25 Chapter 25
Meeting Marcus, Albert finally understood why I was with him. Marcus never held back his emotions.
“Can I come to your wedding tomorrow?”
When Marcus entered, he immediately noticed the thick gauze on Albert’s abdomen. His tone was sincere. “I wanted to thank you, man to man, for saving Sherry.”
All I felt for him was gratitude, and nothing more.
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Seeing my silence, Albert understood my feelings. But he still wanted to make one last attempt. “If Krista had never been in the picture, would we have made it to the end?”
The day before my wedding, I went to see Albert one last time. I had planned to stay for just a few minutes due to wedding preparations. As I was about to leave, Albert
called out to me.
He didn’t resort to sarcasm or mockery just because Albert was my ex-boyfriend.
I was taken aback by his request, pausing for a moment before replying, “If he’s willing, then yes.”
“It was.”
After I asked Marcus, he readily agreed to meet Albert. When Marcus arrived at the hospital, he quietly closed the door, leaving space for the two of them.
Krista was just the catalyst. For five years, my love had been slowly eroded by his indifference. Krista’s appearance only sped up the process.
During Albert’s hospital stay, I visited him every few days, sometimes with Marcus, sometimes alone. We were now able to talk calmly about the past and our future plans.
I don’t know what Albert and Marcus talked about, but I noticed a change in Albert’s demeanor afterward.
In a way, I was grateful for Krista. She allowed me an early exit, saving us both from more pain.
“I wronged you. I took your love for granted. I just want you to know that I regret it. I
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was hesitating, trying to figure out how to tell you, and then I saw the mugger pull out the knife. My only conscious thought was that I couldn’t let you get hurt.”
Albert finally understood that there was no going back for us. He hesitated for a moment before asking, “Can I meet your… fiancé?”
“You must have been in so much pain when you saved my mother.” Seeing that even speaking was an effort for him, I told him to rest and not talk.
Even without Krista, even if we had gotten married, Albert would never have realized how hurtful his attitude was. In the long run, we wouldn’t have been happy and would have ended up divorced anyway.
I shook my head. “No.”
A faint smile touched Albert’s lips.
Albert looked at the man who was about to become my husband, feeling not hatred, but envy. He envied him for getting to spend a lifetime with me.
He shook his head, his speech slow but firm. “I wasn’t following you on purpose. After what you said yesterday, I did a lot of thinking. I understand now.”
After five years of Albert’s coldness, I needed someone who could express their love freely, who could make me feel cherished.
I never expected to hear those words from Albert. A few years ago, I might have been moved by his change of heart. But now, everything was different. I was no longer the woman who was deeply in love with Albert.
The desperate stubbornness was gone, replaced by a quiet sense of peace. When I asked Marcus what they discussed, he said it was a secret between men and he
couldn’t tell me. I smiled and didn’t press him further.
