Chapter 31%
When he made the phone call, Eric was standing by the riverbank where he had once proposed to Wanda.
He could still vividly recall her flushed cheeks under the cascade of fireworks that lit up the night sky.
Back then, he had vowed to give her everything she ever wanted and to never let her down
He had been overjoyed when he found out she was pregnant. His mind was filled with dreams of their shared future.
However, when Wanda’s body began to change because of the pregnancy, he felt she had become an unfamiliar person.
He did love her but he seemed not to love this imperfect version of Wanda that much.
In that moment of doubt, their fate was sealed. The foundation of their love began to crumble. Inevitably, they were destined to be separated
After hanging up the phone, Eric wandered along the riverbank. He was lost in memories of their time together.
He regretted everything about why he did not cherish their relationship more. He regretted betraying her when she loved him very much. However, regret could not undo the past.
As night fell and the riverbank lights flickered on, Eric found himself standing on the bridge.
He decided to jump. In the fleeting moment, in his daze, he thought he saw the twenty–year–old Wanda. With tears in her eyes, she agreed to his marriage proposal.8
Wanda first learned of Eric’s death through a post on social media.
Richard also saw the news. He asked, “Do you want to attend the funeral?”
Wanda felt she was in a trance. Her thoughts drifted back to when she was nine years old.
She remembered when the fourteen–year–old Eric promised her nine–year–old self, “Wanda, I’ll protect you and never let anyone hurt you.“8 She recalled his promise when he was twenty-seven years old. “When you marry me, I’ll make you the happiest woman in the world.”8 Yet, in the end, all those promises were reduced to ashes by Eric himself. After seven years into their marriage, he had the audacity to justify his betrayal.E
“No,” she replied calmly, her voice devoid of emotion. “He’s nothing more than a stranger to me now.”
Her expression was tranquil, almost indifferent, but Richard sensed the exhaustion and pain she buried deep within.
Without a word, he pulled her into his arms.
Feeling his steady presence, Wanda slipped her hand into his.
From that day on, Richard stayed by her side whenever he wasn’t teaching or helping out at the milk tea shop.8
It wasn’t that he feared she might do something reckless. Rather, he wanted to be there whenever she needed someone to talk to.
Though Wanda struggled for a while, she gradually returned to her composed self.!
She realized that Eric’s decision to end his life was his alone. It wasn’t her burden to bear, nor did she owe him forgiveness. Once she came to terms with this, she handed Richard a cup of her latest milk tea creation
As he reached for the drink, she noticed the fine lines at the corners of his eyes and suddenly remembered that anymore. Richard was thirty years old this year.8
the wo
wasn’t that young
Or, their way back to the apartment, Wanda broke the comfortable silence with an doexpected question, “Do you want to get married?*% Richard was stunned to hear that.
Although he felt that the words he was about to say were a bit pretentious, he still said them seriously, “If you want to get married, then we’ll marry soon. If you prefer things the way they are now, I’ll respect that too.”
e is that your h
heart
He paused, meeting her gaze. “A marriage certificate can only bind two people physically. What matters most to me belongs to me.”
In his eyes, Wanda saw her reflection. It was clear and unwavering.
A gentle spring breeze brushed past them and at that moment, she realized that her spring had finally arrived.!! (The End)
