“I know you saw the post. That was the last
time I took care of her. I haven’t seen her
since. Look.”
He handed me his phone.
He had erased every trace of Lily.
The picture of him and Lily had been replaced
with a photo from our wedding.
It was ironic.
“Olivia, I lost a lot of things you gave me,
want to get them back, one at a time.
“Starting with the jade cat you gave me.
so l
“You were always doing things for me. From
today on. I’ll do anything for you, okay?”
r
He was very sincere.
If he had said this when I loved him, I would
have been lost in him.
But I looked at the jade cat and threw it into
the Seine.
“Olivia?”
Chad was shocked.
I said coldly, “We’re over.”
Then I turned and left.
During my business trips, I reconnected with
an old friend.
く
I was surprised when Mark became my client.
“How did you get into this?”
I asked him in the cafe.
“Do you believe me if I say I followed
someone here?”
“I believe you!”
I nodded. “You’re old enough to get married.
Who is it? Maybe I know her!”
Mark didn’t say anything, he just smiled at
- me.
I pointed to myself, confused.
He smiled and nodded
“Is that okay?”
I couldn’t speak.
“It’s okay. I know you just got out of a bad
relationship, it’s hard to get over. I won’t push
you. I’ve been waiting for you for five years.”
My heart skipped a beat.
We had been friends for so long, I hadn’t
thought about it that way.
But if I were to think about it…
I felt my cheeks getting hot.
“This… this is too sudden. I need to think
about it.”
く
Before I had a chance to think, something
happened to Mark.
He was punched in the face, the injuries were
serious.
When I got there, I saw that the one who had
punched him was Chad.
“Stop!”
I stood in front of Mark. “Why did you hit
him?”
“Why?”
Chad looked at Mark. “Because he’s after
you!”
“Mark she thinks of you as a brother but you
<
“Mark, she thinks of you as a brother, but you
want to have her! You jerk!”
As he was about to punch Mark again, I
slapped Chad.
“I want to be with him, so what!”
Chad was stunned. “What did you say?”
“I said…”
I stood in front of Mark.
“Don’t bother us again!”
Chad looked hurt.
He couldn’t believe it. “Olivia, why are you like
this? You love me, right?”
<
“Stop!”
I took Mark’s hand and turned to leave.
“Don’t let me see you again!”
In the car, I cleaned Mark’s wounds.
“What happened? He hit you and you took it?
What about your boxing? Aren’t you good at
fighting?”
Mark smiled.
“If I didn’t get hurt, how would you care about
me?”
I froze.
He had done it on purpose?
<
I pushed the cotton swab hard on his mouth
and he cried out.
“Will you do that again?” I asked.
He smiled at me.
“Not when you’re here.”
I blushed, and kept cleaning his wounds.
He took my hand.
“You said you wanted to be with me.”
“No, that’s not what I meant…”
“Really?”
He leaned in. “Chad believed it.”
r
I was stunned.
He said, “I believed it too.”
He kissed me gently.
He was being careful, trying to not scare me.
And in that moment, I realized I didn’t dislike
- it.
It felt so much better than when I was with
Chad.
Was this what it felt like to be loved?
After that, I saw Mark more and more often.
I started kissing him.
<
He started blushing.
Because we were childhood friends, it was
quick work to get our wedding ready.
Wendy gossiped about Chad.
Lily had tried to win Chad back, but she didn’t
pull it off well.
I just said, “Chad must be devastated.”
Then, I was choosing my wedding dress when
I got terrible news.
Chad had killed himself, leaving me a letter.
[Olivia, I keep having the same dream.
[You stopped me from saving Lily, and later. I
く
did a terrible thing to you while you were
pregnant.
[I’m so sorry.
[Was it all a dream? Were those real?
[Is that why you hate me?
[I can’t forgive myself.
[I have to atone for my sins.
[I hope you’ll be happy.]
I didn’t know what to think.
Mark leaned in. “Don’t fall for it, Olivia.”
I gave him the letter to read.
HE TOOKEd at me, worried.
“You don’t feel bad for him?”
I laughed and kissed him.
“I only love you.”
“Only this life?”
I smiled. “The next, the next, forever, I’ll be
with you.”
He kissed me.
“I’ll hold you to that, wife.
“If you change your mind, I’ll chase you until
you keep your promise!”
く
“Only this life?”
I smiled. “The next, the next, forever, I’ll be
with you.”
He kissed me.
“I’ll hold you to that, wife.
“If you change your mind, I’ll chase you until
you keep your promise!”
We got married soon after.
That night, Mark held me close.
“Olivia, I got you this time.”
