I Called Off the Engagement After Our Pre-Wedding Trip Chapter 02

I Called Off the Engagement After Our Pre-Wedding Trip Chapter 02

The boat left. I drifted down into the dark.

The green water wrapped around me like a soft net, and I stopped fighting.

What came after felt like a dream.

The villagers pulled me out. Gave me CPR. Took me to the county clinic.

I heard voices—angry, worried, fierce.

My grandma. The town elders. People who’d known me my whole life.

My grandmother’s family had lived in Hazel Creek for generations. Few daughters ever married out. My mom was one of them.

She fell in love with my dad, brought him back, put him through the family trial, and married him with everyone’s blessing.

Later, my dad’s business took off, and I stayed in the city. But every New Year, I came back with my mom to see my grandmother.

And because we never wanted trouble coming to the village, even Caleb didn’t know about any of this.

“He threw Savannah in the river right in front of us! That’s a slap in the face! When did our people ever take this kind of crap?”

“If we don’t tie him up and make him kneel and apologize, this isn’t over!”

The shouting went on until I frowned in my sleep. Then it stopped.

I woke up around midnight, burning with fever.

“Savannah! You’re awake!”

A girl with a braid ran out, yelling, “Grandma Ruth! Uncle Michael! Jake! She’s awake!”

Soon my uncle, aunt, cousin, and grandmother were all crowded around me.

“Our poor girl.”

Grandma Ruth held me tight. “You still hurting? You want something to eat? Grandma’ll make it for you.”

All the pain came rushing out.

I hugged her and cried. “Why did he do that?”

Caleb and I met in college. We’d been together seven years.

Eighteen to twenty-five—all my youth, all my love, all of it went to him.

I still remembered the first time I saw him.

It was raining during freshman orientation. People were scattering everywhere.

Someone crashed into someone else, and suddenly it was chaos.

I got knocked down too.

But what hit me faster than the ground was an embrace.

Some guy fell on top of me, but he caught himself on his elbows, didn’t crush me. His face was soaked, but he was smiling.

“You okay?”

My heart went crazy.

From that day on, I watched him. Finally worked up the nerve to talk to him at a mixer.

Then came graduation. That’s when Brianna showed up in our city.

She started pushing her way into our life, our work, our relationship.

I fought with Caleb about her over and over.

He went from gentle reassurance to silent irritation.

The wedding got postponed again and again.

This trip wasn’t just about bringing Caleb home to meet my grandmother. It was about hope.

Hope that he and I could really make it work.

I thought this time would be different. But I was wrong.

I wouldn’t be soft again.

I calmed down. Looked at all the worried faces around me. Managed a small smile. “I’m okay.”

“Savannah, and that guy…” Uncle Michael hesitated.

“From the moment he threw me in, we were done.”

My voice was steady. “No coming back.”

Grandma and my uncle didn’t push. They let me rest.

As they left, I heard my cousin Jake mutter, “We’re going to teach him a lesson.”

I didn’t stop them.

This was the price Caleb and his people had to pay. I wasn’t going to feel bad.

But I never expected this: that evening, Grandma and my uncle went out. I was sitting alone, eating chicken noodle soup, when I heard a familiar voice from outside the yard.

“This place isn’t so bad. Let’s go in and rest.”

The gate swung open.

I looked up—and there was Caleb and Brianna’s whole crew.