7
When I was little, I snuck off to swim and
nearly drowned.
Sarah saved me.
I didn’t even have a scratch.
But Sarah spent a whole day unconscious in
the hospital.
That was the most agonizing time of my life.
My parents scolded me relentlessly, and
relatives and friends looked at me with
disappointment.
They mansiented me to another sengol and prevented me from applying to the same
university as Garah
Four years later, they wanted me to marry
Chase in her place.
I refused:
They said, “You owe your sister your life. Let alene marrying in her place, even if it costs your life, you can’t refuse.”
They also said, “Chase is willing to marry you,
and you’re still picky: It’s your good fortune that he agreed.”
He said it.
She said it.
They all said it.
But no one asked if I wanted to marry him:
“Taylor, why aren’t you going in?”
Summer’s voice pulled me back to reality
I smiled, “I was just about to.”
She looked around #berete
<
I smiled, “I was just about to.”
She looked around, “Where’s Ethan? Why
didn’t he come with you?”
“He had something come up; he’s on his
way.”
“Let’s go in then.”
As soon as we entered, the conversation
stopped.
Everyone’s eyes fell on me.
Some scoffed, some were dismissive, some
showed pity.
I calmly greeted familiar faces. As I was about
to sit down with Summer, I heard Sarah’s
voice.
“Taylor!”
She came over and took my hand, “Let’s sit
over there.”
I expressionlessly pulled my hand away, “I‘||
sit with Summer.”
Sarah froze, “Taylor, are you still blaming
<
me?”
I had a bad feeling.
Sure enough, she started crying.
“Making you sacrifice your reputation to
marry Chase was wrong. But I’ve been trying
to make it up to you; what more do you
want?”
“I know you and Chase were a marriage in
name only for three years; it was unfair to
you. But honestly, did he mistreat you all
those years?”
Ha.
A marriage in name only!
All those years he claimed to love Sarah, yet
used the excuse of having children to demand
intimacy every night.
Seeing Chase’s evasive gaze, I suddenly
laughed.
Sarah momentarily forgot her tears, “You…
why are you laughing?”
<
“You two are truly a match made in heaven.”
I stood up, “Since you don’t want to see me, I
don’t need to stay.”
Summer immediately stopped me, “Don’t
leave, Ethan asked you to wait for him here.”
As soon as she finished, someone chimed in:
“What? Why would Ethan ask Taylor to wait
for him?”
Summer: “Because Ethan is Taylor’s
boyfriend!”
The room erupted in laughter.
“Don’t be ridiculous; Ethan is one thing and
Taylor is another, boyfriend? No way!”
“Exactly! Plus, they’re not even in the same
graduating class. Even if you’re lying, make it
believable, okay?”
“A divorced woman and a hot singer, you
guys are delusional!“.
Summer rolled her eyes, “That’s the thing,
people only believe what they already
<
understand, believe it or not.”
Sarah stopped crying.
She tried to persuade me:
“Taylor, stop talking nonsense. Ethan isn’t
someone you should be with. Apologize to
them quickly; don’t hurt their feelings.”
Chase spoke in a low voice:
“Ethan has a girl he’s secretly loved for ten
years, and he came back for her.”
Sarah: “Yes, Taylor, you weren’t in our
graduating class, so you don’t know. Ethan
really liked her back then, don’t be foolish.”
“I know,” I interrupted.
I not only knew about it, but also who the girl
was.
