Chapter 22M
I thought my words had been clear enough. Joshua wasn’t a fool. He should have known that continuing to cling to me was pointless. Still, I never expected that his madness was only just beginning.
A few days after we returned to Yverton from our honeymoon, Joshua gave me a “grand surprise.” He rented out every single outdoor LED screen in the city for three whole days, all under the pretense of apologizing to his “beloved wife,” Evelyn.
For three days straight, my face was everywhere. There were pictures of us together, along with the message written across the screens. “Evelyn, forgive me. I will love you forever. Joshua.”
Overnight, the names Evelyn and Joshua became the talk of the town. I stood in front of the floor–to–ceiling window in my office, overlooking most of the city. I stared blankly at my infinitely small photos and Joshua’s apology.”
Shawn appeared behind me and hugged me tightly. His gentle voice rang in my ear with a hint of grievance. “Sierra, are you touched?“} I smiled faintly and couldn’t help but kiss the corner of his eye. I said casually, “How could I be? These are childish tricks. If there’s no love, how can I be touched?”
“It is. Sierra, promise me. If you ever start having feelings for him again, tell me in advance. Give me time to prepare myself. Don’t just suddenly leave me. I don’t think I could take it.”}
My heart clenched painfully. I silenced that man with a kiss, swallowing all the words he hadn’t yet spoken. How could I ever regret it? I had made my choice and I wouldn’t turn back.
Still, Joshua wasn’t someone who would give up so easily. He then went on a TV talk show, telling the world our love story. On–screen, he was dressed in a sharp suit. He looked refined, but his eyes were dull, his entire being thinner and more haggard than before.”
“I fell in love with her when I was sixteen. Later, my family arranged a marriage for me. Everyone thought I had no feelings for her, but only I knew on the night I married her, I was overjoyed. After we got married, she gradually accepted me. We were happy, truly happy. I remember everything she liked and I treated her with the utmost care.” As he spoke, he lowered his head and stared at his feet.
For a few seconds, he fell into silence. No one knew what he was thinking. When he looked up again, there was a bitter smile on his lips and his voice trembled slightly. “But then an accident happened. I got into a car crash and lost my memory. When I woke up, I didn’t remember her. Everyone around me told me I never loved her, that she had tricked me into marriage.“}
“I believed them. I fooled around with other women. I did everything I could to torment her, to hurt her. I wanted a divorce. She agreed, then left me. By the time I got my memory back, I realized just how much I had wronged her. I saw what kind of monster I had become, but it was too late. She was gone and she would never come back.”
He exhaled deeply and looked straight into the camera. “I’m standing here today to beg for her forgiveness. If she can forgive me, I’m willing to give up everything. I also hope that everyone watching can help me… help me ask for her forgiveness. I just want her to know that I truly mean it.”