass and gulped it down. I poured it again until the liquid in the bottle was gone entirely. It didn't matter if I was drunk.The frenetic sound of the DJ's music was pounding so loudly that my ears were almost ringing. I cast my eyes around the bar, which tonight seemed to be very crowded with revelers.I let out a long breath. I was suffering because of Nicole Martinez. The woman I thought I loved. I've done everything for her, and now I don't want to care about her anymore after I know what she's like.My head was already very dizzy from all the drinking and the loud music. I felt very bored and intended to leave here.I feel like I'm not drunk even though I've finished a bottle. My brain still seemed to be functioning very well. It was just that my head felt dizzy, and the effect of the music was very annoying. I got off the barstool and almost fe
Chris’ POVOne month had passed since Nicole's accident. Investigators said that Nicole's body could not be found. They assumed that Nicole's body was burnt up in the accident, as well as the taxi driver's, since the car exploded, leaving only the skeleton of the car behind. Others say that wild animals ate the bodies in the area, as the rescue team arrived too late. All are assumptions, and no one knows what happened to them. But what is certain is that they are dead.I don't understand how I feel right now. I don't want to think about what happened before and try to forget about it. And, now, I've been faced with something I can't avoid because what Adeline Martinez said the other day about the wedding happened—the marriage of the two Grant-Martinez families.I don't know what to say because, at this moment I'm already at the altar to perform the marriage blessing. I have stood here before, but this time, I will be the groom of Adeline Martinez, who is none other than Nicole's step-
Nicole's POVI stared at the sky from my porch, feeling the breeze with my eyes closed. It had been eight years since the most horrific event of my life, but I was still alive.My life felt more peaceful, especially with the various good things that started coming my way after something else arrived at me and accompanied me all this time. All the hardships I had experienced before felt like a dream, but they never really went away in this life that I thought of as my second time around.I still vividly remember the terrifying incident I experienced, just like yesterday. I felt goosebumps, not believing how I could get out of those times of suffering, but here I am now. Still breathing and looking at the sky above my head.Suddenly, I could hear the voice of a boy whispering in my ear with his cute voice. "Mom, what are you thinking about?" I immediately held my chest as a reflex."Richard... you surprised mom." I turned my head, looking at the boy I gave birth to already standing next
Nicole's POVI was ready with my makeup and clothes. The reflection of my face in the mirror looked elegant, but I did not forget the stern impression that I also wanted to show myself that I was different from the old me.Back then, I was shy and lacked confidence, affecting my self-confidence. I didn't realize it then, but as time passed in this new life of mine, I changed it so as not to return to the unfortunate fate that I had felt before.After everything I've been through, the change in the way I carry myself now is nothing compared to the line of death I've crossed. I took a breath and let it out, then felt my hand grabbed by my son.My son smiled sweetly. He was also ready and looked handsome in his tailor-made suit. Richard seemed to be more impatient than I. "Come, let's go, Mother.""Yes, my son," I answered and led him into the living room.There, Edwin was already waiting and looking at us intently, making sure nothing was lacking in our appearance with just a glance of
Nicole's POVI held Richard's hand tightly, staring at the simple grave and my name on the tombstone. Key also accompanied us, silently staring at the supposedly empty grave with a cold gaze.I snorted softly, already expecting that they would easily carry out my funeral when my death was uncertain. Looking at the appearance of my grave, the people who took care of my death must have only given a simple order to the cemetery caretaker so that the resting place with my name was maintained.There were no decorations or wreaths, just the grass that naturally grew from the ground rather prominently to mark the existence of one's grave, in addition to the wooden headstone with my name."They must be very happy about my death," I said coldly, but I also felt a mixture of feelings that words could not express when looking at the grave in front of us.Richard sighed. "Mom's grave is too simple. The headstone is made of worn wood, not polished stone like other graves."I also noticed that diff
Catherine's POVAfter receiving the gift from Edwin, I was now only with Benny and his personal driver driving. The man sat down with me and then noticed something was different about my attitude.He rested his chin on one of my hands, which was still clasped tightly. "What are you holding on to? You didn't let go at all....""This." I showed him the bracelet.His eyes look wide. "Isn't that the jewelry you saw earlier? I thought you didn't buy it.""I didn't buy it."Considering Benny was also aware of what I was doing while looking at the jewelry, perhaps my liking for this bracelet was too obvious.My gaze was fixed on the bracelet, and I thought about how the man who had left the festival first had unhesitatingly bought me this jewelry and given it to me without anyone knowing. I don't know what that man was thinking when he bought me this, but the pounding of my heart was starting to feel too clear in my chest.The car stopped. I blinked, realizing that I had arrived in front of
Catherine's POV"Thank you for buying me a drink, Duncan." I smiled, accepting the glass with a lid made of solid cardboard from his hand, and I immediately held the glass with both hands.He just nodded and passed the other glass to Benny.I took a sip of the relatively warm drink. It turned out to be a delicious chocolate drink. I felt relieved and happy. My legs even wiggled without me fully realizing it.Night had almost fallen, so it was starting to get cold. I remembered the embarrassing incident a few days ago when my skirt got caught, but in the end, the man came back to help me by giving me a warm drink after we had walked quite a distance.A loud snort was heard from Benny. "Why are you buying me a fruity and cold drink? I also want a warm chocolate drink like you guys." He protested.I looked at the two men who stood facing each other with glasses in their hands. Still, a noticeable smoke could be seen from Benny's slightly open mouth, probably the effect of the drink he ha
Catherine's POVI was mesmerized by the festival atmosphere surrounding me. I've always liked things like this: simple and fun stuff without having to always care about manners or conversations that are always serious and filled with business or politics.Many booths were arranged according to their types, ranging from games, shops selling various things, and other equally entertaining booths. My gaze stopped at one of the nearby stands for jewelry of sale.My steps halted when I arrived in front of it. I looked at the various kinds of jewelry displayed and touched a few that I wanted to take a closer look at. They all looked pretty, but I didn't really want to buy them either; I just wanted to look around.I didn't have much jewelry, but my mother added to it according to my needs, so I didn't feel the need to do the same.A person who seemed to be the salesgirl watched me without saying much but then said to me after a while."Don't you intend to buy the jewelry, Miss? I think the b
Catherine's POVI was always with Benny and Edwin. I felt happy because I was finally able to make a new friend again, and it was a guy I initially thought was quiet and cold.At first, Benny and Edwin always argued for whatever reason, but in the end, they always accompanied me wherever I went. We were like a unique combination, from three different majors and different personalities.I heard rumors about us hanging out, going to our respective classes or the cafeteria."Look, she can get two handsome guys simultaneously," whispered one of the students.His friend replied. "She's so lucky. I never even managed to get close to Edwin Duncan....""She's luckier because she's close to Benny Thompson. That guy is really nice and friendly."They said that and then talked about one of the guys I was with, who was probably my boyfriend.One of them spoke up again. "Isn't that obvious? His girlfriend must be Benny. They've been in a relationship for a long time.""Hm, I agree."There were som
Catherine's POVI still felt uncomfortable walking on campus. Aside from my aching feet, my father's words before I was allowed to leave for the campus with our family's private driver also bothered me.I was happy with my friendship with Edwin and my friendship with Benny, which lasted longer than that. Both of them were friends to me, but my father always made our relationship seem like a transaction, trying to talk to them for the benefit of our family.He said that each of them would greatly help me prove myself in the Varma Family. Our relationship would make me valuable and not the only useless woman in our family, while all the things I had done before were meaningless in my father's eyes.I felt annoyed that my father shouldn't be behaving like that towards me, but also unable to do anything to stop it. As Edwin said, I was still not strong and had to extricate myself with the help of the allies that had just started from the man himself.My sigh escaped on its own, but after
Catherine's POVI had come out of the toilet and looked around the party room for Edwin and Benny, but they were nowhere to be seen.I could find my father easily, still chatting with some important people intimately, but the two men were nowhere to be seen. It was as if they had disappeared or were hiding very well so as not to be found by me.I recalled Benny's face, which didn't look too good before they left together, curling my lip and mumbling, "What is that guy going to do? That's not what I'm thinking about, is it?"Before going to the restroom, I heard the man wanted to talk to Edwin, but I wasn't sure. I'm currently feeling uncomfortable as I'm still searching for them among the crowd. That man might have misunderstood my relationship with Edwin.He was a very close friend, a really good friend who had been with me for so long that we were like brothers, but he didn't feel that way. He liked me, and I always pushed him away so our friendship wouldn't end.He always helped an
Benny's POVI faced Edwin. We were now on the veranda where I had previously seen him and Catherine take turns appearing.I don't know when they got this close. Still, I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw them enter the party room from the same veranda and then talk to the woman's father as usual.The man spoke to me first, bringing me back to reality. "What's wrong? Is there a business matter you want to talk about?"I looked at the man, knowing that he was asking me about our conversation when we first met. I also remembered that my father knew about it first, about Edwin attending the same university I was going to with Catherine.My father and that man's family had an inter-company partnership. I don't know when exactly such a thing happened, but it seemed quite a while ago from what my father said about the man I knew even by name."You must respect Edwin Duncan, Benny, " my father said. You're the same age, but his achievements are countless over the past few years, not to
Catherine's POVEdwin was still next to me. He exhaled while his face looked unfriendly and cold as usual. Still, even with all that, the man did not immediately deny my words aloud or dismiss them with ridicule.He didn't look at me but clearly spoke to me when he finally opened his mouth and spoke with his friend. "So you consider me an ally."I nodded.All this time, I had only thought of him as an annoying guy. He knows his position well and sometimes puts obvious boundaries on others. I didn't think he could make himself any friendlier than the people at the party or the students on campus, but he wasn't as cold as I thought.He had done me a favour, and I also felt quite comfortable when talking to the man who was always straightforward. Nothing felt fake in our friendship, which he had yet to fully acknowledge, so I felt he could be my ally."I feel that we are getting closer. So, Duncan, if there's anything I need, you should do me a favour." I smiled. "Whatever it is."The ma
Catherine's POVI was at the party. This party was tedious, like the official high society events I'd been attending. I felt uncomfortable among many people I didn't know well. Still, everyone who greeted me acted as if we had known each other for a long time.I knew they were just acting politely, following every action everyone in high society should follow. Still, I also felt that their actions were fake. I never knew what they talked about other than greeting me because I belonged to something other than the inner circle of the supposed upper class.My father might know, but I also had no interest and chose to remain in the outer circle that could only see whatever could be seen.I held my wrist as I exhaled. No one else had any intention of greeting me again, and neither did I. I already felt bloated from drinking wine in between events, so I didn't know what else to do while waiting for the event to end.My gaze shifted, spotting one of the empty verandas and finally heading the