Chapter 1

My phone screen lit up less than half a minute after I sent that text with a new message: [Wait for me.]

I stared at the sentence for several seconds before putting my phone away to see our number lit up on the screen in the hall.

A027.

The number flashed on the screen, indicating that it was my and Simon’s turn at Counter 3.

Simon Callum was helping Roxie Callum onto a bench. He crouched in front of her and asked anxiously, "Does it still hurt? Can you walk?"

Roxie looked pale, and she gripped his wrist gently. "I'm fine. I can bear the pain. You should get married at the civil office right now. Don't delay it because of me."

Despite asking Simon to leave, she leaned closer into his arms. Simon held her even tighter. "Stop holding back the pain when it's hurting you so much."

My mother walked over quickly and leaned close to Roxie to ask, "Roxie, are you feeling a cramp in your stomach, or are you feeling a burning pain? I've got some medication for gastritis in my car.

“I'll ask Molly to fetch them here for you. You can have it first while I accompany you out here to rest."

My cousin Molly grabbed the car keys and ran out.

However, Roxie shook her head. "It's fine, Mrs. Whitford. I've had this condition for a long time. Normal medication can't help with it. It might make things worse if I take the wrong medication."

My mother was a doctor, and she could tell that it was just an excuse. She forced herself to keep her cool and said, "It won't make your condition worse because it's a gastric mucosal protective agent. If you're worried about the medication, I'll accompany you to the hospital right now.

“We should let Simon and Elena go ahead and get their marriage certificate. They're literally a few steps away from it."

Roxie's eyes filled with tears, looking like she had just been bullied. "Mrs. Whitford, do you think that I got sick on purpose today? It's really not my intention to delay their marriage." She made a show of struggling to stand up and fell back into Simon's arms.

Simon's pale face turned grim. "Stop forcing Roxie into things, Mrs. Whitford. Just look at how bad her condition is."

My mother was taken aback. "I'm just trying to help her."

"She’s always been afraid of going to the hospital. Someone else accompanying her doesn’t help." Simon said, as if Roxie had no one but him to help her.

The staff from Counter 3 popped his head out once more. "Elena Whitford and Simon Callum, do you still want your marriage certificate?"

Several couples in the waiting room looked over at us.

I glanced at the time. It was 3:31 PM. We had 29 minutes before the cutoff time.

I replied, "Yes, we do."

Simon frowned. "Elena, Roxie isn't feeling well."

"What's your point?"

"You should put aside everything for now." His tone softened in an attempt to cajole me. "We'll come back again another day after I take her for a checkup at the hospital. I promise I won't let you wait long."

Simon's promise not to make me wait long was something I had heard 26 times. The first time we planned to get our marriage certificate, Roxie had a fever. He left me alone at the civil office while he accompanied Roxie to the hospital for an IV drip.

The 12th time we tried to get our marriage certificate, Roxie got drunk because someone broke her heart. We were already waiting in front of the civil office when he got the phone call, and he ran off right away to check on her.