Turning My Back on Love

George attempted to use his usual methods to comfort me. "Mary, I'll gift you an even bigger—"

I decisively hung up, cutting off George's voice.

It was time to let the past stay in the past, be it human or object. That was the best decision I could make for myself.

At the thought of how I still needed a few packing bags, I decided to walk to the next street, as there was a store there that sold them.

Unexpectedly, I had only just crossed two intersections when George's car stopped right in front of me.

He lowered the window and ordered, "Get in!"

When I ignored him, he directly climbed out of the car and forcefully dragged me inside.

His expression was dark as he stared at me with pursed lips. Several seconds later, he spoke in a low tone. "Mary, you've never hung up on me before."

I turned to look out the window, completely disregarding him.

Sighing softly, he lowered his voice and said, "Mary, Winnie is pregnant, so let's be more understanding and let her have her way, okay?"

Upon hearing this, I still couldn't hold back from exploding, all my accumulated grievances spilling over. I stared at him with red-rimmed eyes, yelling, "Am I at fault for her getting pregnant? Why should I always let her have her way and give her everything?"

The next second, I spotted an official-looking piece of paper by the gear stick.

It was a marriage certificate.

George followed my gaze and instantly panicked. He tried to explain, "Mary, this is just a formality. It's not real. You have to believe me!"

Forcing myself not to cry, I simply turned away and resumed looking outside the window in silence.

An indescribable exhaustion swept over me, both physically and mentally. At this point, arguing any further seemed pointless.

George stubbornly stared at me for quite a while. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words never left his lips.

The car ride progressed in silence. After returning home, I avoided George and sprinted straight for the bedroom.

Throwing myself onto the bed, I soon drifted off into much-needed sleep.

When I next woke up and opened the door, I was greeted by the sight of a candlelit dinner.

With a smile on his face, George gestured at the table in a gentlemanly manner. "Lady Mary, please enjoy your meal."

I was indeed hungry, and a meal wasn't a big deal, so I decided to take a seat. Before George could say anything more, I had already begun digging in.

After standing there awkwardly for a few seconds, George pulled out the chair next to mine and sat down.

He was rather diligent, purposely picking my favorite foods to put onto my plate.

"I've been rather busy preparing for the wedding recently, but I'll try to set aside more time to spend with you."

Then, not waiting for a response from me, he added, "Mary, Winnie wants you to be her bridesmaid. I agreed on your behalf."

The fork I had been bringing to my mouth halted in mid-air. Suddenly, all these favorite dishes of mine seemed to taste like ash.

Setting down my cutlery, I gazed right at George and ignored the stabbing pain in my heart. Then, I said in an icy tone that I had never used before, "George Sunther, who gave you the right to make that decision for me?"

With that, I no longer had any appetite and left for my room. I decided I was moving out tomorrow.

Through the door, I could hear the sound of George's phone ringing.

"Don't worry, Winnie, I'll get Mary to agree. You just need to focus on becoming the most beautiful bride in the world. I believe in Mary's feelings for me. She's just throwing a tantrum now, so I simply need to mollify her a bit more."

I laughed silently, though I wasn't sure if it was more in bitterness or relief.

Catching sight of the packing bags strewn all over the floor, I called the moving company.

The next morning, just as the moving company called to inform me that they were half an hour away, I saw George rushing outside.

I vaguely heard him say something about a wedding rehearsal.

This was perfect, as I wouldn't need to explain anything to him.

Looking around at the bare room, I felt as though my heart had been emptied of my feelings for him as well.

I had only just finished moving when I received a message from an unknown number.

In the message, the person claimed to be my fiancé and even attached the address of the largest hotel in the city.

There wasn't much information, but at the sight of the word "fiancé", my heart still quickened its pace.

When I arrived at the hotel, a couple happened to be there.

The woman was dressed in a pure white wedding dress, while the man was in a tailored black suit. From their silhouettes alone, they seemed like a perfect pair.

The man reached out a hand to gently tuck an errant lock of hair behind the woman's ear. Then, he kissed her forehead with a smile.

Curiosity had me glancing at them a few more times. As the man turned around, I realized it was someone familiar.

George and I locked gazes, causing him to pause in surprise for several seconds. Winona, sensing something off, turned and caught sight of me as well.

I could only laugh wryly. What amazing luck I had!