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923 Words
The audience was gone.
Graham's gaze sharpened.
"I'd rather you die back then than see you today."
I replied nonchalantly:
"Sorry to disappoint you."
Graham was disgusted with my attitude.
"Are you proud of yourself? What the hell are you doing!"
I bowed my head in the face of his tirade.
Clara, who remained on the scene, snorted:
"Why should I watch you guys catch up here?"
She was prettier than me, from a privileged family, favored by her boyfriend, and always looked down on anyone equally.
Graham withdrew his gaze and took her shoulder affectionately.
"Don't think too much, she doesn't deserve it."
I buried most of my face in my scarf to hide my expression.
Clara walks past me and provocatively tosses me an invitation.
"Rachel, right? You're welcome to come to the engagement party tomorrow."
The street was cold as I walked out of the studio.
"It's cold." I raised my hand to catch a snowflake.
A long, skinny man bumped into me hard.
I hurt my foot and fell into the snow.
Looking up, it turns out to be Clara's agent, Hank, who is also the son of Graham's butler.
Hank straightened his eyebrows and pointed at me, cursing:
"Do you know how crazy Graham was back then? He spent all his money trying to find you, running around the country like a bum, getting beaten and bullied, and the rightful heir became the joke of the whole circle!"
"Thanks to Clara, he went back to apologize to his father."
"Clara was his savior, and now that they're getting engaged, the farther you stay away the better."
After Hank left, I sat alone in the snow for a long time.
Until a phone call brought me back to my senses.
The worried female voice on the phone was my friend.
She said, "Everyone on the internet is calling you names right now. Graham's a real piece of work, and if it wasn't for you, he'd be dead!"
I stood up and slapped the snow stains off of me, "I don't care."
"It's internet violence! I'm really worried about you."
I smiled lightly, "It's okay."
I clicked into the social media app and the comments were mostly Clara's fans cursing.
"I found out that Rachel voiced one of the female leads in the movie Clara is preparing to release, it looks like she's been planning to get into the entertainment industry for a long time, too scheming."
"Clara was there for Graham during his toughest time, Rachel can't steal that."
"A good ex should be as good as dead." "Please let this ex go to hell herself, thank you."
I laughed lightly and shook my head, I didn't come back for Graham.
Also, damn it's the other guy.
The news of Graham and Clara's engagement was all over the place.
Not many people were invited that day.
Graham's dad didn't show up, and Clara's brother was late.
It was child's play.
I sat on the stage and watched the host, Hank, introduce their love.
Clara looked impatient.
Graham, on the other hand, stared at me with an expressionless face.
The more impassive I was, the more aggressive his eyes became.
I avoided his gaze to look at my cell phone just as a call came in.
On stage, Hank tearfully read his closing remarks.
"Let's wish them a speedy consummation of their marriage and a long life together, and then it's our leading man's turn to speak."
I suddenly received a phone call and hurriedly got up to leave.
"Stop!"
A shout startled everyone in the room.
Graham strides off the stage and roughly tugs on my arm, pulling me to him.
"Who gave you permission to leave!"
His inexplicable action caused the room to erupt.
Clara, who had been left behind, froze for a moment and laughed in exasperation, "One's late for a traffic jam, one's furiously licking his ex-girlfriend, none of the men can be trusted."
I withdrew my attention from Clara and frowned:
"You're embarrassing Clara."
Graham was dismissive: "So what? What kind of nice guy do you think I am?"
"Just let go." I struggled.
He clutched tighter, squeezing my hand raw." Isn't there anything you want to tell me?"
I sighed softly and said sincerely, "Congratulations."
Graham violently pushed me back into my chair.
The people around me screamed and fled, all afraid of angering the angry heir.
I tried to stand up and Graham squeezed my shoulders, pinning me to my seat.
"Who do you think this engagement party is for? I can't believe you're telling me congratulations!"
I was shocked.
So this engagement party was just to lure me into showing up?
"You'd rather fake your death to be with an old man than come back to me."
"So what my dad said back then was true, you don't love me at all, right?"
I opened my mouth to speak.
Instead, Graham stormed out, grabbing me by the neck and saying with hatred, "I'm warning you, don't say anything I don't like."
He still hasn't changed, he likes to use violence to get me to submit.
I closed my eyes hard, "It's not appropriate to say those things right now."
"What's not appropriate! With one word from you, I can cancel the engagement right now!"
I shook my head.
"It has nothing to do with that, Graham."
"I'm getting married."
He let go, full of shock and dismay, "What did you say?"
I rubbed my neck and whispered
"I came to say goodbye."
- Writer
