The Day I Finally Let You Go

In the fourth year of her engagement to Mason Hart, Evelyn Ward still had not been able to marry him.

The Hart family had produced officers for three generations, and marriages required approval from military headquarters.

Yet every year, their marriage request was rejected.

Until the fourth year, when Evelyn personally saw Mason alter the application.

Only then did she realize that Mason had never intended to marry her at all.

Everyone in the Westbridge Military Base knew that Mason Hart had suffered harsh punishment every year in order to marry Evelyn Ward.

The Hart family had served in the military for three generations, and the regulations clearly stated that anyone from the Hart family had to obtain approval from the Commander-in-Chief before they could marry.

Yet for three consecutive years, Mason submitted a marriage request, only to have it denied each time.

In the first year, he knelt on the training field for three days and three nights without a drop of water, eventually collapsing and being carried to the infirmary.

In the second year, he endured fifty lashes under military discipline, his back split open and bleeding.

In the third year, burning with a high fever, he knelt in the freezing snow until his legs were nearly ruined.

Yet every year, it still ended the same way—the rules of the military could not be broken.

By the fourth year, Evelyn decided that if their marriage approval was denied again, she would stand beside Mason and accept the punishment with him, pleading with military headquarters to grant them a special exception so they could finally marry.

When she hurried to base headquarters, Mason had just received a message from the Commander-in-Chief.

As he unfolded it, the words “Marriage Approved” were clearly visible to Evelyn standing outside the door.

But before she could cry out in surprise, she saw Mason pick up a pen and add the word “Not.”

Then he handed the message to the aide beside him, his low voice echoing through the quiet hall.

“Make it known publicly that this year’s marriage request was denied again.”

…

Evelyn froze where she stood, her mind completely blank.

Why would Mason alter the result of the application?

The aide took the telegram, his expression complicated as he looked at Mason.

“Colonel Hart, I remember you always saying you wanted to marry Miss Ward as soon as possible and bring her home as your rightful wife.

“Now that you finally can, why do you keep delaying it? This is already the fourth time you’ve changed the result of the application.”

Every word struck Evelyn’s ears clearly, shaking her so badly she nearly lost her footing.

The fourth time changing the result…

So, the marriage requests from the previous three years had also been approved!

Inside the hall, Mason’s voice carried a trace of helplessness.

“My desire to marry Evelyn has never changed. But during the four years she went to university in Grandbridge, Anna was the one who stayed by