Chapter 16
“I regret it so much, I really regret it,” he said, his voice shaking.
“If I hadn’t gotten tangled up with Zoe that
year, we would have been married by now and maybe even had children, right?”
He continued, “Claire, I was wrong. I hurt you.”
As he cried, he no longer had the handsome face of the past. Instead, he looked utterly drained, worn down by regret.
Eight years of love had passed and my composure and self–restraint made it impossible for me to lash out at him. Besides, I didn’t care anymore.
So, I said lightly, “Look ahead.”
His voice quivered as he pleaded, “But I’m still waiting for you. I won’t marry anyone else but you in this life.”
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I looked at him in disbelief. His eyes were full of desperation, a look that seemed to hope I would be moved by his supposed deep affection and burst into tears.
“Claire, could you…?”
I gently spoke, “I forgot to tell you, I got married three years ago.”
Hope vanished from his eyes in an instant.
My partner was someone the country had carefully selected for me. After hearing about my university achievements, I heard that he vowed to one day be by my side. Over the years, we grew closer and eventually became a couple. He was also a researcher and now, as if on cue, he
stepped into the room holding a bouquet of flowers.
Vincent’s gaze trembled as soon as he saw him.
My husband was ten years younger than me, full of youthful vigour.
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I smiled softly. “I understand you now. Everyone likes someone younger.”
My husband walked up to me, handed me the flowers and then glanced at Vincent with disdain.
“He’s so old,” he said with a laugh.
Vincent‘ s expression shattered, piece by piece.
He couldn’t say a word for a long time, as if his heart had been hollowed out. Tears began to stream down his face. He believed his decade–long wait would earn him another chance with me. After all, we had shared the best eight years.
But Vincent didn’t realize that I had long moved on–I had a new life and a new partner. And that partner was younger, better than him and looked at me with eyes
full of love.
In that moment, he saw the love he once had for me in her partner’s gaze. It was supposed to be him standing by my side.
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Vincent regretted it deeply. Even the bag that I wore for a long time the plain circle ring did not dare to take out. When he was leaving, he knew that he would never see me again in this lifetime, so he pulled out the ring. He had made it into a necklace- now together with his and my ring.
“Wish you happiness,” he said, his voice heavy with emotion.
My cold gaze landed on his face.
He hurriedly and pitifully explained, “I don’t mean anything by it. I want you to be happy.”
“I am happy,” I replied, my voice detached.
With a gentle nudge from my husband, I took the necklace from his hand and let the
moment pass.
For a fleeting second, I thought of the past.
That year, we had nothing, but we were happy. Under the moonlight, we held
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hands, laughing sweetly. We embraced and kissed and it felt like time stood still for a
moment.
Later, he bought me a bigger diamond ring and planned a more elaborate proposal to make up for it. But the feelings from that time were something that could never be replaced.
And I didn’t need any late apologies.
When we reached the conference room door, I placed the necklace in the trash can.
As I turned around, I saw Vincent‘ s face, devastated, standing alone. He looked like a gust of wind could blow him away.
I turned and walked away, but it almost felt as if I saw the twenty–year–old version of him running toward me in the wind–my husband was full of youthful energy.
He carefully took my hand and said,
“Claire, I like you so much.”
(The End)
