After the Misery, I Found My Smile

On the eve of my wedding to Frank Connor, I accidentally saw him shopping with his colleague Tracy Lewis at a jewelry store.

I stood not far away, watching him put the diamond ring on her finger amidst the sales clerk's teasing.

When confronted, he said, "I just helped her put on a ring, that doesn't prove anything."

Tracy then posted a picture on Twitter of the ring on her ring finger with the caption: [I love anything you give me. I hope one day, I can say 'I do' out loud.]

...

[Eve, I'll pick you up after work.] Frank messaged me as I was about to leave work.

This was the first time he contacted me since our fight over the ring incident.

I knew this was his way of backing down, but I chose to ignore it.

Issues of loyalty aren't something that can be resolved with a few words.

I used to be easily appeased.

Every time we argued, he would ignore me for a few days.

Once my anger subsided, he would reason with me.

And I, always swayed by his few words, would look for problems in myself.

It happened so many times that I started doubting myself, even thinking there was something wrong with my personality.

And this time, he tried the same tactic to make up.

He gave me the silent treatment for three days, preferring to stay in the lab rather than come home.

Suddenly, I felt tired and unsure of what I was holding onto in this relationship.

I took a deep breath, deliberately ignoring his messages and focusing on work.

When I left the company, I saw Frank waiting for me on the roadside with a bouquet of flowers.

I wanted to pretend I didn't see him, but he walked over with his usual poise.

He seemed to have completely forgotten our argument from three days ago, speaking as if nothing had happened. "Eve, my car is over there. You're going the wrong way."

I glanced at him indifferently and walked on.

Frank followed behind me at a leisurely pace, staring straight at me. "Eve, Mom is waiting for us at home for dinner. Can we talk about this later?"

I stopped and turned to look at him. "That's your mom, not mine. We've broken up, so I have no obligation to please your parents anymore."

Frank's family was scholarly. His parents were strict with rules, especially in education and etiquette.

To cope with their rules, after a busy day at work, I had to put on a show.

Because of so-called love, I endured for many years.

But I didn't want to pretend anymore.

"We were about to get married, and you say we're breaking up..." Frank got agitated, his deep eyes showing a mix of anger and disappointment. "I always thought you were different from other girls, rational, but I didn't expect you to be so unreasonable."

I laughed coldly, "What do you think a rational girl looks like? Should I clap and cheer when I see my boyfriend wooing another woman?"

"I told you, it was complicated. With so many people teasing, she was embarrassed. If I had refused, wouldn't that have made things awkward for her?"

He didn't realize where he went wrong.

To be precise, he thought he did it right.

I looked at him. "Yes, that was your choice. I have no right to interfere. Similarly, you have no right to interfere with my choices."

Frank impatiently scratched his head. "I've explained this to you several times, why do you insist on dwelling on this issue?"