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After finalizing the wedding arrangements, Aaron invited me out for dinner.
He wasn’t a man of many words, so I often had to take the lead in starting conversations.
“Marrying me… do you think you’ll regret it?” I asked, breaking the silence. “I spent ten years with someone else, and now I’m disabled. I might end up causing you a lot of trouble in the
future.”
12:31 Wed, 11 Dec
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Three years ago, when I lost my leg in an accident, the pain from the physical loss was like a
rusty knife cutting into my heart over and over.
But the hardest part wasn’t the physical agony. It was people’s reactions.
I vividly remembered the way Lennon grimaced in disgust while changing my bandages, struggling not to retch.
He pitied me, but he also resented me.
I once believed that even with a disability, I could endure and move forward.
But the constant judgment and reminders from others eventually crushed my spirit.
Aaron’s eyes were filled with tenderness.
He looked at me intently and said slowly, “I won’t regret it. I love you, no matter what’s
happened to your body or what’s on your mind. Audrina, you’re like a bird meant to fly free. Don’t
let anyone trap you in their cage.”
I was stunned by his words, wiping away the tears that had welled up in my eyes.
After dinner, Aaron drove me home.
But just as we reached the front door, my phone buzzed with a message from an unknown
number.
[Audrina, while you were away, Mr. Harrison and I…]
The message was short and cryptic, but it was enough to make me pause.
So this explained why Lennon hadn’t contacted me in days. He’d been busy cozying up to
Betty.
I kept my composure and replied calmly: [Oh, congratulations on picking up the trash I threw away.]
The sender didn’t respond, and I thought that was the end of it.
But moments later, my mom, who was lounging on the sofa, erupted in anger.
“Who’s the shameless person that reported your wedding’s digital invites? And they even sent a one–dollar gift to mock us! Disgusting!”
Dad glanced at her phone, adjusted his glasses, and muttered, “What kind of weirdo thinks
we need their dollar? Let me give them a piece of my mind!”
Suspecting the message might have come from the same person, I quickly took Mom’s phone to check.
Sure enough, it was the same number.
I knew it must be Betty.
I stopped Dad before he could make the call.
“People like that are just jealous. They can’t stand seeing others live well. It’s no big deal. We
still have paper invitations; we’ll send one to her, just to spite her.”
As I was speaking, my phone rang again, pulling me from my thoughts.
It was Amy, the HR manager at work, her voice frantic.
“Audrina, you need to come back. Mr. Harrison threw a huge tantrum today, saying he never approved your resignation.
