My boyfriend, who has been in love for five years, proposed to me. That night, I came home alone and heard him say I was a substitute.
My boyfriend of five years finally proposed to me.
Filled with joy, I celebrated a bit too much that night.
The man I knew to be calm and considerate seemed to have vanished.
He accused me of lacking self–control and left me alone and intoxicated by the roadside.
Battling a headache, I wandered the chilly streets by myself for what seemed like an eternity.
When I got home, I found him in our new house, embracing another woman.
“I regret it. If you come back, I’m willing to call off the wedding for you.”
Watching him shower her with the tenderness I once knew, I suddenly felt regret as well.
To prevent him from canceling the wedding, I ran away on the day of the ceremony.
No one expected that after I left, the man who was usually so confident and composed would search for me frantically everywhere.
1
Through the window of our new home, I saw two familiar figures locked in a tight embrace.
I slipped off my high heels.
Theo Brooks had given them to me as a proposal gift.
I liked them, but they were uncomfortable and had rubbed my feet raw.
So now, I’d rather walk barefoot than endure the pain any longer.
I dialed a familiar number.
“Sis, I’m not getting married. I want to come find you.”
My sister paused, “Alright, little sister. You’re always welcome here whenever you’re ready”
I choked back tears as I answered.
Then I heard a sigh from her side, “I thought he was different… I didn’t expect you’d get hurt.”
“Nora, don’t cry. You’re still young. There’s more to the world than love, so many beautiful things for you to discover. Whatever you decide, I’ll
support you.”
Until tonight, I thought Theo Brooks was different too.
He was mature, steady, and always caring.
He kept a respectful distance from other women.
Even when busy with work, he made time for me.
But tonight, at the celebration, he saw Lydia Harris, who showed up uninvited.
For the first time, he lost his composure and knocked over a glass.
For the first time, he exploded over something trivial and left me alone by the roadside.
If Theo Brooks had seen someone else, I might have thought it was all a misunderstanding.
10:20 AM
<
I might have given him another chance.
I would have been willing to spend another five or ten years quietly by his side.
But the woman in the room was Lydia Harris.
The Lydia Harris who bullied me for years, who took so much from me.
The Lydia Harris I could never forgive.
When I saw Theo Brooks bring Lydia Harris home, I gave up on him completely in my heart.
J
