When Love Fades with the Wind

On the day I was supposed to try on my wedding dresses with my boyfriend of seven years, I rushed over to the bridal boutique and arrived with a heart full of happiness. As I walked inside, it just so happened I heard my boyfriend talking to his friend.

"You had just registered your marriage with Anne at the Civil Affair Office yesterday. Now, you are here, taking Kelly Thomas to try on the wedding dresses. Don't you have any worry what kind of mess Kelly will do to you if she knows?"

There was a helpless look on my boyfriend's face as he answered in a hoarse voice, "My brother passed away in a car accident and Anne is carrying his child. If I don’t step up and take her as my wife, how will they survive?"

"I'll spend my whole life making it up to Kelly. Just keep your mouth shut. She must never know about this," he added.

My heart shattered as the world seemed to collapse around me. Then I turned quietly and made my way to the hospital to schedule an abortion. If he couldn’t provide a complete family for me and my child, there was no point in keeping the baby.

——

Their conversation had been like an icy dagger piercing through me, extinguishing every bit of joy I’d felt after receiving my pregnancy report earlier this morning.

I woke up excited and rushed to the hospital to collect the results. I couldn’t wait to tell him the good news in person at the boutique. However, before I could, he hit me with the cruelest truth.

If he was already married to someone else, why bother holding a wedding with me?

I didn’t have time to answer my own question before the wedding boutique's designer approached with a bright smile. "Miss Thomas, the custom wedding dress Mr. Green commissioned for you has arrived. You can try it on now."

Her words jolted me and pulled me back to reality.

Lennox Green had poured his heart and soul into this wedding. He had done more than anyone else for it. The wedding ring and dress had both been designed and overseen by him. They were based entirely on my preferences. He even had engraved a few words inside the ring. It wrote, "Love one another, love without doubt".

I had suggested hiring a designer to handle everything, hoping to lighten his burden, but he refused. "Designing everything myself shows sincerity," he had said. "I want you to look at these things and always think of me."

When his friends and families knew about this, they all praised him, "You are going to be a wonderful husband in the future! Kelly, you sure are a lucky woman to be his fiancee."

However, who could’ve imagined that his so-called love for me would become such a bitter irony?

I steadied myself and headed toward the fitting room where the dress was displayed. That’s when I saw a familiar figure. It was Anne Garland.

When she heard the assistant directing me she turned and greeted me with a smile, her voice warm and friendly. "Kelly, you’re finally here! Come and see how beautiful your wedding dress is!"

Her demeanor was as natural and kind as ever, just like a caring older sister.

Back when Lennox’s brother was alive, I had made a conscious effort to befriend her and shared gifts and tips to build a good relationship with the woman who I thought would be my future sister-in-law.

If I had not accidentally heard the words that Lennox and his friend had uttered among them, I would never have imagined that she would become the uncrossable barrier between me and Lennox.

The memory of their conversation replayed in my mind. My gaze instinctively dropped to her still-flat stomach and a wave of bitterness welled up inside me.

No matter what, she had a safe harbor to rely on. Yet, my child and I did not have the privilege.

With a dark face, I turned my attention to the lovely wedding dress and said, "It really is beautiful. Do you want to try it on?"

The words had barely left my mouth when an incredulous voice interrupted, "Kelly, what are you saying? This is your wedding dress. How could you let someone else try it on?"

Lennox strode over, his tone tinged with anger, his gaze filled with disapproval.

I remained calm but my voice indifferent. "What’s the big deal? I heard Anne didn’t get to wear a wedding dress when she married your brother. Letting her try it on now could make up for that regret."