Love Was My Regret

With a sharp snap, the belt that had been yanked on suddenly broke.

For a moment, time seemed to stand still.

The venue fell into stunned silence for a second before unexpected laughter erupted.

Elias Clarke doubled over, clutching his stomach as he laughed. "Well, now we can see clearly. It's blue. I guessed right!"

Justine's group of friends burst into laughter as well. "Yeah, you really should call off the engagement, Henry! How mortifying, haha!"

I desperately held my pants up, the veins in my forehead bulging. I could no longer feel anyone's eyes on me.

Justine hurriedly borrowed a jacket and tied it around my waist. "He's childish—don't stoop to his level. You don't need to call off the engagement over this."

Then, she shot Elias an annoyed look. "Cut it out."

There it was again—that dismissive little remark, as though all he had done was step on my foot.

I pulled my arm free from her grasp and faced all the guests. "Today's engagement ceremony is canceled."

The concern in Justine's eyes moments ago disappeared, replaced by the reproachful look she gave someone being unreasonable. "Don't let something this trivial affect everything. Elias has always been careless and thoughtless. You'll have to get used to it sooner or later."

This was far from the first time she had made excuses for Elias.

Seeing that someone was backing him up, Elias muttered, "You were bullied by your classmates before, weren't you? Your photos were all over the place. What's wrong with letting us take a look?"

My breath caught instantly.

When I was in college, I was a student from a poor family, and the classmates who looked down on me bullied me without the slightest restraint. When Justine heard what had happened, she rushed over with her friends to save me. Then, she held me tightly and said, "No one will ever find out about this. I'll keep it a secret."

I believed her. I told her everything that had happened. I opened up my wounds and showed them to her. And now, somehow, everyone in the Besties Chat Group knew.

Justine finally turned cold toward him. "Not another word."

She deliberately avoided looking at me. "Can we talk about this when we get home? Let's finish the ceremony first."

I looked at my torn pants and broken belt, my heart aching as though it had been pricked by countless needles. The keepsake my father had left me before he died had been there to witness this entire farce.

I stood there without moving.

Seeing how grim I looked, Elias deliberately acted out of spite. He yanked off his belt. His pants slid straight to the floor, leaving everyone staring in shock. "There. Surely, we're even now. I'm not as petty."

The next second, Justine instinctively grabbed the jacket from around my waist and pulled it away, covering his waist with it instead. Her reproach carried a hint of concern. "Why did you have to join in? Aren't you the slightest bit embarrassed?"

The man immediately looked aggrieved, his eyes turning red as though he were the most innocent person in the entire room.

And once again, I was left exposed to everyone's gaze.

I didn't bother covering myself anymore. Instead, I looked down at my phone, where a message from my company had just arrived.

"Congratulations, Henry. You have been granted eligibility for an overseas transfer. Please confirm as soon as possible."

I looked at the two figures standing close together before me, smiled faintly, and lowered my head to reply. "Confirm."