She looked at me with resentment and blame in her eyes. I knew she probably had a lot of things to tell me, but I didn’t let her explode on the spot. Instead, I passed her the bag the moment I walked in front of her.
“Wear this.”
Camelia took the bag from me and looked at the clothes inside of it. She clearly still hadn’t realized what was going on. “What’s this?”
“Again, whether you change into this or not is up to you. This is as far as I can compromise.”
When There Is Nothing Left But Love
After that, I walked out and sat in the car waiting for her.
Fifteen minutes passed before the person I was waiting for finally showed up.
We parked by the road next to the church, and I noticed the bright green grass around it.
Marcus was clearly visible from the window, and I could see him with his hair combed back. He was all dressed up and was holding on to the corsage, waiting for his bride’s appearance.
Before I stepped out of the car, I rolled down the window so that Marcus could get a proper look at my face before closing the window again. I picked up the red veil next to me and turned back.
“Are you ready?” I asked.
The entire way here, Camelia was so nervous she had resorted to playing with her fingers relentlessly. Only when I called her name did she realize that we had arrived. She looked out of the window at Marcus, and she started almost hyperventilating.
“What if we get noticed? He could die at any second with this illness of his,” Camelia murmured to herself. She began to pinch and pluck at the fabric over her legs, nearly digging her nails into her thighs.
I took a deep breath. I was feeling as doubtful as she was, but at this point, it had to be done. “Just like you said, he could leave at any moment. Are you really willing for that to happen without an official marriage?”
Would she be willing?
After so many years of her feelings getting stepped on and all the physical and emotional torment she went through, how could she be willing for that to all go to waste?
I knew that Camelia had known her answer since the very second she put on the dress.
She only hesitated for another second before looking up at me determinedly. Then, she changed seats with me and put on the red veil. After opening the door, she naturally reached a hand out to Marcus and stood calmly with his support.
Marcus gently held her hand as if she were a fragile fairy. The corners of his eyes were angled upward in a bright smile, and the light that had once disappeared from his gaze finally shone brightly again.
They walked down the aisle hand in hand. The pebbled path before them resembled their own lives that had come together.
He was finally getting married to the person he loved, and so was she.
The moment Marcus and Camelia stepped into the church, my job was finally done. I heaved a sigh of relief before turning on the tablet in the car.
We had stationed cameras throughout the church so that we could stream the wedding live.
The car door suddenly opened, and Anthony appeared on the side of the road. After he got into the car, he naturally slung an arm over my shoulders and pulled me into a hug as we watched the stream together.
Marcus was holding onto the corsage and walking extremely slowly, but the smile on his face outshone everything else. His expression and energy matched that of a completely well person.
Camelia still had her veil on and was matching Marcus’ pace. One could see her longing in the way she walked and the liveliness in her demeanor. Clearly, she was overflowing with happiness.
The church had been modified and decorated to match the theme of their clothes, and their vows were written out in calligraphy on one of the banners.
“The bride and groom have entered.”
Joseph was dressed in a jade-colored suit matching the theme of their wedding and was both the witness and the emcee for the day.
“Are you two ready?”
The smile on Marcus’ face suddenly dimmed slightly. Instead of replying, he turned toward Camelia with an expectant look on his face.
After a moment of silence, a low female voice murmured from inside the veil, “Yes.”
It was short and simple enough to keep from raising any suspicion.
Marcus immediately smiled again. His eyes were practically shining with joy, and he said loudly, “I’ve been waiting for almost ten years. Let’s get on with it.”
Joseph nodded and became serious as he spoke. “Have you come to offer yourselves to each other, freely and without reservation?”
Both Marcus and Camelia murmured yes.
“Will you love and honor each other for life?”
Once again, they said yes, and Marcus turned around to face his bride before Joseph could speak again.
“You may-”
“Wait.”
Joseph hadn’t finished his sentence when Marcus cut him off and said apologetically, “I’m sorry, but please wait.”
When There Is Nothing Left But Love
After he apologized, his gaze became gentle and tender once again. He looked at Camelia calmly with a clear, determined stare, as if he could see through her.
I stiffened in my seat. Did he find out?
A moment later, Marcus exhaled and smiled.
“Enough,” Marcus said as he looked down, almost like he was speaking to himself. “This is enough. At least now I know that loving you was worth it.”
He paused before looking up again. When he did, his eyes were filled with tears. The whites of his eyes had become slightly red as blood vessels began to appear in his teary eyes.
“I have always known that Anthony was the man you loved. I knew you had never loved me. Still, I never understood why you loved him and not me. I never ever wanted to hurt you. I just didn’t understand why you never even looked at me in that way. Now, though, I think I understand.
“If it was up to me, no matter if Anthony were still here, I could never give you up so willingly. He’s willing to do anything for you, but all I can hope for is that only death will do us part. Yes, I’ve lost to him, but I won’t admit it. Just because I didn’t love you the way you wanted to be loved doesn’t mean I never loved you.”
He must have been hurting, whether physically or emotionally. His tears slid down the curve of his cheek, but he made no move to wipe them away.
I didn’t know whether it was due to the connection of the stream, but from my angle, I saw Marcus’ expression change back to his frail, weak self.
“You were stubborn because you didn’t want to give me a chance, and I was stubborn because I kept pestering you. Neither of us was willing to step back, and we ended up butting heads for the rest of our lives. Or at least, the rest of mine.”
Perhaps due to the silence of the church, every little noise was recorded by the camera’s microphone. Apart from Marcus’ labored breathing, I could also hear the quiet weeping of the woman in front of him.
Camelia was standing right in front of him as he talked about how much he loved somebody else.
She had been a stubborn pursuer just like him too. However, at least he got a chance to get closure from the person he loved before he died while all she could do was live off of stolen time as a replacement for his true love.
“Since you’ve stopped butting heads with me, what’s the point of me even trying anymore?” Marcus sniffled and laughed at himself mockingly. “Actually, you’re right. Pity, sympathy, or anything that’s simply given to me- my pride won’t allow it. You’ve let go of me, so I’ll let go of you now. Let’s stop here. We don’t need to say any more vows.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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