Chapter 5

The car suddenly slammed to a stop.

A furious roar erupted from the driver's seat.

"Blair, are you really going to keep dragging this on forever?"

His gaze swept over my perfectly done makeup.

The sight only fueled his anger.

"You actually had everything prepared before telling me?"

"You're insane!"

I shook my head gently.

"This has nothing to do with you."

His expression instantly darkened.

He reached out and grabbed my wrist, forcefully pulling me out of the car.

"What are you pretending for?"

"I really misjudged you."

"You secretly arranged everything behind my back, didn't you?"

"Wasn't this just your way of forcing me to marry you?"

I just found it ridiculous.

Absolutely absurd.

"You're a grown man who's nearly six foot three."

"Do you really think a woman can force you into marriage if you don't want it?"

I looked straight at him.

"Lance, what exactly am I to you in your eyes?"

His eyes flickered toward the passenger seat.

Then, without another word, he grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the wall.

Before I could react, he pressed me against it.

His head lowered, and he kissed me.

The kiss was forceful, filled with anger and frustration.

Our lips collided roughly, and the metallic taste of blood instantly spread between us.

Lance looked down at me.

His voice was low and complicated.

"Blair, I admit that I love you."

"But marriage isn't something we can rush into."

"Can we wait a little longer?"

"I know you prepared everything because you wanted to force me into marrying you."

"But I already told you, marriage takes time."

"At the very least, I need to consider Aurora's feelings first."

"I don't want you and my best friend to have conflicts in the future."

I raised my eyes.

My gaze was as cold as a blade being pulled from its sheath.

"You think I came to this church to force you into marriage?"

"Isn't that exactly what you're doing?"

He let out a cold laugh.

Annoyance flashed in his eyes.

"You deliberately waited for me here."

"You wanted to use the pressure of this situation to make me give in, didn't you?"

"Blair, a woman who schemes this deeply, you really exhaust me."

I suddenly curved my lips into a self-mocking smile.

"I can't wait anymore."

"Lance, I'm already thirty years old."

"I don't have endless youth left to waste while you keep delaying."

At this point, what choice did I have left?

Did he expect me to stand in front of everyone and announce the truth?

That the man I had loved for thirteen years had never truly cared about me.

That from beginning to end, I had only been a source of entertainment whenever he felt bored?

Seeing that I refused to compromise and wouldn't take a single step back, Lance completely lost his patience.

He slammed his fist into the wall beside my ear.

The impact shook the wall, dust and fragments of paint fell down.

"Blair!"

"No wonder you've been away from your family for so many years and no one ever came looking for you."

"With that horrible temper of yours, who could possibly stand being around you?"

"You deliberately hid everything from me and arranged all of this yourself."

"Didn't you ever think about what would happen if I walked inside right now and told everyone the truth?"

"That I never planned on marrying you?"

My chest rose and fell violently, every breath felt painful.

I still remembered every time I woke up from nightmares in the past.

It was always this man who held me gently in his arms.

It was always him who whispered comfort into my ear.

"Blair, don't be afraid."

"It's all over now."

"I'm here."

"I'll protect you."

"I promise I'll never let you suffer again."

"I'll never let anyone hurt you."

The pain and resentment I had buried for years finally exploded.

I raised my hand.

And slapped him hard across the face.

"Get away from me!"

A layer of ice covered Lance's eyes.

He grabbed my hair, then he violently threw me to the ground.

"You really don't know what's good for you, do you?"

"Fine."

"Then let's break up!"

I crashed onto the ground.

Pain spread through every part of my body.

For a moment, I couldn't even stand.

Lance turned around and walked back to the car.

The engine roared.

The vehicle sped away, passing dangerously close beside me.

Through the rearview mirror, Lance looked at me lying helplessly on the ground.

A cold smile appeared on his face.

"Let's see how you're going to deal with this now."

Inside the car, after listening to Lance's angry complaints, Aurora couldn't help but laugh.

"Isn't that a little too much?"

"Is Blair really that afraid she won't be able to get married?"

"What year are we living in? Who still uses this kind of forced marriage tactic?"

"Lance, don't worry, Blair is obviously putting on a show."

"She's just waiting for you to lower your head and give in."

Aurora glanced toward the road ahead.

"This church, I looked into it before."

"It's a private church owned by the Colombo family."

"How could Blair possibly arrange a wedding here?"

She smiled.

"Lance, don't soften your heart."

"I want to see how she gets herself out of this mess."

Hearing Aurora's words, Lance finally relaxed.

Then he looked toward the direction of the church.

A mocking smile appeared on his face.

"Of course."

"This is her own fault."

"Why would I feel sorry for her?"

"Let this be a lesson."

"Maybe next time she'll stop trying to force me into marriage."

I watched until the car completely disappeared at the end of the road.

My heart felt strangely calm.

There was no anger.

No sadness.

No disappointment.

Because I had already felt it all.

I didn't stay there any longer.

I turned around.

Then I walked straight into the church behind me.