Chapter 24
My mind buzzed, and I was stupefied.
Surrounded by countless curses and mockery, I covered my ears
desperately but still couldn’t stop their voices from reaching my ears. In
the end, there were so many people surrounding me that the hotel security
threw me out.
I had no idea how I left; overwhelmed by immense coldness, I felt my world falling apart.
I had nowhere to go. After the sky completely darkened, I went to the beach and sat on the sand, staring blankly at the ocean.
Someone recognized me and stayed as far away from me as possible as if I were some kinds of virus. The only person who came to me was to take a photo with me, and he even tugged at the clothes on my chest while ogling me.
At this moment, I finally realized that I didn’t have a chance to start over.
My life was ruined.
It was ruined by my dear sister, my beloved fiance, and my parents whom I respected.
It was almost midnight when the crowd finally dispersed. Troy had been calling me non–stop, and I finally had a chance to answer.
“Grace, where are you? Don’t do anything stupid. I’ll come to you. Wait for me, OK? I’m with you. Don’t be afraid. I’ll find you. Grace, just wait for me, OK?”
I said, “OK“, my voice barely audible, my eyes devoid of any emotion.
Chapter 34
When Troy found me, my body was already stiff from the sea breeze. Without hesitation, he held me in his arms, draped his coat over me, and kissed my hair again and again, feeling sorry for me.
“Grace, let me take you to leave. OK? Let’s go abroad and never come back again. OK? Put everything behind you and start over. I’ll be with you. OK?
“You’re not disgusting at all. I love you. I love you no matter what
happens. Talk to me, Grace. You’re freaking me out. I promise I’ll stay with you no matter what. As long as you need me, I’ll always be with you. OK?”
After such a long time, I finally relaxed completely. Leaning against his arms, I tried to feel warm from the temperature of his skin.
I said calmly, “But I’m ruined already. Why bother, Troy? You’ll regret it someday.”
He burst into tears while smiling. Kissing my hair again and again, he kept making me promises.
“No. I won’t. I won’t regret it. I’ve known this since high school. Grace, if I regret it someday, I’ll kill myself. Don’t push me away again, OK?
“Give me a chance to be with you. I just wanna stay by your side…”
I couldn’t help but have a mental breakdown. Clutching the hem of his clothes, I cried so hard that I couldn’t even utter a sound.
I was so close to being happy.
Why didn’t Dad and Mom believe me? Why didn’t Antonio believe me? Why did they treat me like this?
They didn’t even bother to look into it!