Chapter 4
Gabriella's voice carried a hint of anxiety, as though she was afraid that I might actually believe what Nathaniel had said.
I held the phone to my ear, my tone flat. "Yeah, I know."
My calmness seemed to catch her off guard. There was a brief silence on her end before she spoke again. "The 18th of next month is an auspicious day. Let's have our wedding then."
I gripped my phone, my fingers tightening without me realizing it. After hesitating for a moment, I decided to tell Gabriella about the divorce. "Are you free tomorrow? The divorce agreement—"
Before I could finish speaking, Nathaniel's voice came through the phone. "Gabriella, are you going to pack your bags or not? Get over here."
Gabriella's voice dropped, carrying a hint of anxiety. "Samuel, what did you just say? I didn't hear you clearly. I have to fly abroad with Nate tomorrow to see an exhibition. Whatever it is, let's talk when I get back."
The call disconnected, leaving a continuous busy tone on the line.
I chuckled. I had wanted to talk to her in person, but she never gave me that chance.
In the following days, I successfully resigned from the firm. I packed up all my belongings in the house and moved to my new home.
Every so often, Gabriella would send me photos of wedding venue setups. "I didn't realize there were so many styles for weddings. Which one do you like? I think a beach setting would be lovely. What do you think?"
As I looked at the exquisite designs, a bitter irony stirred in my heart. During our three years of marriage, she kept giving me hope again and again, only to let me down each time. Now that I was leaving, she suddenly seemed to care about the wedding.
Meanwhile, Nathaniel updated his story on social media every day. It was either photos of the two of them or videos of the surprises Gabriella had carefully planned for him.
The day before the wedding Gabriella had promised, which was also the last day of the divorce cooling-off period, a proposal video appeared on social media.
In the video, Nathaniel stood in a blooming garden, wearing a well-tailored suit. Gabriella stood before him, holding out a sparkling diamond ring.
The people around them chanted, "Kiss her!"
The final frame froze on Gabriella, smiling as she threw herself into Nathaniel's arms.
I watched the clip calmly, left a comment congratulating them, and then blocked Nathaniel.
Shortly after, Gabriella called me. She sounded cheerful. "Samuel, I'll be back in the country tomorrow. I've already sorted everything out with the wedding planners. Once I'm home, we can hold the wedding right away."
The next morning, I didn't go to the beach for the wedding. By noon, Gabriella still hadn't called to ask why I wasn't there.
It wasn't until evening that she finally came home, looking worn out. She looked at me as I sat on the couch, guilt and unease flashing in her eyes.
"Nate wasn't feeling well, so our return was delayed. But it's fine. I promise the next wedding will definitely happen," she said.
When I heard those words, I felt nothing. As expected, she still hadn't shown up for the 33rd wedding.
I looked at her quietly and slid the divorce agreement I had prepared toward her. "There's no need. The cooling-off period is over. Let's finalize the divorce."
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