Giving Him Up
Within the circle, everyone knew I had been Leo’s most devoted, submissive admirer.
For thirteen years, I chased him relentlessly, transforming myself from an uneducated, middle-school-dropout, illegitimate child of a wealthy family into an Ivy League economics master’s graduate.
Only then did his mother finally acknowledge me, and I became Mrs. Smith.
However, after the wedding, I no longer meddled in Leo’s company, cooked, or served him.
While he stayed up late planning strategies for his first love, I traveled the world with friends. He would accompany her to Paris fashion shows, and I celebrated my cat’s birthday at home.
I understood that a commercial marriage could never produce love. Everything I had poured my heart into was just my own foolish obsession.
In my past life, I handled his company’s internal conflicts for him. Yet, he frowned, scolding, “You’re reaching too far.”
I cooked soups for his stomach ailments, only to see him hand them off to his overworked first love, brushing it off, “She works harder than I do.”
Even on the day I had a car accident, he lit fireworks across the city just to see her smile.
I begged him, but he looked down at me from above. “Nicole, what we have is only a transaction.”
Then, I opened my eyes and found myself back at our engagement banquet, watching him leave midway to comfort his heartbroken first love.
This time, I did not chase after him. Instead, I picked up the microphone and said before all the guests.
“Sorry, everyone. My engagement with Leo is canceled.”