The Wedding That Never Was Chapter 21

I looked at the man in front of me. I took a step back again.

Adrian had meticulously groomed himself. He looked nothing like the disheveled, haggard man at the airport.

His black suit was tailored to perfection, hugging his broad shoulders and narrow waist. On his feet were custom-made Italian leather shoes.

His face was terrifyingly pale. But paired with that face I had once loved so deeply, he looked like a vampire from a movie—an exquisite nobleman extending a hand to ask for a dance.

I remembered that after joining the military, Adrian’s skin, which used to never tan, had darkened significantly.

Even in school, no matter how pale he was, he always looked healthy.

Not like this... like a beautiful, terrifying ghost.

My chest heaved. I pushed down the angry questions bubbling inside me, but I couldn't hold back.

I reached out my hand toward Adrian—

Adrian’s eyes lit up.

Smack!

A crisp slap shattered his fantasy instantly.

But the hand I extended couldn't be pulled back.

A red mark surfaced on Adrian’s face. Yet, he grabbed my hand and pressed it against his cheek. His smile was gentle.

"Ilara..."

"I missed you so much."

The last sentence was choked with sobs.

I looked at him coldly. This act of affectation only made me want to vomit.

I thought of the lonely nights I endured while he was intimate with Sarah.

I thought of the meals I cooked that went cold while I waited for him, pressing on the scars on my arms.

I thought of that bunch of withered wildflowers.

The misunderstood bottle of pills.

The calls that went unanswered...

And that birthday night I spent sitting alone.

I couldn't understand what made Adrian think a bouquet of flowers could cancel out my pain.

Especially a bouquet of red roses—the same kind he had given to another woman countless times.

Roses are lovely, but the ones in Adrian’s hands only disgusted me.

They brought no beautiful memories. Yet Adrian thought they were an apology.

It was as if this man named Adrian felt he was born with the privilege to cut open my heart and live inside it whenever he pleased.

Did I give him that privilege? I wondered.

Did I hand him the knife named "love" myself, making him think I would always follow him tamely?

Adrian still held the bouquet of blood-red roses in front of me.

I stared for a moment. The next second, I grabbed the flowers and threw them violently onto the ground.

The vibrant petals were instantly stained with mud. The broken buds rolled into the gutter, never to see the light of day again.

Just like a rotting heart that deserves nothing but rejection.

I pushed him away again, my gaze calm. "What do you want to do with Jessica?"

"...Ilara." Adrian’s gaze tore away from the flowers on the ground. He looked at me, his vocal cords trembling. "I won't hurt her..."

He made a gesture, and the men restraining Jessica immediately let go.

Jessica rubbed her wrists and tried to come over, but the men blocked her path.

"I only looked for her to ask where you were. I didn't expect you to be right here," Adrian continued. He didn't step forward, allowing me to widen the distance between us.

"I didn't intend to do anything to her. Believe me, Ilara... I won't let you suffer anymore."

"Ha," I let out a sarcastic laugh. "I can hardly imagine anything more painful than jumping off a ten-story building."

Adrian froze, just as I expected. "Ilara, I didn't mean that..."

"I don't need to know what you mean. I just want to know when you'll let me leave." I interrupted him.

Whatever he had to say, it wasn't anything I wanted to hear.

Without warning, a tear slid down Adrian’s cheek as he looked at me.

I raised an eyebrow. That was unexpected.

Adrian steadied his teetering body. His voice sounded much calmer. "Didn't you want to return to singing?"

"I will help you, Ilara."

"I can give you things others can't. Unconditionally." He seemed to return to his usual unflappable self. "As long as I can still see you..."

"I wouldn't call that 'unconditional'," I said, sizing him up like I was evaluating a product.