Chapter 21
Chapter 21
Gigi shook her head with a blank face. “It’s too late.”
Her response hit Rylan like a truck. He watched helplessly as she looked at Wesley with nothing but love in her eyes and softly said, “Yes.”
At that moment, Rylan’s whole world fell apart. The laughter and cheers around him felt like a cruel mockery, and the pain in his heart was unrelenting.
Guilt and regret washed over him. He had never expected that his own mistakes would push the woman he loved straight into someone else’s arms.
His stomach dropped as Gigi and Wesley embraced each other. The sight tore through him, but he couldn’t walk away just yet.
Rylan’s voice shook with barely-contained emotion, yet his words came out stubborn and raw. “That’s fine. Even if you choose him now, one day you’ll drift apart. I’ll never marry anyone
else. You’re the only one for me. I can wait.”
It sounded like he was talking to her, but maybe he was just trying to convince himself to keep holding on.
His words didn’t stir a single emotion in her. He had hurt her too much, and those scars had long since made her heart imperturbable.
Without sparing him a glance, she slowly lifted her gaze to Wesley, her eyes soft and full of
affection.
Reading the emotion in Gigi’s gaze, Wesley gently cupped her face and slowly leaned in. With all eyes on them and blessings filling the air, their lips came together in a loving kiss.
That kiss wasn’t just a declaration of their love. It was her way of breaking free from the past for good.
Seeing it all play out, Rylan felt like his heart was being ripped apart.
It was like his heart was crumbling inside him, and the agony made it hard to even breathe. He wanted to turn away, but he was paralyzed by the weight of his emotions.
In the days that followed, Wesley doted on Gigi like she was his whole world, doing everything he could to shower her with love and happiness.
Every morning, he would bring her fresh flowers he picked himself, their dewy petals signifying the love he couldn’t say out loud.
He made sure every dinner was special, whether it was a cozy candlelight dinner at home or a
Chapter 21
culinary trip across cultures.
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They wore their love on their sleeves, posting sweet moments on social media. Whether it was a goofy travel photo or a quiet snippet at home, their posts were flooded with likes and blessings.
Wesley always held Gigi’s hand at public events, as if she were the axis his world spun around. His gaze on her was always full of warmth and love.
Their public displays of affection had her glowing with happiness, drawing admiration and envy from everyone in their circle.
But for Rylan, all of this was nothing short of pure torture. Every day, he couldn’t help but check for updates on Gigi and Wesley. Every sweet photo felt like a knife to the heart.
He often sat alone in a darkened room, staring at their photos on his phone. Thoughts of the past with her clung to him, and with them came a constant weight of sorrow and remorse.
He threw himself into work, trying to lose himself in the noise and forget about her. But when the night grew quiet and loneliness crept in, her smile would always surface in his mind
unbidden.
He was painfully aware he had lost what mattered the most, but his longing for her never faded. The torment of it all left him looking more drained day after day.
