Chapter 6
At the party, Matt kept playing with his cufflink. His smile never left his lips.
His mother sighed. “My son rarely smiles.
“But since he saw Stella today, his smile hasn’t left his face.”
My mother also sighed. “I’ve been asking my daughter for years to design me a dress, and nothing ever comes of it.
“But for this engagement with Matt, she’s designing both clothes and cufflinks! Her own mother doesn’t have that kind of special treatment.”
The elders at the table chuckled, and I, too, chuckled quietly, looking
down.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Matt move his chair closer, so close his side was touching mine.
“Why aren’t you wearing the bracelet?” he asked in a low voice.
I leaned in, and whispered, “It’s too valuable. I’m saving it for the wedding.”
He smiled again with love in his eyes.
But I felt a little dazed.
I couldn’t recall ever meeting Matt in a past life. Even when I picked his photo, he only seemed vaguely familiar. I couldn’t place where I’d seen him before.
0.00%
09.01
Chapter 6
288 Vouchers
Just as I was puzzling over it, he seemed to read my thoughts and handed me his ID.
It was in a cardholder, and when I flipped it over, I was stunned to see a photo tucked inside–an old ID picture of me from elementary school.
“Isn’t this me?”
I stared at him in shock. I suddenly remembered a transfer student from Los Angeles back in elementary school.
He used to get bullied a lot because he struggled to fit in. I was the one who stepped in and chased the bullies away.
After that, he became even quieter, practically mute for a few years.
I was really upset when he left.
“Are you…the quiet kid?”
Matt slowly rolled the beaded bracelet on his finger, his smile widening.
It turned out he’d moved back to Los Angeles after elementary school but had never forgotten me.
But by the time he was able to come back for me, he found me chasing after Connor. Heartbroken, he decided to turn to his faith, hoping it would help him forget me.
If I hadn’t picked him for my marriage partner, he probably would’ve become a priest.
“Luckily, the priest told me my worldly ties weren’t over and asked me to wait another six months.
“The day your father called was the last day of that six–month.
24.812
09.01
11 bers
“Stella, you are my destiny.”
Under the table, he held my hand tightly.
I squeezed back, then intertwined our fingers.
After the engagement party, with my parents and Matt by my side, I reported the Wright family to the police for imprisonment, intentional harm, and forcing me into an unfair agreement.
The lawyer casily got the court to invalidate the agreement and even had them detained for seven days.
Two weeks later, Matt started taking me around to look at houses.
We just saw a nice one and were chatting happily on the way home.
But as we got out of the car, we saw Connor standing at my front door, holding a huge bouquet of roses.
Matt immediately stepped in front of me, shielding me as he frowned at
Connor.
“Connor, Stella’s already made everything clear. Why are you here again?”
Connor ignored him, holding the bouquet out to me.
“Stella, I’ve thought it through. I messed up before. I didn’t realize how much I loved you, but now I do!
“I’ve loved you since we were kids. Every time you said you loved me, it made me happy. Every time you said you’d only marry me, I imagined our wedding.”
He dropped to one knee, holding up a plastic ring in his hand.
09:01
Chapter 6
“Stella, this is the ring you used to propose to me with in elementary school. I’ve kept it all this time, just so I could put it on your finger myself.
“Please, marry me.”
Matt, usually calm and composed, sneered at his speech.
11
288 Wouters
“Connor, did you say this much when you publicly declared your lifelong love for Ms. Scott?”
“Mr. Collins, this is between Stella and me. It has nothing to do with you.”
Tension crackled between them like a live wire.
I stepped out from behind Matt and, under Connor’s hopeful gaze, took the ring from his hand.
Then I turned and asked in confusion, “Matt, wasn’t this the farewell gift I gave you when we were kids? How did it end up with him?”
