Library

Home / Petals in the Wind / Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

All Chapters of Petals in the Wind: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

After Eugene Shaw finished speaking, he lowered his head and kissed me again.His lips brushed against my cheek with the same gentle tenderness they always had. There was even a trace of quiet affection, the kind a man showed when he planned to marry the woman he loved.However, my entire body had gone stiff.In the next instant, another scene flashed before my eyes.Jeannie Rogers stood there with the hem of her dress wrinkled and the lipstick on her lips smeared. She was nestled in Eugene’s arms, pouting playfully."Melissa’s so skinny. Do you think she will even fill out her wedding dress?"I went with her to try on the main gown today, and it just looked empty."Eugene let out a quiet chuckle."She is too skinny."Every time I hold her, it feels like I am hugging a bag of bones."Jeannie frowned at once, as if she were offended on my behalf."How could you say that about her?"Melissa’s my best friend!"The moment she finished speaking, she smiled and leaned close to E

Chapter 2

Jeannie froze.Her eyes filled with tears, as though she never expected me to say something like that.Almost immediately, Eugene stepped in front of her."Melissa, Jeannie has been living overseas for years. She is just used to dressing like this."You are reading too much into it."I watched him shield her, and the whole thing suddenly felt absurd.Of course I knew Jeannie had studied abroad. I had been the one who sent her there.Back then, she could not gather enough money for her first year of tuition. I gave her every cent I had saved for two years so she could go. The day we said goodbye at the airport, Jeannie clung to me and cried so hard she could barely stand."Melissa, you are the best friend I will ever have."When I come back, I will be your maid of honor."Later, Eugene started traveling overseas for business all the time. I even asked him for a favor."Jeannie is all alone over there. She does not know anyone."If you have time, could you check on her for me

Chapter 3

The next morning, when I walked out of the bedroom, breakfast was already waiting on the table.Eugene stood at the kitchen doorway with his sleeves rolled up, acting as though nothing had happened."You are up?"Did you sleep well last night?"My eyes drifted to the mug of warm milk, and I froze for a moment.I always had a sensitive stomach. Eugene used to take the milk out half an hour early so it would reach the perfect temperature by the time I drank it. He always said milk that was too hot or too cold never tasted right.Back then, I always thought that if someone remembered something as small as the exact temperature you liked, how could they not love you.He still remembered every detail.I just could not tell anymore if it was love or simply a habit formed over seven years.Eugene slid a jewelry box across the table toward me."Last night, I noticed you kept looking at Jeannie’s necklace."You deserve a beautiful necklace too."His voice was gentle, and his eyes we

Chapter 4

On the day of the wedding, I arrived at the hotel right on schedule.As the makeup artist finished my makeup, she smiled warmly."Ms. Smith, you look absolutely beautiful today."I looked at my reflection in the mirror.I truly looked like a bride eagerly waiting to marry the love of her life.However, I was the only one who knew the truth. I was not there to marry Eugene. I had come to give him and Jeannie the greatest gift of their lives.The makeup artist reached for my veil, then suddenly stopped."Ms. Smith, this veil..."I looked up.One corner of the veil was wrinkled. There was a faint smear of lipstick on it.My fingers clenched instantly.This veil had been sewn by my mother during the final days of her life.By then, she was already so weak she could barely hold a needle. Her hands shook constantly.Even so, she sat up in her hospital bed and spent an entire month carefully sewing every pearl and every tiny silk rose onto the edge of the veil.She had smiled an

Chapter 5

The moment the words left my mouth, the ballroom fell silent.Eugene stood beside me, a slight frown forming between his brows."Melissa?"I did not look at him. I continued speaking into the microphone."I want to thank Eugene."For making me realize, on the very day of our wedding, who he truly wanted to marry."And I want to thank Jeannie."For teaching me that after paying for her education, supporting her living expenses, and loving her like my own little sister, all I received in return was an ungrateful traitor."The ballroom erupted with shocked whispers.Jeannie’s face turned ghostly pale as she shot to her feet."Melissa, what are you talking about?"This is your wedding with Eugene. Stop joking around."I looked straight at her."A joke?"Jeannie, are you not the one who loves jokes the most? Then today’s joke should be your favorite."I turned to the wedding planner."Play it."The lights on the giant screen went dark.A second later, the video appeared.

Chapter 6

Jeannie’s tears spilled down her face. She stumbled toward me and stopped right in front of me."Melissa, it is not what you think. I did not mean for any of this to happen."I never wanted to hurt you."I looked down at her."You did not mean to?"You showed up at my house wearing a spaghetti‑strap nightgown and used my bath towel. Was that an accident too?"You put on the veil my mother left me and got intimate with my groom in the bridal suite. Was that an accident as well?"With every sentence I spoke, Jeannie’s face grew paler. Her mouth opened and closed, yet no words came out.Eugene finally rushed back onto the stage and reached for my arm."Melissa, calm down. We have shown enough. Let us go downstairs and talk."I shook his hand off."Talk downstairs?"When you held her in that room, did you think about talking downstairs?"When you pinned the veil my mother left me beneath your bodies, did you think about talking downstairs?"Eugene froze.His eyes turned red,

Chapter 7

Eugene’s face turned even paler.Real panic finally set in.He stumbled toward me in a desperate rush."Melissa, I can explain. It is not what you think between me and Jeannie."I was just under too much stress before the wedding. I just..."I cut him off."Eugene. You do not have to explain."His eyes instantly reddened."No... that is not it."Melissa, I really did love you."For the first time, I fell silent.I looked at him."You did love me?"Eugene, listen to what you just said. Even you know that is all in the past."It was as if someone wrapped a hand around his throat. Not another word came out. I turned to face the audience, where the ballroom was filled with relatives, friends, and people who once knew my mother. Raising the microphone, I spoke in a calm, steady voice."This wedding is canceled. I am sorry everyone came here for nothing today."However, I will not apologize for exposing this farce, because I was not the one who betrayed someone."I was not t

Chapter 8

Afterward, that wedding became the talk of everyone who attended.The Shaw family officially announced that the wedding was canceled, and the reception was called off as well.That very afternoon, Eugene’s mother arranged for every wedding gift the guests brought to be returned one by one. She never tried to make excuses for Eugene. Instead, she spent every phone call apologizing over and over."This is all our fault."We are truly sorry for putting everyone through this."I later heard that when Eugene got home, his father slapped him hard across the face. It was not because the wedding fell apart, but because several business partners saw the video.By that very night, they already canceled projects that were on the verge of being finalized. To everyone else, Eugene had always been the perfect gentleman. Kind. Steady. Respectable. Now, however, whenever people mentioned his name, the first thing that came to mind was the video of him with the maid of honor in the bridal suite

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP

DMCA.com Protection Status