Todos os capítulos de The Bride Who Never Was: Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 10

Eight years ago, I sent the most dangerous heir of the Medici family in New York to prison. Eight years later, on the Brooklyn Bridge, traffic rushed endlessly.I stood there in a dark blue convenience store uniform, sweat beading down my face in thin streams.When the light turned red, a black Cadillac Escalade pulled up beside me. As the tinted window slowly rolled down, a familiar face appeared. It was Elena, my former best friend.“Christine. Long time no see. You used to be the Medici family’s future Donna. Back then, everyone in the family had to bow to you. The whole city of New York was practically yours. But I heard you’re sick now and reduced to working at a convenience store, struggling every day. Do you regret it?”She was right in front of me, yet I couldn’t see her face clearly.Elena continued, “Christine, back when we were waitressing together in that restaurant in Italy, I told you Vincent wasn’t a bad person. Yet, you still sent him to prison for eight years. In

In that moment, the world lost its shape. I stared at the names side by side—Vincent and Elena—and it felt like a hole had been torn through my heart. I picked up the invitation, but my hands wouldn’t stop trembling. After a long time, I finally locked the card, along with the scattered photos of us, into the old safe beneath my bed.Leaning back against the hard mattress, I thought I saw Vincent from eight years ago standing right in front of me, smiling at me so gently. However, in the next second, he was holding Elena’s hand, walking toward the sacred St. Patrick’s Cathedral. No matter how I ran after him and called his name through tears, he never once turned back.The next morning, at a convenience store in Brooklyn, I had just arrived when I was called into the manager’s office.“You’re fired.” The manager placed an envelope on the table. “This is your pay. I hope you understand we’re not a charity.”Following his gaze, I looked down at myself. The buttons on my uniform were

Vincent frowned.“Christine, don’t you recognize me?”The moment I heard his voice, I froze. It felt like someone had said those exact same words to me a long time ago. Then, all at once, familiar voices began echoing in my ears.“Christine, wherever I stand among men, that’s where you’ll stand among women.“Christine, I love you. From now on, I want to watch the sunset with you every day from the top of the Empire State Building.”People say that when you forget someone, the first thing you forget is their voice. However, when Vincent spoke, it was familiar.I lifted my head again and looked at his striking face. My voice came out slightly hoarse.“So it’s you, Vincent. Why? Am I, your old flame, that hard to let go of, so much that you had to come see me again and again?”Vincent let out a soft laugh.“I came to see if you were dead. I had a dream last night that you were dead.”A bitter smile tugged at my lips.“Well, sorry to disappoint you. People like me live long live

My mind went blank. The colorful world in front of me faded into gray in an instant.When Vincent saw that I wasn’t responding, he spoke again. “John said he saw you yesterday in the neurology department at Mount Sinai Hospital. What’s going on with you?”Slowly, I clenched my fists and forced out an excuse. “I used to work crazy shifts at the restaurant, and the insomnia never really went away. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving.”After saying that, I walked away. As we passed each other, I caught the faint scent of Vincent’s cologne. I knew then that this was the closest we would ever be in this lifetime.Outside, I stood there for a long time, staring at the cross rising in the center of the church square, then at the white doves flying across the sky, completely lost in thought. After I got home, I drifted through the next three days in a daze. I stared at the calendar on the wall. It was December 16th. There was only one day left until December 17th, the day Vincent and

“What?” Vincent’s eyes widened sharply.Inside the evidence bag was a phone, its screen already shattered.A police officer helped unlock it and pulled up the last recorded video. Christine’s face appeared on the screen. She was wearing a white dress, faded from too many washes, with light makeup on her face. The background was the rooftop of the Empire State Building, and the strong wind lifted her hair.“Vincent, congratulations to you and Elena on your wedding today. I’m sorry I can’t attend. It’s because I’ve decided to leave this world.”My voice was soft but calm.Vincent’s hand began to tremble as he held the phone.In the video, my eyes were red, yet I still forced a smile. “I hope that you and Elena will be happy forever because one of you is the man I love most and the other is my best friend.”Elena lifted her wedding dress and hurried forward. The moment she saw the screen, her face turned pale.I continued speaking. “Vincent, there are some things I never had the c