Chapter 7
I stared at him, speaking slowly and deliberately.
Arnold’s face twisted in hurt.
He staggered back a step, muttering, “This can’t be… How could you marry someone else?”
He grabbed my hand, shouting, “Sara, don’t you remember what you said? You wanted to marry me. You wanted to be with me… How could you be marrying someone else now?!
“Tell me it’s a lie! Tell me everything you did was just a game!”
Jerome was right behind me, rushing over to pry Arnold’s hand off me.
“Sara and I are married. Don’t touch her again.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
10:48 PM.
<
What was this act?
Back then, I begged him to marry me, and he called me annoying, told me I was clingy, and said I wasn’t even worth a finger compared to
Esther.
Now that I was actually married, he was pretending to be heartbroken? Was this for a show?
Arnold grabbed my hand again, his voice shaky, full of desperation.
“Sara, give me one more chance. Please.”
I took Jerome’s hand and walked away, determined to sever all ties with them.
When we got to Jerome’s place, I finally started to process everything.
I hesitated before speaking up.
“Sorry, Jerome. Don’t let what they said bother you.
“If you… if my past is a problem, we could always get a divorce later.”
I nervously twisted my fingers, not wanting him to feel like he was being dragged into something embarrassing because of me.
Jerome cupped my face gently, making me look at him. “What are you talking about, Sara?
“Did I do something wrong?”
I shook my head quickly. Today, he’d stood by me at the wedding and made my grandma happy. What was there to be upset about?
“Then why would you want a divorce?”
I was silent, unsure how to explain. I couldn’t exactly tell him I felt like I wasn’t good enough for him.
Jerome seemed to sense my thoughts. He pulled me into a hug. “Don’t overthink it. Everything I said at the wedding was from the heart. I
meant every word.
“You deserve better.”
His words made me feel a little emotional.
“Thank you, Jerome.”
Jerome leaned in, his eyes locking with mine in a way that made me shy.
Then, he suddenly laughed. “What are you thanking me for?”
I had so many things I wanted to say. I wanted to thank him for coming to the wedding, for making that promise to Grandma, for standing up for me, and for not caring about my past or Arnold’s mockery.
But when I tried to speak, nothing came out.
“Sara, you’re still as clumsy as it was when you were a kid.”
I stared at him for a long time before it finally hit me.
“It’s you!”
I hugged him tightly, everything flooding back.
When my mom divorced my dad, she took me with her, and we moved to the countryside.
‘t want to stay with ma
<
10:48 PM
Life there was tough, and I was small and frail. Most of the other kids didn’t want to play with me.
When no one would play with me, I’d sit alone in the grass, drawing or talking to the little chickens.
There was one boy who’d play with me. He told me his name was Jerome. He taught me how to write his name, how to set traps in a little cage
to catch birds.
I thought his name was too hard to write, so I always called him Jerry.
“After that, I never saw you again, Jerome said, his voice tinged with sadness.
When my mom got sick and passed away, I was taken in by my dad, and I lost touch with Jerome.
“You have no idea how long I searched for you, and you even forgot about me. That hurts.”
