Chapter3:
1023 Words
"What's wrong, Kate?" Her mum asked worriedly. "Just now, Nathan's family have just called us to discuss the details of the wedding."
"Mom, dad," Kate began, her voice calm and firm. " I want to break off the engagement with Nathan."
"What?" Tessa, her mother, was astonished.
Her father, Harry, who was sitting close to her mother, looked up from his newspaper. "Why do you want to call off the engagement so suddenly? Did you have a fight with Nathan?"
"No," Kate said, shaking her head. It's not just about a fight. It's everything. Nathan is not who you both think he is, father. He's only marrying me to take over our family's wealth and use our family as a stepping stone into high society. He doesn't love me at all, he only wants to use me."
There was a heavy silence in the room afterward.
"Kate, do you know the implication of your words? "How can you accuse Nathan of having such thoughts?" Tessa asked, her expression a mixture of concern and confusion. "Nathan has always been kind to you and this family."
"I know you both don't believe me and I don't have evidence, but give me some more time, and I'll give you both the evidence you need."
Harry and Tessa were silent, taken aback by their daughter's sudden determination. Kate has never been a troublesome child.
When she was little, her grandfather arranged a betrothal for her, but she rejected it as she grew older and fell in love with Nathan. She rejected all male suitors and was completely devoted to Nathan.
They couldn't change her mind and could only accept her choice because of her happiness. So, how can she come up with such accusations now?
"Kate, are you certain that you have thought thoroughly about what you're about to do?" Harry asked with a raised brow. "You do know what canceling the engagement implies, right?"
Kate pursed her lips and nodded. "Father, I have never done anything to make things difficult for you and I won't start now. Please trust me. I do know that this marriage alliance would bring benefits for both families, but I must stand my ground and I need you both to trust me on this."
"Kate, your mother and I are only after what makes you happy, and I trust you," Harry paused with a sigh before continuing. " But, if we were to cancel the wedding now, it would not only deprive us of the advantages we stand to gain, but will also bring negative consequences on our family. We could even lose our footing in the city!"
Emotions welled up in him as he spoke.
"No, we will not," Kate affirmed, grabbing her father's hand. "If the wedding is called off, it will be the Blackwood's family that will bear all the consequences!"
Her parents were taken aback by their daughter's sudden burst of aura. They couldn't help but notice that their daughter has changed overnight from her usual gentle self to a domineering person.
"In the upcoming week, it will be the Blackwood family who will be disgraced!" As Kate spoke, her veins ripped as anger spread through her.
Remembering all the pains the Blackwoods had caused her, she had vowed to repay them in a thousand folds and that she will do.
Tessa's face softened as she stared at her daughter. "You've always been so dedicated to Nathan and to your future together. This is... unexpected, I must say. But, I trust you, Kate. If this is what you believe is right, then we'll support you till the end."
Kate nodded with a smile. She had already mentally prepared herself for this. She was no longer the naive girl who had blindly followed her heart. She was a woman who had seen the truth, and now she was ready to take control of her destiny.
"Thank you both and don't worry, I'll not let you both down, and I'll prove to you that this is the right decision to take."
Kate returned to her room and laid on her long-lost bed. She had never yearned for this bed so much before. She never imagined that changing beds could bring so much tragedy to her.
As her eyes closed, savoring the moment, Collin's worried and anxious face came to her memory and she fluttered her eyelids open.
He had been there in the darkest moments of her life when she had been betrayed by Nathan. He had come to save her despite her ill treatment. She had died in his arms. She had rejected him all her life, chasing after Nathan's empty promises, but Justin had always been there, steady and true and lurking in the shadows.
Maybe she owned him in this life as well. Taking out her phone, she went through her block list and stared at her phone to see his number. Her fingers trembled slightly.
A part of her wanted to call Justin right away, but another part of her was scared. The words she had said to him in her past life echoed in her mind, each one reminded her of how she had pushed him away, how she had chosen Nathan instead. Could she really ask him for help now?
Her heart pumped faster at each ring as she bit on her lips, feeling anxious. She remembered that it was at this time in her past life that she had pushed him away, telling him never to contact her anymore in his life and now, here she was doing the exact same thing she warned him about.
She wanted to laugh at the irony of it. There was a long pause at the end of the line before Justin's voice came through, low and steady, but Kate could hear the surprise in his tone.
"Kate? After all this time... you're calling me?" His words were calm.
Kate closed her eyes for a moment. Can she really trust him? But, in that moment, she knew one thing for sure– she needed him.
She took a deep breath and said, "Let's meet up tomorrow."
- Writer
