Chapter 6
As our wedding day approached, we finished selecting the venue,
Jackson held my hand to keep it warm as we looked up at the sky snow was falling again
Snowflakes landed on our heads, whitening our dark hair.
I smiled, looking up, and he obligingly lowered his head.
I said: “Doesn’t this make us look like we’re growing old together?”
“Absolutely,” he agreed.
He urged me: “Such a poetic moment–let’s take a photo to capture it.”
Later, while organizing my things, I found an old group photo in a corner–it was from a school sports day.
Sitting on my bed, I wiped the dust off with a tissue.
Finally, I noticed the “accidental” moment when Lucas and Olivia’s eyes met. I recalled Olivia saying she’d wanted me to bite my medal for the photo. but it had been taken unexpectedly.
With our parents helping, most wedding preparations were nearly complete.
I next saw Olivia at my coffee shop. She wore a brown coat with newly curled hair, looking like the epitome of elegant sophistication.
Seeing me approach with no intention of stopping, she called out: “Riley, I regret it.”
Her eyes were reddened as she looked at me, but I remained silent.
She continued through gritted teeth: “Riley, Jackson doesn’t love you. If you marry him, you won’t be happy…”
“So?” I smiled mockingly. “You want me to give him back to you? Aren’t you with Lucas?”
I hadn’t heard from Jackson that they’d broken up.
My rapid–fire questions made her hesitate, her eyes darting away.
But she persisted stubbornly: “Has Jackson ever driven miles to take you home? Has he ever made you ginger tea? Has he ever gone out at midnight because you suddenly wanted spaghetti? Has he ever fought for you? Has he ever told you he loves you? I’m saying all this for your own good. I don’t want you throwing away your happiness just to spite me.”
How earnest she sounded, claiming to be my friend… But between the lines, she clearly wanted it all.
“Hmm,” I scoffed. “Trying to have your cake and eat it too?”
“I’m not,” she firmly denied having such intentions.
Calmly, I told her: “First, I live in Boston–I don’t need someone to drive miles to take me home. Second, everything else you mentioned will happen with me soon, except the fighting.”
“And Olivia, the fact that you can list everything he did for you shows you know how good he was to you. Yet you chose Lucas. You just don’t want me to be happy. You don’t even like Lucas that much–you’re with him because I loved him. You enjoy that feeling of superiority, that victory.”
“You know? I found an old photo of us.”
I emphasized each word: “I deeply regret knowing you and being your friend.”
“Let’s not stay in touch anymore.”
The coffee shop wasn’t crowded at this hour. After I walked a few steps away, Olivia laughed almost maniacally behind me: “Riley, just admit it! You’re jealous of me. You’re jealous that Jackson loved me, and even your precious Lucas loves me to death. You’ll never have anything.”
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Just then, a barista happened to bring over an feed Americano. I took it and throw it at her.
“Ah!” she let out a piercing scream.
“Feeling more clear headed now?” I grabbed a napkin to wipe my hands, smiling apologetically at the employee. “Sorry about that
“No problem, boss. You did the right thing,” she said before rushing back inside.
“Riley, how dare you treat me like this?!” Olivia now looked a mess, her once perfect features contorted in rage.
“Keep barking, and the next cup will be hot,” I smiled, turning to walk away.
During lunch, I told Jackson about the morning’s events.
His face darkened, voice irritated: “What is wrong with them? Seriously, they’re deranged. At work, Olivia has nothing better to do than wait outside the building, pretending to ‘bump into‘ me. At home, my brother constantly asks with a gloomy face why we’re getting married if we dont love each
other.”
I hadn’t realized so much was happening on his end while my days had been relatively peaceful.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.
“Well,” he scratched his head, looking pitiful, “I noticed you’ve been so exhausted from the wedding preparations that you just collapse into bed when you get home. I didn’t want to burden you with stories about these two nutcases.”
“Honestly, some people always prefer the grass on the other side–they just don’t appreciate what’s clean and right in front of them.*
I rested my chin on my hand, studying his troubled expression: “So, you really have no feelings left for Olivia?”
“Five years is a long time.”
Suddenly, his expression changed: “Riley, I’m warning you–if you leave me standing alone at that altar, you’re dead.”
“Oh my goodness, chill!” I laughed. “I’m just asking! As if I’d bail. After five years without even getting a glance from him, I’m hardly expecting someone to fall for me in a month.”
“Then why ask such a stupid question?” he pouted, “I don’t get it. Maybe it’s like…”
“Talking to God is faith; God talking to you is…”
He threw out this random statement that caught
me completely off guard.
He laughed: “Your brain must be fried.”
“Huh?” I asked. “Is that some new meme I missed?”
“I’ll show you tonight when we play that game. You can be the mage character.”
“Well, well, well…” I side–eyed him knowingly.
