All Chapters of She Proposed, I Said No: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

The room fell into an awkward silence. Violet's parents exchanged a glance and wisely kept their mouths shut.Violet Gilman, who had been laughing through a pleasant buzz just moments before, froze. She shot to her feet, flipped the dinner table over, and glared at me like she couldn't believe what she'd just heard."You're turning down marrying me? Harvey, who do you think you're fooling with this whole nonchalant act?"I lifted my eyes lazily, giving the furious Violet a glance before turning to her parents. I stood and gave them a small nod."Dinner's over. I'll be heading home now."Mr. and Mrs. Gilman rose as well, each taking one of Violet's arms to keep her from doing anything rash, and gave me placating smiles."You've had a long day, Harvey. Violet probably just forgot to take her medication. Don't take it to heart.""And of course, if you're willing to get married after all, we'd be more than happy to...""Mom! Dad! What are you two even saying? It's Harvey who's been

Chapter 2

I stared at him for a long moment, then slowly curled my lips into a smile."What do you think would happen if Violet's parents found out that you're the one who tried to assault Violet all those years ago and drove her out of her mind?"Peyton froze for a second, stubbed out his cigarette, then got out of the car and grabbed me by the collar, snarling."How do you know about that?"No wonder you flew into a rage and trashed that hotel room the last time we asked you to deliver condoms to us. I thought you were just jealous. Turns out you were trying to protect her."So what if I did it? Say it out loud, and Violet will remember that night. She'll lose her mind all over again, and once nobody wants her anymore, her parents will be begging me to marry her."He wasn't wrong. The only reason Peyton could show his face in front of Violet so openly was that he had the Gilmans by the throat. Even if they learned the truth, they'd never dare speak it out loud, not when the shock could s

Chapter 3

I lay there staring up at the white ceiling, my mind spinning through everything that had happened over the past three days like a slideshow.How had Violet and I ever ended up here?Three years ago, we'd just reached the stage of meeting each other's parents. Well, meeting hers. Mr. and Mrs. Gilman hadn't treated me anywhere near as warmly back then. They'd looked down on me, a poor kid from the countryside with nothing to my name. I had no parents of my own, only a grandfather who was dying by inches.Violet hated her privileged background for standing in our way, so much that she quietly started planning to run away with me. I talked her out of it, telling her as gently as I could, "Your parents only said no because they want what's best for you."Let's just take some time apart. Once I've made something of myself, I'll go to your family and convince them myself. Is that all right?"But things never got that far. Fate stepped in first.Before he died, my grandfather, his b

Chapter 4

"I'm allergic to chicken," I said.Violet stared at me in disbelief for a long moment, then let out a short laugh and sat down beside me."Allergic? Funny how you never mentioned that every time I had you make me chicken soup."Still mad, huh? Fine, I'll admit I went a little hard on you. But that doesn't mean you get to hit Peyton. "Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was for me? Everyone in our circle knows you're my lapdog. "If you go around throwing punches, who do you think looks bad? Me. How am I supposed to show my face after this?"It finally hit me. To Violet, I wasn't her boyfriend. I was her lapdog, her lackey. Nothing more.The old Violet, the one who used to despise her own privileged status just because it kept us apart, was gone. Now every other sentence out of her mouth was about the Gilman name. She really had become someone else entirely.I'd been the fool, thinking that three years of devoted care could bring the old her back.When I didn't answer,

Chapter 5

Violet cursed me out thoroughly, satisfied only once she'd gotten it all out, then shot me a sideways glance, clearly waiting for an explanation.For three years, she'd scolded me over one thing or another, big and small, and every time I'd fallen over myself explaining, terrified she'd think badly of me once her memory came back.But now, I just gave her a flat look and said nothing.Violet clearly hadn't expected me to have no reaction at all. Her face flushed red with anger, and she jabbed a finger at me."Harvey Horstmann! What's gotten into you these past few days? Do you actually think I can't live without you?"I turned down several dates for you. I even skipped dinner with Peyton to stay by your side, and this is the attitude you give me?"Fine. I'll admit it, you got hurt badly this time, and you're entitled to feel wronged. Let's just leave it at that. Once you're better, we'll set a wedding date and get married. That should make up for it. Happy now?"By the end, Viol

Chapter 6

"You made it. I was starting to think you weren't coming this month. Where's your girlfriend? Still haven't brought her along?" Carl craned his neck to look behind me, looking a little disappointed."Hey, what happened to your head? You hurt?"Warmth spread through my chest at his concern. I shook my head and smiled."It's nothing serious. I'll head in now, Carl."Carl nodded and watched me head inside, already familiar with the path. Behind me, I heard him sigh wistfully."Three years, and he still hasn't managed to bring that girlfriend of his back. Makes me wonder if Stanley's soul is really at peace."I stopped for a second but didn't turn around.The first time I'd come to pay my respects after my Grandpa Stanley passed, I'd told Carl, the cemetery's old caretaker, that I'd bring my girlfriend along one day. Carl and Grandpa Stanley had been close friends, and he wanted to see me happy just as much as my grandfather once had.I never imagined that three years later, Violet

Chapter 7

Peyton's screams, Carl's attempts to hold me back, even the sound of sirens closing in, all of it felt distant, like it was happening somewhere far away.Only one sound cut through clearly."Harvey!"I looked up sharply and found Violet standing there, her eyes red.She rushed over, grabbed me with trembling hands, and pulled me aside. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out.I finally came back to myself. I looked at Peyton, moaning in pain with blood dripping from his mouth where I'd hit him, then at Violet, her face twisted with worry, and let out a bitter laugh."Violet, the one you should be worried about is lying right there. Why are you trying to stop me?""That's not... Harvey, that's not it."Violet kept shaking her head, her voice too choked up to form a sentence, tears streaming down her face as she stared at me.Seeing her like that, something in me loosened, and against my better judgment, I let myself wonder about a possibility I had no right to hope for.Had Vio

Chapter 8

"That rotten Peyton! His family never had anything to do with the Gilmans before, and here I was wondering why he kept pushing to work with us so eagerly these past three years."So he'd already planned this far ahead. Even if I found out the truth, he knew I'd never risk our entire company just to sever ties with the Wyatts."That was when I understood. Peyton had been playing the long game all along, which explained why he'd dared to keep showing his face around the Gilmans for three straight years.In Hanson Bay, the Gilmans and the Wyatts were two of the city's most prominent business families, held up as a textbook example of a powerful alliance.If Mr. Gilman decided to break with the Wyatts to get justice for Violet, it wouldn't just hurt the Wyatts. It would hurt the Gilmans even more.Peyton was betting that Mr. and Mrs. Gilman's love for their daughter would never outweigh the family business.Mrs. Gilman seemed to catch up to the same realization. She bit down hard on

Chapter 9

"Enough."I couldn't take any more and cut Violet off, my voice flat and cold.When she still wouldn't let go, I pried her fingers off me, one by one, pushed her aside, and headed for the door.The instant I shut it behind me, she threw herself against it.She pounded on the door frantically, sobbing."Harvey, why are you locking me in? Why?"I miss you so much, Harvey. Open the door!"I can't really remember what happened these past three years. All I remember is you finding me at that hotel, and then staying with me for three years after. Why are you suddenly acting like this now?"Harvey, say something!"So Violet's memory hadn't fully come back after all.I couldn't quite name what I felt. It wasn't the excitement or joy I might have expected. If anything, it was strangely flat, like I'd already known this was how things would go.Whether or not Violet remembered me, I was leaving regardless.These three years had drained every last drop of love I'd ever had for her. Th

Chapter 10

That settled it. We were finally even.After landing in Callustria, I found the apartment Mr. Gilman had arranged for me and moved in.University applications for the year hadn't closed yet, so I spent three sleepless days pulling together every document I needed and submitting my application, then waited for the result.I'd actually always planned to keep studying. It was only because my grandfather's illness had gotten worse that I'd had to go straight into work instead, just to afford his medical bills.I still remember the guilt in his eyes the day I gave up my guaranteed university placement to take a job instead. By then, he could barely speak, just a few shaky, broken sounds and a mouth that wouldn't stop drooling.But I understood him anyway.He wanted to see me happy. He wanted a good life for me. He never wanted to be the reason I got left behind.The day my acceptance letter arrived, I went out of my way to find a candle, and lit it on a street corner in his memory, t

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