I Forced Him Into Marriage For Six Years, Only To Witness Him Sacrifice His Life For Me Chapter 05
After breakfast, he drove us to the beach.
Sunlight scattered across the water like shattered gold.
The wedding planner spread out design sketches on the sand, smiling as she asked what kind of arch we wanted, what color flowers we wanted.
Linus was about to answer when his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen, hesitated.
Then picked up.
“Linus… I’m so scared… someone rear-ended me, and he’s so mean, he kept yelling at me…”
Catherine’s voice came through the speaker, trembling and tearful.
“My forehead is bleeding too. There’s so much blood. Can you come help me…”
Linus lost it instantly. Phone in hand, he was already turning to run.
“Linus!”
I grabbed his arm.
He stopped and looked back at me.
The wind blew off the ocean. I held his gaze and asked, one word at a time.
“All these years, you never let her go, did you?”
“Linette, what’s between her and me is over.”
He looked away, avoiding my eyes.
“Right now, I just care about her like a brother cares for a sister.”
I laughed. The sea wind made my eyes sting.
I tilted my head back and blinked the heat away.
“Linus, I had a dream.”
“In the dream, we got married. But on the way to our honeymoon destination, the plane crashed.”
“Right before we died, you held me in your arms. I asked you who you really loved. Is it me or her? You didn’t answer.”
“So let me ask you now. Can you answer me now?”
The wind blew my hair across my face, but it couldn’t blow away the hope still clinging to my chest.
He was quiet for a long time. Then he forced out the words.
“It’s just a dream. If I didn’t love you, why would I give you a wedding?”
“If you really loved me, why did I have to get this wedding by threatening to kill myself?”
He flinched at my follow-up.
Then impatience flashed in his eyes.
“Linette, I don’t have time to go back and forth with you right now. Catherine’s hurt. She needs me.”
“Stay here and work on the design with the planner. I’ll be back soon. Just wait for me.”
He turned and walked away, fast.
I watched him pull open the car door and start the engine.
The car disappeared down the road.
I dropped my head and laughed at myself.
It took dying once to finally accept that he didn’t love me.
“Sorry, you don’t need to design anything. The wedding’s off.”
After apologizing to the planner, I took a cab home and grabbed my suitcase.
Before boarding, I sent Linus one last text.
[Linus. We’re done.]
This lifetime, I’ve kept my promise. I gave you your freedom.