Finn, unsettled by my stare, grabbed a bouquet of lilies from his friend and shoved it into my arms. “Fine. Don’t play the victim after getting what you wanted. Take the flowers and go.”
He still thought I was the same girl who could be placated with a small gift. He didn’t believe that the woman who swore she would marry no one but him could ever truly leave.
I handed the flowers back to his friend. “These are for your girlfriend. It’s not appropriate for me to take them.”
“I donated the blood willingly. You really don’t have to sacrifice yourself by marrying me.”
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A flicker of panic crossed Finn’s face. Shouldn’t Elvira be ecstatic? Why is she insisting I don’t have to marry her? Is she actually mad this time?
Anxiety flashed in his eyes. “Elvira, I…”
His friends started coughing pointedly. He quickly corrected himself. “Elvira, I’m a man of my word.”
I just smiled. “You should go be with your girlfriend. I’m checking out now.”
My generosity seemed to unnerve him further. He felt something was very different about me today, but he couldn’t pinpoint what.
His friends, seeing his hesitation, slapped him on the back and dragged him away.
“Come on, man, stop staring. Your Lara will get jealous! It’s just the usual drama–first the pity play, now playing hard to get. Same old female tricks. You’re too naive, easy to manipulate.”
“Seriously! Look what you did, man. You’re not a teenager anymore. How did you manage to cause her to hemorrhage? Luckily, Lara ‘s understanding and doesn’t hold it against you, unlike some people who demand marriage just for donating a little blood…”
Their words, intentionally loud enough for me to hear, didn’t cause the expected pain. I just felt cold, a chill that settled deep in my marrow, a cold that even the bright sunlight couldn’t warm.
I watched them leave and then discharged myself.
While Finn was away, I hired a cleaning service to help me pack. The woman looked at the beautifully decorated apartment, ready for newlyweds, and hesitated.
“Miss, all this wedding stuff is brand new. Are you sure you want to throw it away?”
“Yes,” I said. “The groom died. We won’t be needing it.”
She immediately apologized and consoled me. Afraid of triggering me, she started by packing away the wedding photos and doze- ns of photo albums first.
In just half a day, the home I had so carefully decorated lost all its warmth and joy. A cold house for a cold heart.
The cleaner looked at the dozen bags filled with symbols of our love, shaking her head with a sigh. “Miss, you have to look forward.”
I smiled and nodded.
After she left, I made sure there was no trace of me left in the apartment. I deleted my fingerprints from the smart lock and pulled my suitcase out the door.
Chapter 2
