Chapter 6
After standing outside my door all night, David’s eyes were red, and his gaze held a threatening intensity.
“I told you not to try getting my attention. Are you deliberately provoking me?”
“I’m not,” I replied, instinctively trying to close the door again, but it was too late.
David charged forward, pinning me against the wall. “This is my final warning. If you dare defy me again, don’t even think about staying in the Johnson household! Isn’t leaving exactly what you wanted?”
“Fine.”
“What?” David looked down at me, startled.
I stared into his bloodshot eyes. “I’ll move out right now.”
Bang! David punched the wall hard, the sound echoing loudly, making me close my eyes in shock. When I reopened them, he had already turned away. At the top of the stairs, he called back, “You’d better mean it! Don’t make me look down on you!”
Not long after he left, Erik called. “Are you free now? Want to check if there’s anything in the wedding house you’d like to change?”
Hearing Erik’s voice, I couldn’t hold back my tears. “Erik, I want to move in now.”
“Of course…” Erik sensed something was wrong and asked gently, “Did someone hurt you?”
“No, I just….miss you.”
“I’ll come back as soon as I can and take care of everything here quickly. Hang in there.”
“Thank you.”
After the call, I packed a few clothes, left the Johnson household, and handed my keys to the butler. “Uncle Bob, I’m moving out. Please let David know he doesn’t have to worry–I won’t be coming back.”
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When He Wouldn’t Marry Me, His Friend Did
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“Did you
and the young master have a fight?” Bob asked, looking surprised, as though he couldn’t believe I’d really leave.
I turned calmly. “Not a fight–a final ending.”
The car Erik sent arrived quickly. Without saying much, I grabbed my suitcase and left. As I got into the car, I saw Bob making a phone call, and sure enough, David soon started calling me, but I didn’t answer. His feelings were no longer my concern.
The wedding house had a beautiful river–view terrace, overlooking the entire city skyline at night. I remembered how, at twenty, I’d casually mentioned wanting a view like this. I hadn’t expected Erik to remember and arrange everything to my liking. Strangely, though, David briefly crossed my mind, and I realized I’d wasted ten years on him. Thankfully, it
was over.
During my stay at the wedding house, David called every day, but I ignored them all. His friends and assistants also tried to contact me, saying, “Cora, where are you? Do you know David is looking for you everywhere?”
“Is it fun for you to play this disappearing act?”
“Know your place. You’re just the maid’s daughter. Don’t think you’re the lady of the house.”
“You’d better go back and apologize to David–you know his temper!”
I blocked all their numbers. Life was peaceful.
The morning before my wedding registration, I received a message from Helena. *“Cora, thank you for all your help recently. I’m leaving now and returning to Italy to reconcile with my husband.‘
“*
*“I didn’t want David to see me off. The day he left me during a prenatal checkup to find you, my heart gave up on him.”
*”
“As an outsider, I can see that David has feelings for you.
I found this laughable. I doubted David had feelings for me, but I did wonder how he’d react to losing the woman he loved once more.
The next day, Erik and I went to get our marriage certificate. Just as he was about to place
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the wedding ring on my finger, David arrived.
“Cora, are you putting on a show with actors now?”
Erik stepped in front of me, speaking clearly. “I’m truly marrying Cora. You know how I’ve felt about her all these years.”
David froze momentarily, then lunged at Erik and punched him. “Bastard! I thought you were my friend, and you steal my woman!”
After knocking Erik to the ground, David grabbed my hand, trying to drag me away.
“Let go!” I shook David off, staring at him as he looked at me with a pleading expression. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke.
“Come back with me,” he said. “Come back–I’ll marry you! Let me marry you, please?”
Meeting his intense gaze, I stepped back to Erik’s side. “Go back with you? Are you even worthy?”
The words seemed to deeply sting David. “A maid’s daughter, you’re right–I’m not worthy!” He turned without another word, and as he left, he shattered the wedding sign with a punch.
Erik came over, gently comforting me. “Are you alright?”
“I’m sorry, Erik,” I said, my eyes red. “If it weren’t for me… he wouldn’t have come and disrupted the ceremony. Your parents won’t be happy about this.”
“This isn’t your fault.” Erik held me close, softly reassuring me. “It’s on me, for not standing up sooner and for not protecting you better.”
The commotion drew whispers from onlookers, but it didn’t prevent us from receiving our certificate. Amid the staff’s congratulations, Erik and I were officially married.
That evening, I held an ice pack to Erik’s swollen cheek, “Does it hurt?”
“David never knows his strength,” he said, then added, “It’s not your fault…”
Erik fell silent, looking at me steadily. His gaze made me feel nervous, unsure of what to
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say. After a long silence, he held my hand and said tenderly, “I’ve finally waited for this day. Any pain is nothing compared to what you’ve endured. From now on, I’ll protect you…”
The next morning, Erik took me to formally meet his parents. I was nervous on the way there, but Erik kept reassuring me. Just as he said, they were kind and didn’t mind yesterday’s incident. His mother even expressed her desire for grandchildren soon.
Both Erik and I felt a bit embarrassed. Erik quickly changed the subject, but later, I whispered to his mother, “Mom, don’t worry–Erik and I will do our best.”
She was delighted by this.
That night, while Erik and I were planning our honeymoon, my phone started buzzing. Seeing the caller ID, I handed the phone to Erik.
