บททั้งหมดของ Fifty-Two Cancellations: บทที่ 1 - บทที่ 10

Just as we were about to exchange rings at our wedding, Veronica Monroe’s childhood friend, Damon Foster, burst in, his voice trembling."Veronica, if you marry him, I’ll kill myself right now."Veronica’s hand froze in midair. She sighed, her voice filled with an almost indulgent helplessness. "Stop messing around. I only see you as a younger brother.""Your younger brother?" Damon’s tears instantly spilled down his face. He pointed at me, gritting his teeth."He’s just some guy from a nightclub! Veronica, you’re the heir to the Monroe family. How many people in this city are watching you? Are you really going to humiliate yourself like this and drag the Monroe family’s reputation down with you?"The entire room fell silent.Countless looks of pity and ridicule pierced me from every direction. I stood onstage, my fingertips ice-cold.A nightclub guy.Those three words effortlessly tore open every ugly part of my past.Abandoned at six, I was pushed into a neon-lit hell at six

The comments exploded before my eyes.I stared at her in disbelief.It was real. She really was willing to marry me right now."Meredith!" Emmeline hurried over, forcing a stiff smile onto her face. "I’m afraid that’s not quite appropriate. Just a few days ago, you were having tea with your Uncle Robert and discussing an engagement with Conrad. Isn’t this joke going a little too far today?"As soon as she finished speaking, her eyes swept over me, filled with undisguised contempt and warning.I had heard Veronica mention before that the Monroe family’s business had been struggling, and they planned to reconcile with the Rodgers family through a marriage alliance.The guests exchanged complicated looks, and whispers once again buzzed throughout the room.It was true. The Monroe and Rodgers families were evenly matched. If they formed an alliance through marriage, it would be considered a perfect match.But what was I?The little warmth that had just returned to my fingertips qu

The wedding made headlines across the city almost immediately.No one was surprised that Veronica had walked out of her own wedding to me.But no one expected me to turn around and marry Veronica's mortal enemy, Meredith.The internet was flooded with discussions about us.One of Meredith's assistants even found her and asked whether she wanted to have the marriage annulled, but she refused, "It's fine."I knew nothing about any of that.Now I had moved all my belongings into Meredith's house. Late that night, I sat staring at the marriage certificate in my hands.I had actually married my new wife just like that, and Meredith was lying beside me.Originally, I had planned to sleep in the guest room, but earlier that day, she had taken my hand and, without giving me a chance to refuse, moved my luggage into her bedroom."From now on, this is your bedroom too. Get used to it, Shawn."Hearing her call me Shawn made my face instantly turn red."I know.""Or…" She suddenly lean

"Husband?" Veronica looked as though she had just heard the funniest joke in the world, yet there was a trace of panic in her eyes."You two teamed up to make me jealous! Shawn, tell me. You're lying to me, aren't you? You don't love her at all. Come with me. We'll leave right now!" Her gaze shifted back to me, filled with a desperate, all-or-nothing plea."Veronica, I'll say this one last time. Let go. I don't love you anymore, and I'm not going anywhere with you. Meredith is my wife. This is my home. Leave, or I'm calling the police!""The police?" Veronica looked as though I had stabbed her. Her eyes suddenly sharpened."You're going to call the police on me for her? Shawn, do you have any conscience? Who was the one who got you out of that place in the first place? Who…""Miss Monroe," Meredith cut her off before she could dredge up the past. Her voice had turned cold. "You did help Shawn when he needed it, and he owes you for that. But love isn't a debt. It takes two willing

The sea breeze seemed to fall completely still. All I could hear was her clear voice and the frantic pounding of my heart.The comments raced wildly across my vision.[Love at first sight! She fell for him that early?!][Say yes already! What are you waiting for?!]I looked into her affectionate eyes. The last rays of sunlight reflected in them, along with the stunned, dazed version of me."I…" I opened my mouth, but I had no idea what to say.Meredith saw my confusion. She took my hand again, her voice returning to its usual calm. "I'm only telling you this so you know that my choice was never an impulse. As for our feelings…"She paused. "We can take our time."We spent the next two days in a subtle, delicate atmosphere.She was still thoughtful, but she never brought up what she had said that night again. She just started making more and more demands.She wanted a hug every morning.She wanted me to sit beside her whenever we ate.She wanted me to kiss her.My cheeks wa