- 3.
Chris’s casual words cut me deep.
Not love? Not affection?
He saw our relationship as nothing more than
‘suitable‘?
But he was the one who pursued me…
Back then, I didn’t even know what love was.
My life was nothing but darkness, moldy
walls, and endless abuse
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I thought that was all I would ever know, and
then Chris barged into my life.
He burst into my world.
But the boy who promised to love me now looked at me without affection.
I clutched my chest, even though I’d seen it
coming, hearing him say it out loud still broke
my heart.
The silence was broken by a phone ringing.
Chris happily answered it.
He thought it was me. “What’s up? You
gonna stop being difficult?”
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There was a pause, and then a burst of loud
laughter.
“Chris, are you dating again? Who’s fighting
with you?”
Chris’s smile faded.
“Are you coming to the Royal Club?”
Chris was about to turn down the offer, but
Ashley’s eyes lit up, so he followed through.
“I’ll be there.”
Before he hung up, he added.
“I’m bringing someone who can’t drink, so
have a non–alcoholic drink ready.”
く
He was still so thoughtful toward Ashley.
I followed them to the club.
The lights and music were overwhelming.
What was even more overwhelming, was
Chris.
Three minutes earlier, they had played a king
game.
The king designated the first and third players
to kiss.
By chance, Chris was number one, and Ashley
was number three.
People were cheering, with some quiet sighs:
“Maybe they shouldn’t do that, if his wife
finds out, she’ll be mad.”
I ignored everything around me and just
stared at Chris.
I was hoping that there was some room left in
his heart for me.
He glanced at his silent phone and smiled.
“Let’s go.”
What was left of my hope was now gone.
People cheered again.
Some people were recording, some people
were whistling, some were watching the
excitement.
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“You aren’t afraid of your wife?”
He held Ashley, staring at his phone, Chris
smirked.
“Why would I be afraid? She isn’t here. If she
starts a fight with me over a game, then she
might be overreacting.”
But I was here.
Chris, I was right in front of you.
I could even see the smug grin on Ashley’s
lips as she was being kissed.
No one could hear my voice.
I stood in the middle of it all, all alone.
I squeezed my hands as I almost cried.
The system spoke in my head: “You can turn
around.”
“And then what?”
I stared at the man who had told me he loved
- me.
“If I don’t see it, does that mean it didn’t
happen?”
The system was hesitant: “You won’t feel as
much pain.”
I smiled and shook my head: “It’s all the
same.”
need to see it c
I need to see it, so I can be aware of what a
fool I was.
I thought he was going to save me.
But fairy tales are just fairy tales.
I was not the main character in the story, and
Chris was just an experience in my life that
didn’t last long.
When Chris came out of the club, his phone
hadn’t received any texts from me for
twenty–four hours.
Our conversation was three hours ago when
he sent me a text.
[Riley, you have been good today. What would
you like? I’ll get you something as a reward.]
Every word stung.
I stood beside him, silently.
As time passed, he was angry.
Three minutes later, he received a call.
It was a number he didn’t know.
He thought it was me: “Have you decided
what you want? Do you finally know you can’t
get mad at me?”
He heard a cold voice: “Are you Chris? Your
wife died yesterday morning at the church,
please come to the station.”
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Chris was shocked.
After a second, he scoffed, his eyes
disgusted.
“She is acting? If she can’t marry me a
second earlier, is that going to kill her? If she
acts out, I don’t have to marry her!”
He hung up, angry.
His friend said: “Did your wife anger you
again? You should just marry her, so she
won’t worry as much.”
Ashley was in a hurry to say something.
Chris laughed.
“Whether I marry her depends on me, she
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needs to know her place after all these years.
Did she think she can force me to do
something?”
