Chapter 9
This time, there was no trace of resentment in their eyes.
My mother gently stroked my hair, her face full of tenderness, a soft smile lifting the corners of her lips.
“Therese,” she said, “we don’t blame you. You must live a happy life.”
When I opened my eyes again, Calvin was kneeling before me on one knee.
His face was nervous and uncertain as he held out a small velvet box.
Inside was a dazzling diamond ring, large and radiant.
His fingers trembled slightly as he tried to place it on my hand.
I smiled faintly and didn’t pull away.
Life was vast and unpredictable. Even after all the pain and betrayal, I still had the courage to accept love again.
No matter how difficult the road ahead, I was determined to move forward.
After I was discharged from the hospital, Calvin took me to travel.
We went to all the places I had once longed to visit-places Ryan had always said he was too busy to go.
Beneath the auroras in Antarctica, Calvin and I shared our first kiss.
Among the icy glaciers of the Arctic, we huddled together for warmth.
It turned out, being loved by someone could feel this wonderful.
My health gradually improved.
But sometimes, in the quiet hours of the night, I would still wake up crying from my dreams.
After our travels, I agreed to Calvin’s proposal, and preparations for the wedding began. Perhaps afraid I’d change my mind, he planned the entire event in just one month.
Even though it was rushed, every detail was handled with great care.
What I never expected was to see Ryan again-right there at my wedding, after six long months.
As I walked down the aisle in my wedding gown toward Calvin, a familiar voice suddenly called out from behind.
“Therese-how could you marry someone else?!”
I turned around and saw Ryan standing among the crowd, his eyes locked on mine.
He was holding Daisy’s hand, yet his expression was twisted with emotions I couldn’t decipher.
Daisy looked heartbroken and tugged gently at his arm.
“Ryan, today is Calvin’s big day. Please don’t do this…”
But Ryan didn’t even seem to hear her. He shook her hand off and stormed toward me.
His eyes were bloodshot, his voice shaking. “Therese, I don’t agree with this marriage! You’re my wife-how can you marry another man?!”
He reached out to grab me, but the security team finally snapped out of their senses, and surrounded him before he could get close.
Calvin’s face was dark with fury. His voice was cold and sharp.
“Mr. Parker, you were not on the guest list. Receiving an invitation was clearly a mistake by my assistant.”
“Now that you’re here, kindly behave yourself. If you cause a scene, don’t blame me for not showing mercy.”
“If I remember correctly, weren’t you just begging me for a business partnership recently? Or have you forgotten the consequences of offending me?”
Ryan froze, his face flushed with embarrassment.
After a long silence, he finally looked at me again.
“Therese… you’re only marrying him because of me, aren’t you?”
“You don’t have to be afraid. Just say the word-I’ll take you away right now.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, the sound sharp with disbelief.
“Mr. Parker, aren’t you overthinking things a bit?”
“Calvin and I are in love. Whether we marry or not has nothing to do with you.”
“There’s nothing between us anymore. You-of all people, the one responsible for my mother’s death-have no right to ask me to go back with you.”
Ryan’s face turned ghostly pale, tears slipping silently down his cheeks.
His lips trembled, as if he still wanted to say something.
But before he could speak, Calvin’s voice rang out again, icy and resolute.
“Escort him out.”
The guards immediately pressed down on Ryan’s shoulders and dragged him toward the
exit.
I thought this brief interruption would pass quickly.
But I was wrong.
