3
351 Words
So that’s what he meant by don’t regret it.
He turned my body into a public statue. A spectacle for everyone to see and enjoy.
He even had the nerve to label it with my name—just so the world would know who the woman in that suggestive pose was.
Was I nothing more than a trophy? His token of loyalty to Charlotte?
A soft sound came from the door. When our eyes met, Tom froze.
“Baby! I’m sorry. I messed up…”
He dragged me to the sofa and hurriedly wiped my tears.
“I shouldn’t have said all that. I shouldn’t have stayed away these past two days just to punish you.”
“Please don’t cry, okay? It kills me to see you like this.”
I looked him dead in the eye.
“Tom, aren’t you forgetting something important?”
“I’m… sorry.”
“Actually, the moment I donated the sculpture, I regretted it. I didn’t apologize because I was afraid… afraid you’d leave me.”
“But that piece—it’s the most perfect work I’ve ever created.”
“I wanted to keep it for myself… but I thought, something that perfect… should be seen by the world.”
Perfect.
Art.
To be appreciated.
What a beautiful excuse for betrayal.
“Tom, I don’t even know who you are anymore.”
He immediately pulled me into his arms, voice trembling.
“Please don’t give up on me! Just this once, forgive me. Sophia, I was wrong—will you marry me?”
“This… this is the one mistake I made in all these years.”
“Let me spend the rest of my life making it right.”
I inhaled his familiar scent, my mind dazed. I nodded.
Feeling the motion, he kissed the tears from my face.
“Tomorrow, I’ll gather the brothers and announce the news. Tonight’s proposal was too rushed. I’ll make it up to you.”
“Thank you, baby. Thank you for giving me another chance. I promise—I won’t let you down again.”
- Writer
