Frances'' words sounded gentle, yet cruel. She continued, "I''m only heartbroken for Nichs. He didn''t have aplete childhood, and now he can''t have aplete family of his own either? "He should be able to have both a wife and a sister. Do you remember your wedding vows? I think Nichs has done well on his part."


    I was taken aback, recalling the moment during our wedding when the officiant hurriedly handed the microphone to Nichs with trembling hands.


    "If you be my wife, I will be responsible for you for this lifetime. You''ll have more than whatever other women have." He had extended his hand to me and asked, "Will you marry me?"


    That year, Nichs was gentlemanly and elegant. He was still patient with me. I saw myself reflected in his eyes, so I ced my hand in his and said, "I do."


    He smiled and pulled me into his embrace amid the apuse from the audience, kissing me in front of


    everyone.


    He said, "Mrs. Hawk, please do take good care of me too in the future."


    I forced a smile. His rushed words, thoughcking in borate phrasing, still touched me deeply with their genuineness.


    However, looking back now, someone like Nichs, who could maneuver so freely in the business world, surely knew how to speak in a way that mattered.


    It turned out that he had already made his feelings clear at the wedding-he felt only responsibility toward me, not affection.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    "Yes, he did well," I replied to Frances for the first time that evening. "I was the greedy one. I wanted too


    much from him."


    Frances said, "Daniel and I have always treated you as our daughter, so we won''t force you. I came today only to tell you things you might not know. "Whatever you choose in the end, Daniel and I will respect that. It''s up to you two to make the decision."


    As she finished speaking, the car came to a steady stop. I thought we had arrived at Coral Vi, but instead, the car had pulled up at my apartment.


    The car door opened. Frances said nothing but seemed to have presented me with two choices. I could either follow her and Nichs back to Coral Vi or get out and return to my own apartment, severing all ties with the Hawk family.


    I stared unblinkingly at Nichs'' head, which was still resting on myp. After a few seconds of silence, I gently lifted his head off and stood up.


    As the car drove away, it seemed impossible for our shadows to intertwine again even under the romantic moonlight.


    I felt as though I had just woken up from a grand dream. Rather than feeling refreshed, I copsed into bed, exhausted. I closed my eyes, ready to sleep. I thought I would be sleepless, but I wasn''t.


    The next day, Yasmine called and asked me to attend a ss reunion. The term "ss reunion" felt


    distant.


    Ever since I married into the Hawk family and gave up my career, I felt like I had falled to live up to my teachers'' expectations. I couldn''t bring myself to face the ssmates I had spent so much time with. "Yasmine, I''ll pass!" I declined the offer almost immediately. I hadn''t e Yasmine''s voice was full of excitement as she eximed, "You have toe! You''ll know why the minute you step in. We organized the whole thing for you! So, don''t let me and Mr. Harmon down!"


    Hmm?


    "I just found out that Ss was our senior, but he is several years above me. How is our reunion rted to him?" I asked with a smile.


    Yasmine''s enthusiasm had lifted my mood significantly


    "Ariana, don''t worry about the details. Just get dolled up ande. Leave the rest to us!" Before hanging


    up,


    she emphasized, "Make sure to wear your best outfit! The best one!"


    Her chatter didn''t leave me much room to speak, let alone decline.