He Designed A Dream Dress For Her, He Never Designed One For Me Chapter 08

He Designed A Dream Dress For Her, He Never Designed One For Me Chapter 08

One evening after work, I suddenly received several messages from Julian.

Julian: [Elise, I know you don’t want to see me right now, but ever since I lost you, I haven’t been able to

design a single new wedding gown.]

Julian: [I used to believe Mia was my muse. Now I understand that you were the source of my inspiration all along. Without you, no matter how many gowns I design, none of it feels meaningful anymore.]

Julian: [Wedding gowns really do symbolize a love that is pure and untouched. Once that love is stained, I’ll never create anything beautiful again. This is my punishment. I’m planning to move abroad.]

I was absorbed in his messages when a semi-truck suddenly barreled straight toward me.

“Watch out!”

Julian shoved me out of its path. The truck struck him instead, and the impact sent him flying.

He was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

Only then did I realize that he had been following me. That was how he had been close enough to save me in

time.

Julian lay on the hospital bed, covered in blood, and held out a small jewelry box.

Inside was the engagement ring I had once dreamed of receiving.

“Elise, I bought this for you.”

“I had a bigger, more beautiful one custom-made. I knew you’d like it. You always wanted one, didn’t you? I

just bought it too late.”

“I still remember how you used to envy other women. Now you don’t have to envy anyone anymore.”

I urgently told the doctors to get him into surgery. “Stop talking, Julian.”

“I don’t want anything from you. I just want you to stay alive.”

His voice was faint and his lips had gone pale, but he continued apologizing.

“Elise, I was wrong. I never should have two-timed you. It took me this long to understand that you really are

the woman I love most.”

“But I realized it too late. I was immature before, and I ignored your feelings. Will you forgive me?”

In tears, I followed his gurney to the operating room and told him that I had already forgiven him.

The light above the doors switched on.

[Surgery in Progress]

I waited outside, sick with worry.

The massive diamond ring was engraved with my initials.

I used to say that I didn’t need a diamond ring. As long as Julian designed a wedding gown for me, that

would have been enough.

In the end, I received neither the gown nor the ring. I didn’t even get a wedding.

Life had a cruel sense of irony. Now I had everything I once wanted, yet I no longer wanted that relationship.

Sometimes two people simply drift apart along the way.

We had made so many promises and sworn we would be together forever. Neither of us could have imagined that, years later, a wedding gown would be what drove us apart.

I called Mia, and she rushed to the hospital, visibly pregnant.

Her face was pale, and cold sweat beaded across her forehead.

“Elise, how is Julian? How did he get hit by a truck?”

“Nothing can happen to him. If anything happens to him, the baby and I won’t want to live either.”

“Don’t cry,” I said. “I believe he’ll be all right.”

Three hours later, the surgery finally ended, and Julian was wheeled out.

The doctor told us that the operation had been successful. With proper rest, Julian should recover soon.

Mia leaned over Julian, crying as she held him.

Once I knew he was safe, I turned to leave.

Whatever came next between them was theirs to work out. If another person ever came between them, even

years of love could still fall apart.

“I’m leaving. Stay here and take care of him.”

After saying that to Mia, I turned and left.

Later, Julian and Mia’s immigration applications were approved.

On the day they left, I went to the airport to see them off.

“Julian, I’m married to Nathan now. There truly is no future for us.”

“Build a good life with Mia. The past is over, and no matter how hard it is to let go, nothing can change what happened.”

“None of us should spend our lives trapped in old memories. Goodbye.”

I used to wonder how many six-year stretches a person got in one lifetime. Letting go had seemed

impossible.

I had never imagined that Julian and I would separate, much less that I would marry someone else.

Eventually, I understood that everyone had to keep moving forward. Once two people had gone their separate

ways, they could never return to what they had been.

For a long time afterward, I heard nothing more about Julian.

I heard that Julian’s name had gradually faded from the bridal industry, while a new bridal label had emerged

in Paris.

None of those rumors mattered to me anymore.

Julian had disappeared from my life for good.

A year later, Nathan and I had a child.

Our life together was quiet, happy, and secure.

Everything ahead of us felt new and full of hope.

[The End]