After walking out of that house, I still had to continue living my life.
From that day onward, Charles would message me almost every day. His messages were all about how he could not let go of this relationship and how he hoped I would reconsider. Sometimes, after working late, he would even drive to the neighborhood and wait
downstairs for me. I never softened.
Whenever people asked me about the progress of our wedding preparations, I would casually say, “We’ve broken up.”
Everyone was surprised, but no one expressed their pity. Instead, they wished me the best in starting a new life. It turned out that the reality I once thought was too difficult to face was not as scary when I actually confronted it.
One weekend, Charles asked to meet again. This time, instead of pretending to have missed his message, I agreed to meet him. Some things needed to be said face–to–face.
As soon as he saw me, he hurriedly embraced me as he repeatedly apologized. I believed his tears to be sincere at that moment, but so what? I calmly pulled away from his embrace.
“Celia, my parents have already agreed to leave the house to us. My cousin won’t move in with us anymore. Can you forgive us just this once? Please, I beg you,” he begged, his words coming out quickly as if he was worried that I would not be patient enough to listen. He was anxious and uneasy.
“Can you guarantee that you won’t take care of Selene and her children anymore? After we have a family, can you ensure that your money will only be for me and our future children?”
At that, Charles fell silent.
“See? You can’t. Charles, I really don’t understand. Why does your family place such importance on her? She’s just your cousin. Why does your family care so much about her?”
“It’s not that!” Charles finally said, unable to stop himself from covering his face with his hands. He was the picture of helplessness and looked to be on the verge of breaking down. “It’s because she’s my parents‘ child; she’s my biological sister!!”
