All Chapters of Till the 100th "No": Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

I stood in the middle of a sea of roses, still down on one knee. The ring I had been holding tightly had just been thrown into the river by Isabelle Cole.At this point, I didn't look like I was proposing anymore. I looked like some guy who'd messed up and was kneeling in front of his girlfriend, begging her to forgive him.I let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. Only I could turn what was supposed to be a romantic, moving proposal into such a humiliating scene.And the worst part was that I'd already been through this 99 times. Isabelle and I had been together for seven years, from ages 23 to 30. I'd already proposed 99 times, and today was my hundredth.On every previous proposal, she'd refused me, saying that her childhood friend, Ronald Shaw, hadn't married yet, and she couldn't break their promise.I used to believe that even if she graded me from zero, by the hundredth time, I would've gotten a perfect score, and she'd finally agree. So, I chose to propose for the hundre

Chapter 2

I had heard the same excuses so many times, I had lost count.Whenever Isabelle and I were out on a date, all it took was one call from Ronald and she would drop everything to run to him, claiming he was having an "episode" and needed her there.Did Ronald not have other friends? Did he not have a family? Was Isabelle supposed to be some kind of miracle cure whose presence magically healed him?To me, it was obvious. He was just using it as an excuse to pull her away from me.What was even more ridiculous was that Isabelle never thought anything was wrong. Time after time, she chose him and left me behind.Even today, on my hundredth proposal, she walked away without hesitation.I sat in the living room and opened every bottle of wine I had bought to celebrate our engagement. One by one, I emptied them all. Looking at the mess of empty bottles on the table, I snapped a photo and posted it."So it turns out… I've always been alone."All my friends knew she had rejected me again

Chapter 3

After I said that, I pulled my hand back and walked straight out the door.The moment I got to the office, news broke that our department was sending two people to the overseas branch for further training, and everyone scrambled to sign up.Since graduating and joining the company, I've had three opportunities to go abroad for training, and this would be the fourth. Most of my colleagues from my entry-level cohort had already gone, as a year abroad usually meant a promotion and a raise upon returning.But I hadn't been willing to try long-distance with Isabelle, so I never signed up and let those opportunities slip by, one after another.Looking back now, I was already 30, and my life was a complete mess.In our relationship, I was the only one making sacrifices. I'd been with Isabelle for seven years and rejected a hundred times, and she still wouldn't even give me some vague idea of a wedding date, always insisting she'd only marry me after Ronald got married.At work, I'd acco

Chapter 4

Isabelle looked embarrassed when she noticed the jacket and tried to put it away. "Ron left it in the car last night when I drove him home."I nodded to show I understood, but I didn't make the slightest move to shift over.She glanced back at me, hesitating like she wanted to say something, but in the end, she just stayed quiet and started the car.On the way there, she kept talking to me. From the sweet tone she'd used this morning to her trying to start a conversation now, I knew this was her usual way of trying to make peace. The fact that her efforts were lasting an entire day was already rare.Normally, if she backed down once and I didn't respond, she would switch to getting mad, and then it'd be my turn to soothe her.But today, all I could think about was whether I'd be chosen for the overseas training program, so I only gave her half-hearted replies.When we finally arrived, I realized she had taken me to an observatory.She grabbed my hand, excited. "I hear there'll b

Chapter 5

To my surprise, Isabelle actually commented on my post."Wait for me. I'll come back and watch it with you."I originally planned to just hike back down the mountain, but it was already pitch-black. I could barely see the trail, and there was no way to call a ride up here, so I had no choice but to wait for Isabelle to come back for me.What I didn't expect was for three hours to pass without her showing up. I texted her, asking how long she'd take, but she never replied.The midnight air in the mountains was cold and damp. The temperature dropped fast, and I couldn't stop shivering.Seeing that my phone battery was about to die, I finally called 911. Otherwise, I was genuinely afraid I'd end up spending the whole night up here and wind up in the ER with hypothermia.By the time the police arrived, I was already mildly hypothermic. After giving me a lecture, they sent me to the hospital.It wasn't until noon the next day that I finally got a call from Isabelle. "Lucas, where did

Chapter 6

Isabelle had said those exact words to me once.The first time she stayed out all night, I sat in the living room and waited for her until sunrise. When she came back the next day, I wanted to ask where she'd been. I told her she could at least let me know ahead of time so that I wouldn't worry.But she just gave me a cold glance and said, "We're all adults. We should have our own space. I don't need to report every little thing to you, do I?"At that moment, it felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water all over me. And honestly, that was on me.Because on the third day, when she casually told me she'd been consoling a heartbroken friend, all my anger vanished.After that, I even willingly left a light on for her every night, waiting for her without a single complaint.Looking back now, I was pathetic.She must have remembered it too. She looked flustered. "Lucas, I was in a bad mood that time. I didn't mean it."See? When she was upset, she could take it out on me h

Chapter 7

Tears rolled down Isabelle's cheeks as she clutched my hand and said in a trembling voice, "Lucas, I really know I was wrong. We can register for marriage tomorrow—no, right now. The moment the city hall opens tomorrow, we'll be the first ones there. Give me one more chance, please?"Her face was filled with regret.I figured she really did regret it this time. But the cracks in our relationship weren't formed overnight. They had widened over seven years, until everything finally collapsed today. Naturally, there was no fixing us anymore.I didn't reach up to wipe her tears like I used to. Instead, I pulled my hand away. "Isabelle, we're done. I'm leaving the country in a week, and it's better if we end things peacefully."After saying that, I went to the guest room and shut the door. I could hear her muffled sobs outside, but I felt nothing. There was no use crying over spilled milk.For the next few days, I focused on packing and paid no attention to her. Several times, she look

Chapter 8

Isabelle's pleading pulled me back to reality.I knew she brought me here hoping that the memories of how we met would soften me.Back then, just passing through this place would have reminded me of our sweet beginnings. But now, upon returning here, my mind was filled with only the countless times Isabelle had caused me pain because of Ronald.Seven years were more than enough.As if afraid I wouldn't believe her, Isabelle lifted her phone and held it out to me. "Look, I've already blocked Ronald. He'll never bother us again."I finally understand that he needs professional help for his condition. I can't go running to him every time he calls. That was my mistake before. Lucas, you're the only person I've ever loved."Her screen showed Ronald's name sitting there in the blocked list, clear as day. It was the scene I had once dreamed of for seven years. The idea of Ronald no longer standing between us—what a tempting thought that was. Isabelle had finally realized he needed act

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