All Chapters of Enduring the Storm for a New Spring: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

Elyse's First-Person POVIn the awkward silence, one of my friends quickly stepped in to ease the tension. "Maybe I misheard. There are plenty of other styles over there. Let's go try those."Everyone chimed in, agreeing with her.My fiance, Philip Dillon, gave a light chuckle, then lowered his head to look at his phone again.The mood quickly warmed up, as if the earlier tension had never existed.The sales associate enthusiastically explained the proper care for the wedding dress to the woman from earlier.She smiled brightly as she listened, but her eyes kept flicking over to Philip. Then, she lowered her head to her phone and typed something.Right after that, a notification sound came from Philip's phone. But instead of checking his phone, he looked up and briefly glanced at me.Only when he saw that I wasn't looking did he look down to reply to the message with a faint smile.Not long after the woman left, Philip raised his phone and addressed us. "Elyse, I have a meetin

Chapter 2

I brushed Philip's hand off lightly and climbed into the backseat.On the road, I stared out the window, then suddenly called his name. "You'd already reserved that dress for her, hadn't you?"Philip's hand trembled ever so lightly on the steering wheel.After a moment of silence, he replied without denying it. "Actually, the one you originally picked wasn't really suited for you. It would only highlight your figure's flaws. You're much better suited for a mermaid cut. So, there's no harm in letting her have the dress, right?"When I didn't respond, Philip sighed. "Elyse, it's just a dress. If you're not happy, we can go pick another one later. You can choose whatever you like. Be the bigger person. Don't sweat the small stuff."That same line again.I should be the bigger person and overlook Jane ruining my engagement party.I should be the bigger person and ignore her openly challenging me in front of my friends.I should be the bigger person and let her have my wedding dress

Chapter 3

Dad's voice softened. "I know this is a big deal for you, Elyse. You've got to take your time to prepare for the wedding. But… this afternoon, the nurse said your mom's condition has gotten worse. Her stats aren't looking good. She might not—""No!" I cut him off immediately and forced a smile. "Dad, no matter what, I will make sure Mom attends my wedding."There was a crackle on the line, then Mom's voice came through. "Sweetie, I don't need to attend your wedding. I just want to see you happy. Philip is a good man, and he treats you well. Only if you're happy can I leave in peace."I blinked back my tears and promised her, "Mom, I will be happy. I promise. You need to promise me that you'll take care of yourself too."When I hung up, the room felt utterly dark and silent again.I wiped my eyes and sent Philip a text. "Don't forget to pick the wedding dress with me tomorrow."He didn't reply.The next day passed with no sign of him.It wasn't until the afternoon that Philip fi

Chapter 4

Philip offered a small smile, nonchalantly moving on. "The bill, please."When they stepped outside, Jane said carefully, "Mr. Dillon, that day when you gave me the wedding dress, I noticed Ms. Brock didn't look very happy. She seemed to really like the first one. Now that I have a new one, maybe you should—""No need."Philip took a drag from his cigarette, the smoke partially hiding his face. Only his voice cut through the cold wind and reached my ears."I don't want to get married so soon anyway."Every excuse he'd ever given me shattered against that one casual sentence.Of course. All his excuses boiled down to just one truth—he simply didn't want to. He didn't want to marry me or keep his promise. That was it.Jane drew in a small breath. "But I think I saw Ms. Brock's Instagram. She's already announced the wedding date. Not just that, but I also heard the invitations have even been made. Is she… trying to force you into this?"Philip's smile turned cold at those words. "

Chapter 5

But Jane shoved my hand away and said with feigned innocence, "Mrs. Brock, Ms. Brock wanted my wedding dress. I didn't give it to her, and now she's upset. But Mr. Dillon had it custom-made for me. Even if I had let her have it, it wouldn't have fit her."The moment she said that, Mom's face went pale. She clearly understood what Jane was implying.Her chest heaved violently, and her gaze was full of disappointment and pain as she looked at Philip.She started to speak but suddenly clutched her chest, coughing violently as she struggled for breath."Mom! What's wrong? Mom!"Panicked, I grabbed her and shouted, "Doctor! Someone help!"The doctors and nurses rushed in, scrambling to get Mom into the operating room.The OR doors shut, and the red warning light glared, making my eyes sting.Just then, Jane stepped up to my side. Her tone was still dripping with feigned innocence as she asked, "Ms. Brock, did I say something wrong again? I just wanted to apologize. I didn't expect M

Chapter 6

Elyse's First-Person POVThe wedding went off exactly as planned.Music swelled through the hall.I walked down the aisle in my custom wedding dress with two flower girls guiding me along. Petals and butterflies danced in the air, their delicate scent clinging to my veil, my shoulders, and my hands.As I neared the center of the stage, I saw Mom through the gap in my veil. She was nestled in Dad's arms, tears slowly streaming down her face.But they were tears of joy.My mind drifted back to the day before.I had been standing at the hospital ward door, hesitating with my suitcase at my feet.Just then, the door opened. Dad's face lit up when he saw me.Before he could say anything, he noticed my clunky suitcase. He froze for a moment, then seemed to realize something. As he took the suitcase from me, he asked, "Are you hungry? Let me take you to get something to eat."Over a plate of pasta in a small diner below the hospital, I murmured, "Dad, I've wronged Mom."My throat w

Chapter 7

He was Melvin Neal, the last-minute groom I had found for this wedding.He caught me steadily just in time.Still, a sharp pain shot through my ankle. I couldn't help but gasp.Melvin immediately stopped and asked softly, "Where does it hurt?"I straightened up with his help and forced a small smile. "It's nothing. Let's keep going."He didn't say anything. He just stared at me for a moment, then quietly said, "Hold onto me."Before I could even process what he meant, a firm lift under my knees sent me into his arms.The move instantly drew gasps and cheers from the guests.Amid the applause and floating petals, Melvin carried me straight to the center of the hall.I was still reeling from shock when I felt a steady hand supporting my forearm.Melvin whispered, "You can lean on me. If it really hurts, tell me. We can pause the ceremony for a moment. Your safety comes first."I nodded.However, the thought of letting Mom witness a perfect wedding had already taken root in my

Chapter 8

Philip looked even more livid after hearing Melvin's answer. He pointed at me and growled, "Elyse Brock, you really couldn't wait, huh? If you can't marry me, you'd just swap in someone else? Seriously? Is this really for your mom? Or is it just to spite me?"Melvin frowned, his expression darkening. He bent slightly and gently set me down. "Give me a second."Then, he rolled up his sleeves.Philip sneered. "You wanna fight me? Who do you think you are? Idiot, can't you see you're being used? You think she has feelings for you? She's just—"Suddenly, a loud smack echoed.Melvin's raised hand froze midair. He hurriedly grabbed my hand with panic in his eyes.Frowning, he asked, "What are you doing slapping him yourself? You're already hurt. Does your hand hurt? Let me see."The slap landed hard. Philip's expression shifted instantly from fury to sheer shock. He stared at me in disbelief. "Elyse, did you just slap me?"As I looked at him, for some reason, I found the whole scene

Chapter 9

Philip had lost his temper completely. He fired Jane on the spot and blacklisted her throughout the industry.He couldn't even sit still in his office. He grabbed his phone to call Elyse, only to discover he had been blocked.The more he thought about it, the more off it felt.Finally, he sent someone to check Elyse's travel information. Once he confirmed that she had really gotten married, his mind completely unraveled.Through it all, he never asked himself why—why he didn't want to marry her, yet couldn't bear to see her marry someone else.He was so conflicted.…Elyse's First-Person POVI was carried back to my room.Philip bombarded me with messages—at first threats, then attempts at reasoning, though I had no idea what logic he thought he had.Finally, one message came through in a completely different tone. "Elyse, give me ten minutes. Let's talk."I ignored it and set my phone down.What was left to talk about? At this point, cutting all ties seemed like the only p

Chapter 10

Philip clenched his fists, as if he couldn't bear it any longer. "What the hell are you talking about?"Just as he was about to attack Melvin, the police arrived. Unsurprisingly, Philip was taken away.With him finally handled, I rushed into the ward. Seeing Mom safe, I let out a relieved breath.After being disciplined by the police, Philip behaved for a while, though every now and then he'd send a text or show up unannounced in my life.One day, Melvin told me that he was tired of seeing Philip. I asked, "So what do you suggest?"I had a pretty good idea of what he wanted to do. Sure enough, the next moment, he suggested, "Let's go traveling. We can see the world, clear our minds, and be rid of that mess."The next day, our journey began.Melvin got me a new bank card, and I discarded the old one.Without Philip's disturbance and constant reminders of the past, and with Melvin's careful attention, I started feeling much better.I was on a video call with Mom when she smiled

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