In the coffee shop, Essie sat with her head bowed down.
With nothing else to do, she preoccupied herself with stirring the coffee in her cup. An awkward silence
persisted.
Hanson felt a wave of disappointment in his heart. There seemed to be an invisible distance between
them, like a white mist, spreading around. And it expanded slowly, making her farther and farther away
from him. But the worst part was, he could do nothing to stop it.
'Is it because of my wedding ceremony or perhaps it has something to do with the man who attended
the engagement party with her?' His thoughts took him to dark places.
"How are you doing these days?" he asked, attempting to break the deafening silence.
"Not bad." She pursed her lips and asked, "Hanson, are you here to invite me for the wedding?" She
couldn't take it anymore and wished to know the reason behind his sudden call.
He trembled violently, a touch of bitterness emerging in his heart. "You want to receive it?"
Hearing that, Essie tightened her grip on the cup in her hand. "I will bless you."
"Are you going to give up on me?" Hanson said bitterly, sadness and desolation written all over his
face.
Essie shook her head and tears welled up in her eyes. "Give up? I have nothing to give up. No one
ever gave me anything to hold onto." She had been lingering, hoping he would take notice of her.
However, just when she confessed, he became someone else's. The love she had ardently wished to
bloom had come to an end abruptly.
"Essie..." His heart twitched. He held out his hand and said, "I don't have any feelings for Sunny. The
marriage between me and her can be best described as a political marriage. I love you, only you!"
She slowly withdrew her hand from his. It didn't matter that they were married out of political interests.
Sunny would eventually be his rightful wife, and she would never entertain the idea of becoming a
secret lover. "Hanson, let's just be friends!"
A muscle on his face twitched violently. "Have you fallen in love with someone else?"
"No, I haven't." She wished to give no further explanation hence she looked down.
His chest heaved violently, and his breath became heavy. Finally, he was going to ask the question he
had been waiting to ask. "What about that man? What's your relationship with him? Are you dating or
he is just after you?"
"He..." Essie opened and shut her mouth. There was no right way to explain her relationship with Zac.
Just the thought of explaining it made her at loss of words.
Hanson took a different meaning of her hesitancy. Clenching his teeth, he decided she was indeed in a
relationship with that other man. The revelation brought a piercing pain in his heart. There was a proud
side in his heart which was hell-bent on believing Essie was and would always be his. Now his
misconception was shattered and broken into a million pieces. 'I have been so overconfident,' he
realized.
After a moment of silence, Essie stood up again and said, "I should go now."
Hanson did not respond. He just looked at her with a dull expression. His expression was akin to the
one she had when she was rejected by him on April Fool's Day.
She bit her lips, turned around and walked out slowly.
"Essie —" he suddenly rushed over and caught her from behind, hugging her tightly. "Don't give me up.
Give me some time! I think one year would be enough. I'll divorce Sunny and marry you, okay?"
She raised her head and looked at him. Her tears had made her vision blurry. It was hard to make out
his face, but she continued speaking nevertheless. "Hanson, I like you very much. In fact, it will suffice
to say I love you and only you. All my life, I have only loved you! I'm happy that you like me too. It really
brings me pleasure in knowing my efforts haven't gone in vain. But I made up my mind that I will try my
best to forget you since you are someone else's. If I don't let you go, I will never succeed in finding a
true love that really belongs to me. You should take my advice and try to forget me as well. Marriage is
not a game. Since you have decided to get married, it is your responsibility to do your best to make it
work. I will bless you!"
Her long speech was full of raw emotions. As she spoke, he felt that his heart was being placed on a
hot iron. He broke out in cold sweat. Letting go of her hand which he had held onto, he left the coffee
shop. He couldn't see anything but darkness. It was trying to envelope him inside its gloom.
Soon, Essie was back in her apartment.
Today's happenings had left her tired. Instantly, she collapsed on the sofa. All her strength had been
sucked out of her.
She stared at the ceiling blankly and remained glued to the same position for a long while. A dark figure
came into her view, bringing her back from her reveries.
“Essie —" he suddenly rushed over and caught her from behind, hugging her tightly. "Don't give me up.
Give me some time! | think one year would be enough. I'll divorce Sunny and marry you, okay?"
She raised her head and looked at him. Her tears had made her vision blurry. It was hard to make out
his face, but she continued speaking nevertheless. "Hanson, | like you very much. In fact, it will suffice
to say | love you and only you. All my life, | have only loved you! I'm happy that you like me too. It really
brings me pleasure in knowing my efforts haven't gone in vain. But | made up my mind that | will try my
best to forget you since you are someone else's. If | don't let you go, | will never succeed in finding a
true love that really belongs to me. You should take my advice and try to forget me as well. Marriage is
not a game. Since you have decided to get married, it is your responsibility to do your best to make it
work. | will bless you!"
Her long speech was full of raw emotions. As she spoke, he felt that his heart was being placed on a
hot iron. He broke out in cold sweat. Letting go of her hand which he had held onto, he left the coffee
shop. He couldn't see anything but darkness. It was trying to envelope him inside its gloom.
soon, Essie was back in her apartment.
Today's happenings had left her tired. Instantly, she collapsed on the sofa. All her strength had been
sucked out of her.
She stared at the ceiling blankly and remained glued to the same position for a long while. A dark figure
came into her view, bringing her back from her reveries.
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