Start Over Without You

Margaret kept walking until noon the next day.

She had wandered in a daze, and when she saw the villa, it felt like she was in a different world.

Her feet were so sore and raw that she could hardly feel them anymore. She furrowed her brow, took a deep breath, and barely managed to calm herself down.

But when she pushed open the door, it slammed shut with a loud bang, as if something had exploded around her.

As she looked around, she saw colorful streamers hanging everywhere.

Nearby, someone was filming, and it looked like they were livestreaming the event.

Soon, a crowd of onlookers gathered, their faces full of envy as they gossiped excitedly.

"I heard Mr. Hartley has been planning this proposal for a long time!"

"Margaret must be the luckiest woman in the world to be with Mr. Hartley! I'm envious!"

Margaret stared at Gavin as he made his way through the crowd. It took a moment, but then it hit her—Gavin was going to propose to her.

The streamers, the balloons, the flowers, the gifts.

And all the friends and family they knew.

If she hadn't just come from Marjorie's place, Margaret would have been swept up in the fantasy once again.

She was pushed by the crowd into the center of the room.

The pain in her feet was like needles stabbing through her entire body. Yet not a single person noticed she was barefoot.

Her feet were bruised and bloodied. But all eyes were on Gavin's romantic proposal.

Someone handed Margaret a bag—a Burberry bag.

Gavin made his way through the crowd, holding a bouquet of yellow roses.

Margaret remembered telling him once that she only liked red roses—vivid, bold, and free-spirited.

Yellow roses, though, were Marjorie's favorite.

In that moment, Margaret realized the truth.

She understood now why Gavin loved Marjorie so much, and yet chose her as a stand-in.

She was a replacement in Marjorie's eyes. Marjorie had transferred all of her hopes for happiness onto Margaret.

It wasn't that Gavin needed her—Marjorie did.

So now, she was playing along with Gavin's charade, fulfilling Marjorie's fantasies.

Margaret couldn't stop herself from letting out a small, hollow laugh.

To everyone else, it looked like she was overwhelmed with happiness. But to her, all the cheers and shouts felt like they were coming from another world. None of it was hers.

Gavin kneeled in front of her, his eyes full of passion. "Maggie, will you marry me?"

Margaret looked down at him, her voice soft but sharp. "Gavin, are you sure you want to marry me?"

Gavin's brow furrowed slightly. He sensed something wasn't right.

After all, this was the second time in two days that Margaret had spoken to him with such doubt.

A nervous flutter ran through him as he tightened his grip on the yellow roses, lowering his voice. "Margaret, why would you ask that?"

He almost stood up in his haste, grabbing her hand, and began to explain.

"Are you mad at me for not being with you last night? There were some important matters I had to take care of. I didn't mean to stay out. Don't be upset, okay?"

The great Gavin Hartley, pleading like this in front of so many people.

Anyone who saw it would have to admit, he was truly a man in love.

So, naturally, everyone around them supported him, isolating Margaret.

"Ms. Chapman, stop being so difficult. Mr. Hartley had urgent matters to attend to. You can't just use his love for you as an excuse to act spoiled, can you?"

"Yeah, Gavin's the most eligible bachelor in our town. You should count your blessings!"

"You wouldn't believe what kind of engagement gift he has prepared for you!"

Someone squeezed through the crowd, holding up an iPad.

On the screen, a shining star was spinning slowly.

The corner of the screen read that it was a satellite software.

Gavin spoke softly, "Maggie, this is the engagement gift I got for you. Will you marry me?"

Margaret stared at the screen, the noise of the crowd fading in and out.

"Is that… a little asteroid?"

"It's a little asteroid! And Mr. Hartley even named it 'Maggie', a symbol of how much he treasures Margaret. I swear, if I could meet a man like Mr. Hartley in my life, I'd give up ten years of my life just to be with him!"

-

They all cheered and laughed.

Margaret smiled, too.

She lightly tapped the iPad screen, her thoughts circling around the name "Maggie".

This wasn't about Margaret.

It was about his one true love—Marjorie.

Margaret felt the wetness of tears on her cheeks.

They all thought she was moved to tears.

And she was. She was deeply moved.

She was moved by the fact that her fiancé loved another woman this much.