All Chapters of Tears at Midnight: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

There was no screaming or hysterics like I thought there would be.Silence settled over the room.I slipped the wedding band from my finger and set it gently on the table.When I spoke, my voice was calm and clear, completely devoid of emotion."Keep the ring. I'll have the dowry returned as well. As for the wedding, whether you cancel it or go through with it together, that's up to you."I turned and walked away without even asking why. Then, something crashed onto the floor behind me.Marcel tumbled off the bed. Staggering forward, he dropped to his knees at my feet with his fists clenched."Cedric, I'm sorry... I'm the one who deserves blame. I forced Delilah into this. You’ve always been the only one she truly loved."Hit me. Kill me if you want. Just... don't act like you don't care."Delilah hurriedly gathered the clothes from the floor and draped them over his shoulders before getting on her knees beside him. Nevertheless, what spilled from her lips wasn't guilt but ove

I got out of the car with swollen eyes and no destination in mind.Without realizing it, I found myself back at the old house where I'd grown up.I climbed the damp, weathered wooden stairs. Just as I reached for the door, a familiar voice stopped me in my tracks."Marcel, why did you push me away? You know I've always loved you!""That was a mistake! As long as Cedric is happy, nothing else matters to me!""Really? Then why did you sneak back here in secret if nothing matters?"The argument came to an abrupt halt.Through the narrow gap in the door, my tear-blurred eyes took in the scene inside.White wedding ribbons were draped across the windows.A handmade patchwork wedding quilt covered the bed.Scattered across the floor were dried flower petals and keepsakes my mother had prepared for my future marriage.Everything in the room had been prepared for a newlywed couple starting their lives together—if those things hadn't belonged to my mother.My mother had crafted thos

Knock, knock, knock...Still half asleep, Marcel opened the door. When he saw it was the makeup artist, he glanced at the time. "Do I need makeup too?""Of course, you do. You have to be the most handsome man today!"Lugging an enormous case, the makeup artist squeezed past him and hurried inside to set up.The photographer assigned to follow the wedding party immediately began checking his equipment as well.Marcel still hadn't fully processed what was happening. He was about to point out that the groom was supposed to be the most handsome man there, not him.Still, a secret possessiveness stirred in his heart. Lowering his gaze, he forced a smile and said nothing.Following the wedding team's instructions, he headed into the bathroom to change into his suit.The moment he saw it, though, he froze. "Um... are you sure you didn't grab the wrong outfit?"It didn't look anything like a best man's suit. In fact, it looked exactly like the tuxedo he'd modeled for Cedric the day be

The thin sheet of paper trembled in the silence for a long time, like the final echo of a departing voice.Tears finally broke free from Marcel's lashes and splashed onto the letter, landing atop tear stains that had already dried there."Cedric..." Marcel's fingers tightened around the page until his knuckles turned white.Delilah stared at the neat handwriting covering the letter, her chest filling with an indescribable ache.The man who had always listened to them, who had grinned foolishly and declared himself the happiest person in the world, had been forced by their betrayal to grow wings.The very first thing he did after learning to fly was leave them forever.How could Cedric do this? How could he... really leave?"Don't panic. I'll go find him right now. Maybe he's just hiding somewhere, sulking." Delilah forced a smile as she lifted a hand, intending to wipe away Marcel's tears.However, when her gaze landed on the neat handwriting that looked so much like Cedric him

Delilah headed straight for her destination. On a street scented with red wine and cinnamon, she paced back and forth in hesitation, unable to summon the courage to walk into my office on her own, into that closed-off world that belonged only to me.Fortunately, as snow drifted softly through the Nordic winter, she spotted me leaving the building surrounded by my colleagues.After saying goodbye to everyone, I turned and noticed her familiar figure. Surprise flickered across my face for only a moment before fading into calm indifference.When Delilah caught my gaze, she awkwardly started to raise a hand, but I merely gave her a polite nod, the same one I would offer a stranger.She felt even less willing to approach. For a long time afterward, she only dared follow me from a distance.When I was about to miss the bus, she hurried ahead, intending to flag it down for me. Then she realized I was perfectly capable of waving the driver over myself.When a drunk man staggered toward m