To the Love of My Life

Ruby Gregory knew exactly what he was talking about—the words she had said to him three years ago when that incident happened. Unconsciously, her hand tightened around the water glass in her palm.

Edric’s gaze became somewhat unfocused, as if recalling events from many years ago. Speaking slowly, he said, “At that time, you told me that no matter who you ended up loving, you would still have to marry Steve Burton. Not just marry him, but marry him in a grand and glorious manner.”

“You said that it had been your dream since childhood, and that you had to fulfill it. You said that the Gregorys’ wealth and prestige depended on marrying Steve Burton.”

“I never thought that all these years, you would never change that idea and would always be working hard toward marrying Steve Burton. Now your dream has come true—I should be happy for you, right, Ruby?”

As Edric went on, Ruby felt as if everything was worlds away. At some point, her unyielding determination to marry Steve Burton as if it were her ultimate goal had faded away.

“Your engagement ceremony was held at Red Park Resort & Villas, right? Yesterday, I accompanied a client there for fishing and saw that your engagement venue had already been set up. It was grand and dreamy, just like you had told me back then—your engagement banquet and wedding banquet would make all the women in the world envious. Everything would be the best, announcing to everyone in a grand and glorious way that you were getting married. The engagement banquet looked amazing, so I presume the wedding banquet will be even better.”

Edric’s voice remained steady throughout his recollection, but by the end, it seemed as if he couldn’t hear himself anymore. He only felt numbness in his heart, unable to even realize he was speaking: “Back then, you said you had three wishes: to marry Steve Burton, to have the most grand wedding, and to have a child.”

“Now, you’ve already achieved the first two. All that’s left is to have a child, and your dream will be complete. At that point, I can finally let go.”

He knew that she did not love him, but he had still stubbornly loved her all these years.

Even now, even as he knew that everything was already set in stone, and that they were getting married and children must not be far off—

He still wanted to buy himself time in his heart, to delay the moment when he would have to pursue happiness anew.

Or perhaps, to deceive himself into believing that in the world of her love, he could survive for just a few more days.

Edric managed a faint smile. His voice remained dismissive as he spoke, “Once I see that you have a child and your dream is completely fulfilled, I will truly give up and go pursue my own happiness.”

Ruby, no matter how slow she was at picking up emotional cues, could understand everything Edric was saying so directly.

However, for this kind of deep affection, she ultimately was not blessed enough to enjoy it in this lifetime: “I’m sorry.”

Noticing that he had made the atmosphere too sentimental, Edric changed his tone and half-jokingly said, “If you really feel guilty, then have a child soon, so I can escape from the sea of suffering you’ve put me through.”