chapter 2
I ignored him, walked into the bedroom, pulled out the wedding invitations, gently tore them into shreds, and scattered them on the floor. The red paper confetti drifted down like snowflakes.
“Daniel, I’m not marrying you.”
Daniel sneered. “Chloe, you said it yourself. Don’t you dare regret it.” He slammed the door and left.
I didn’t know when Daniel started acting like this. Whenever I questioned his behavior, I was met with either accusation or silence. Maybe he’d always been like this, and my love had just blinded me.
Daniel didn’t like having his picture taken. During our relationship, our joint photos were few and far between. I had to nag him endlessly just to get him to agree to wedding photos. According to him, taking such things was meaningless—they’d just gather dust.
But I disagreed. I thought even when we were old, looking at them would bring back beautiful memories.
I had visited countless photography studios before choosing a style I loved. During the shoot, Daniel was completely uncooperative. He complained that the clothes were uncomfortable or that posing was too tiring. The two-day photoshoot we planned was crammed into a single day, leaving two outfits unused.
Who would have thought he’d turn around and take a full set of wedding photos with Ashley?
Suddenly, I felt incredibly tired—utterly exhausted. I had loved him for ten years and endured him. But now, I just didn’t want to torment myself anymore.
I picked up my phone and saw Ashley Xin’s post:
Everyone, please don’t misunderstand. Big Brother Daniel just sympathized with my poor health, which is why he took wedding photos with me. We’re just good friends, really.
The sickly sweet fake innocence was practically dripping off her post. Soon, several mutual friends of Daniel and me started sending messages:
“Chloe, you shouldn’t bother with Ashley. Daniel is just taking care of her. Everyone knows Daniel only has eyes for you. Don’t overthink it, okay?”
I let out a bitter laugh as I read those messages. It just showed how much sway Ashley had—making me look like the jealous, petty one who couldn’t tolerate her.
But it didn’t matter. I didn’t want Daniel anymore, let alone these outsiders. I blocked everyone one by one.