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“Auntie agreed to our engagement, right? After all these years, we finally got what we wanted, didn’t we? I’m so happy that I can finally marry you,”
As she spoke, Karin leaned in and pressed a kiss to the comer of Jared’s mouth
But deep inside, she was cursing Carrie viciously.
She had heard everything Jared said about that woman, and it left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Luckily, it didn’t matter. Soon, she would officially become Jared’s wife. And when that time came, she would make sure to deal with Carrie–the unworthy stand–in.
Jared finally snapped out of his chaotic thoughts, releasing Karin’s hands with a composed expression.
“Let’s go. Let’s grab something to eat–I’ll introduce you to some friends in Toronto.”
At that moment, he convinced himself that Carrie had probably just gone away to clear her mind.§
For the past two years, she had never stepped beyond her comfort zone. This time wouldn’t be any different.
And when he returned… he just had to say a few sweet words to her. She’d come back to his side, as she always did.
Their dinner was set at an upscale Western restaurant, and afterward, they moved to a barl
A group of close friends gathered, drinking, dancing, and enjoying the night.”
These were the same brothers who had witnessed Jared’s devotion to Karin over the years. Now that they knew he was finally getting married, they eagerly showered him with congratulations
“Our brother Jared is truly a man of love! He’s only ever had eyes for Sister Karin all these years. That’s something to admire!“} “Right? Most guys in our circle get married off to women they don’t even care about, arranged by their families. They play around after marriage and put on a show for the world. But Jared? He actually gets to marry the woman he’s always loved! I’m jealous, man,”l
“After everything, after all those wasted years, he still comes back to Karin. That’s real love!”
Jared, the center of their praise, simply sat in the dimly lit comer, swirling the wine in his glass, his expression unreadable. Karin nestled against his leg, looking up at him with smug, delicate air!!
“That’s right,” she cooed “Jared and I went through so much to be together. If his aunt hadn’t stood in our way, we might already have children running around by now,”
The group sighed, lamenting the struggles they had endured before finally reaching this moment
After several rounds of drinks, someone, perhaps too intoxicated to filter their words, brought up the one name that could sour the mood.X
“So, Jared what about Carrie? Everyone knows how much she loves you”
“Yeah,” another chimed in. “That woman is relentless. She’d do anything for you–she’d give you her heart, her soul. But in the end, the one you love is Karin, so she’s just unlucky, I guess.”
Kanin’s grip on Jared’s arm tightened slightly, but she forced a smile.
“I’m still sitting right here, and you’re talking about another woman? Do you all still consider me your sister–in–law or not?”
The group quickly caught the warning in her voice and skillfully steered the conversation away from Carrie, pretending the topic had
never come up.
Jared, however, remained silent
Without a word, he tipped his glass back, swallowing mouthful after mouthful of alcohol. His thoughts became hazy.
Through the blur of flashing lights, the sight of men and women swaying to the music, another image surfaced in his mind-
Carrie.
The very first time he met her
Back then, he had known she was just someone his mother had sent to watch over him. So, he ignored her
But she had stubbomly followed him, even into a bar filled with cigarette smoke, boldly declaring that she would find her way into his
He smirked at her, crossing his legs, pointing lazily at the bottles of hard liquor lined up on the table.
“Came, drink every last drop of these in one go, and I let you be my girlfriend.“%
She had looked at him dead in the eye.
“Really? You promise?”
Jared scoffed, thinking she was bluffing.!
But in the very next second, she had picked up a bottle–X
And downed it all.
