Chapter 3

I wandered the streets until past midnight before finally returning to where I had lived with Aldric for five years.

To my surprise, the living room light was still on, and Aldric was lying on the couch, fast asleep.

Was he waiting for me?

For five years as his fiancée, it was always he who drank himself into a stupor while I fretted over him from afar. I would call him countless times, afraid something might happen.

Once I was sure he was safe, I would worry about his stomach from the heavy drinking and prepare antidotes for his hangover in advance.

Aldric had often told me he disliked this because it made him feel old. Still, I kept doing it anyway.

Deep down, I believed that growing old with him was the most romantic and happiest thing in the world.

My thoughts drifted back.

Perhaps hearing the door, Aldric suddenly woke up, alert and sharp. When he saw me, he instantly rushed forward and held me in a tight embrace.

"The musical ended hours ago. Where have you been? Why haven't you answered my calls? Do you know how worried I was? I was going to call the police if I didn't hear from you within the next hour."

I froze for a moment, then pulled away from his embrace. Then, I showed him my phone; its screen had long since blacked out.

"It rained heavily yesterday, and I couldn't get a cab. So, I walked all the way to the nearest hotel. The rain soaked my phone, and even after drying it out, it still shuts down randomly."

Hearing about the storm, Aldric showed a rare trace of guilt on his face. He seemingly remembered how he had stood me up last night.

After a pause, he sighed quietly and awkwardly pulled out a small box before handing it to me.

I took it and opened it, and before my eyes was a stunning diamond ring nestling in delicate black velvet. Frankly, I was momentarily stunned.

There were many times I had hoped he would keep his promise—that we would exchange rings and vows at a grand castle wedding.

However, all that was now irretrievably in the past. I felt nothing as I glanced at the ring.

After closing the box, I casually tossed it onto the coffee table and said, "Thanks."

Aldric stared at me in disbelief. His striking eyebrows scrunched together, as if baffled by my odd reaction.

Indeed, my reaction was a stark contrast to my usual demeanor. In the past, I would've screamed as soon as I saw the diamond ring, then dove into his arms with happy tears.

All the grievances or misery I had endured would've been buried deep and forgotten instantly.

At that thought, a dry smile crept onto my lips. Without any genuine emotions behind my voice, I asked, "Thank you. I'm so happy. This is so wonderful. Is that enough?"

Aldric hadn't displayed much patience with me. I expected that my moodiness today would only earn a cold snort from him and a dismissive wave of his hand.

Instead, his grip tightened on my wrist, and I met his slightly annoyed glare. "Hey, Bianca was just visiting the company, wasn't she? Besides, I've fulfilled my promise and given you what you wanted.

"The wedding is in motion, so why can't you be less unreasonable? What more do you want?"

I wasn't intimidated by his dark expression. Pulling my wrist free, I quietly said, "You're reading this wrong. I'm just tired."

His expression tightened. This might be the first time he had ever sensed indifference from me.

Caught between hesitation and confusion, he seemed just about to reach for my hand when his phone buzzed once more.

He halted mid-motion, and we both glanced at the lit screen and saw Bianca-Honey.

He looked at me, about to explain himself, but I stopped him. "You're busy with work, I know. Save the explanation. I totally get it."

My calm, understanding tone caught him off guard. In the end, amid the urgent vibrations of his phone, he exhaled softly and stuffed the ring box back into my hand before walking away with his phone.

"Profess to me one more time. I'll be there for the 144th declaration. This time, I'll say yes, just as promised."

With that, he strode toward the study without looking back.

I feigned ignorance of the situation and turned into my bedroom. That night, I had the soundest sleep in five years.

Everything was over. Aldric and I would never see each other again.