The Belated Bride: Becoming My Own Muse Chapter 28

The Belated Bride: Becoming My Own Muse Chapter 28

“My birthday that year. You took Bianca to an audition. I made a full dinner and waited for you.”

“The night I was sick with a fever. You were camped outside her apartment until dawn. I sat alone in the ER getting an IV.”

“Your mother asked me to give up the master bedroom for Bee to sleep in for one night. You said she gets cold easily.”

“Your friends’ gatherings… you introduced me as ‘the wife’ and called her Bee in front of everyone.”

“Christian, I didn’t leave you because of one wedding dress.”

I looked straight into his eyes.

“I left because every single time, you told me to step back.”

Christian stood there, his face turning pale bit by bit.

Snow landed on his shoulders and melted into water almost instantly.

He was finally, truly speechless.

I turned to leave.

Behind me, he suddenly asked, “Then… will I see you again? After this?”

I stopped.

“That won’t be necessary.”

“Claire…”

“Christian.”

I turned my head and looked at him, really looked at him, one last time.

“You always thought I would never leave.”

“So let me prove it to you now.”

I opened my umbrella and walked down the steps.

A black car was waiting by the curb.

Grant was leaning against it. He didn’t rush me.

When he saw me come out, he straightened up.

Christian saw him too.

Two men, meeting each other’s eyes across a veil of falling snow.

This time, I didn’t explain anything.

I walked up to Grant.

He said, “Congratulations.”

I smiled. “You congratulate someone for this?”

“Absolutely.”

He opened the car door for me.

“Congratulations on returning to your own name.”

I got into the car and thought that this sentence was more beautiful than any confession I had ever heard.

As the car pulled away, I looked in the rearview mirror. Christian was still standing at the entrance of the courthouse.

He didn’t chase after us.

Maybe he finally understood.

Some people can’t be coaxed back.

One month later, I heard the news that Bianca was retiring from the industry.

Her agency released a statement saying all activities were suspended due to personal reasons.

Van Ness Tech also took a hit.

The string of shady resource swaps Bianca had been involved in pulled a number of internal issues into the light. Christian handled it personally and cut several top executives.

Eleanor came to see me once.