Chapter 9
When the final list came out, I was shocked to see my name on it.
That day, I met Sebastian at a café and asked him directly, “Did you help me with this? What did it cost you?”
He said, “I gave up a small portion of my shares. It’s no big deal. You’re worth it.”
I almost laughed in disbelief.
No big deal? There was no way he had done that with the shareholders‘ approval.
Sebastian added, “None of that matters, as long as you’re happy. You’re the most important person to me.”
The most important person, huh?
I kept staring at him, and he seemed to get flushed. His ears turned red as he cleared his throat awkwardly.
“I saw you liked that picture of the flower field the other day… I planned a surprise for you tonight. I was hoping you’d-”
“Sebastian,” I cut him off softly.
Noticing the shift in my expression, he quickly tried to explain himself. “You don’t like flower fields? I’m sorry, I’ll change the
plan. What would you prefer? Fireworks? A fountain show?”
He looked genuinely anxious, and the way he nervously tried to please me reminded me so much of my old self–when I was the
one desperately chasing him.
“I mean… You don’t have to do all this for me. We’re not going to be lovers. Not now, not ever,” I said quietly.
My words hit him hard. His head dropped, a look of disappointment crossing his face, but he wasn’t ready to let it go.
He choked out, “There was a time you loved me so much. I’m the one who didn’t know how to hold on to it. But I can’t accept it, I
can’t accept that someone who loved me that much just stopped.
“Sia, look me in the eyes and tell me, are you really saying there’s not even the tiniest bit of love left for me?”
He grabbed my shoulders, almost pleading, his eyes searching mine for something.
Not even the tiniest bit of love?
I slowly closed my eyes. How could that be true? But the little love I had left… just wasn’t enough to give me the strength to walk
through the rest of my life with him.
