It’s better to love yourself than to love others.
Back with my parents, my wounded heart slowly began to heal. I started following their arrangements for everything step by step.
Working at the company, taking MBA courses, attending banquets and receptions.
Frederick quietly followed behind me, taking care of everything.
After a family gathering ended, I pulled him to a secluded courtyard.
Frederick looked at me impassively, his dark eyes unreadable. His voice was hoarse and low with a hint of hurt from the alcohol:
“Natalie, am I making things difficult for you?”
“If you don’t like this, I’m sorry”
тебиль
I turned to face him, knowing he was referring to the relatives‘ incessant teasing about us getting together during the gathering.
Looking at his flushed cheeks, I sighed and said:
“Freddie, thank you for helping me all this time.”
“I’m sorry… I’m not ready to enter a new relationship. From now on, I just want to be a good daughter to Mom and Dad. I don’t want to hold you back.”
“You understand what I mean, right?”
Frederick’s eyes instantly reddened, his puppy dog eyes looking at me with hurt:
“Natalie, you don’t want me anymore.”
“Have you fallen for someone else? Who stole your heart right under my nose?”
“Am I going to lose you again?”
His reaction caught me off guard. I hurried to explain:
“No, that’s not it. I just don’t want to love another man again!”
Frederick grabbed my hand, his gaze intense.
“Natalie, you don’t have to love me.”
“We can have a business marriage. It would benefit both our companies and reassure our parents. That’s also a way of being filial.”
I lowered my eyes slightly.
“That wouldn’t be fair to you.”
Frederick knelt on the ground, looking up at me with reverent eyes. His voice was low and fervent:
“I don’t care about fairness!”
“Natalie, please, care for me a little.”
I met his eyes directly, feeling a slight stirring in my heart.
“Alright.”
D
<
“If you regret it, you can back out anytime.”
Brilliant fireworks exploded in Frederick’s eyes. He hugged me tightly in excitement, shouting:
“Natalie agreed to marry me!”
The empty courtyard suddenly lit up. Our parents and relatives came running out of rooms from all directions to congratulate us. Someone
set off a row of fireworks on the spot.
es
I startled and blushed, burying my face in Frederick’s chest. Listening to the vibrations in his chest, I felt a long–lost sense of security.
On the day of the wedding dress fitting, Frederick supported my waist as we looked in the mirror. His eyes reddened.
“Natalie, you look so beautiful in a wedding dress.”
I smiled, turning my face up to kiss his chin, saying sincerely:
“You look very handsome too… husband.”
Hearing me call him that, an overwhelming joy burst in Frederick’s eyes. He immediately lowered his head to cup my face and kiss me.
Afterwards, I wiped the lipstick from the corner of my mouth and glared at him reproachfully.
Who knew a simple term of endearment would make the dignified Mr. Jameson lose his composure.
As we left, we unexpectedly ran into Gabriel standing dejectedly at the door. He seemed to have been there for a while.
“Natalie, you’re marrying someone else?”
Frederick took my hand, declaring his claim as he mocked Gabriel:
“Mr. Kensington, you just got out and immediately rushed over to find my wife. I’m very curious how you convinced your conscience to shamelessly come after her?”
Gabriel’s body stiffened. He stubbornly looked at me:
“Natalie, don’t marry
him!
*
Seeing my lack of reaction, he burst into tears and slapped himself several times before kneeling on the ground in anguish:
“I was so wrong! I shouldn’t have cheated! I shouldn’t have hurt you and killed our daughter!”
“Natalie, come back home with me.
Don’t marry
him, please?”
I gripped Frederick’s hand tightly and said coldly:
“Gabriel, I will never forgive you.”
“Don’t appear in front of me again. I don’t want my husband to misunderstand. Please leave.”
Gabriel murmured in despair:
“Afraid he’ll misunderstand?”
“Natalie, you don’t love me anymore? You’re throwing away our ten years together?”
I swept him with an indifferent glance and said firmly:
“I don’t love you anymore.”
“And I don’t want those years either.”
Watalie, you don’t love me anymore? You’re throwing away our ten years together?”
I swept him with an indifferent glance and said firmly:
“I don’t love you anymore!”
“And I don’t want those years either.”
Gabriel’s body suddenly trembled.
In an instant, he seemed to lose all vitality. His shoulders slumped and his eyes lost their luster.
A cold wind blew past. His face was as pale as paper.
“Natalie… I’m sorry.”
I didn’t want to hear that person’s useless apologies anymore. I took Frederick’s hand and turned to leave.
This city was Frederick’s territory. Gabriel couldn’t cause any trouble, The wedding went ahead successfully.
Frederick cried uncontrollably during the vows. I turned to look at my parents.
They nodded at me with tears in their eyes.
I smiled and said those words: “I do.”
With my family’s blessings.
This time, it really
