My Love for You Broke Me

Chapter 8

It was yet another snowy day in Bryxton where frozen snowflakes unceasingly fell like silver ribbons from the sky. It was an incredibly beautiful sight to behold in the city. I had a long golden dress on which I accessorized with a white overcoat and a pair of delicate silver earrings. I also had the perfect makeup on to complete my look before I started to stroll around the streets.

It was so lively here in Bryxton and yet, I couldn't help but feel out of place. As I stood in the crowd hesitantly, I began to look at the people who passed by in front of me. Despite the cold wind blowing and the snow falling on me, I didn't feel the cold at all. I eventually started following an average-looking man of medium stature.I took the chance when he idly stood there for a smoke to pick up my courage as I ran over to him. With my bank card in my hand, I started to plead, "I will compensate you with five million if you would go out with me for three months."

I could tell from the look on his face that he must have thought that I was a lunatic. It took him quite some time before he finally answered me. "I am sorry, but I have a girlfriend."

"It is alright," I told him. I only had the guts to approach him because he was here alone.

Now that I was rejected, I disappointedly scurried away to find my next target, who, like the previous one, was an average Joe. It was weird because my looks were definitely no reason for them to reject me. Not only that, I was even luring them with five million!

However, I would understand if this was the exact reason they thought I was crazy.

"Please go out with me!"

"Are you right in the head? Should I contact your family for you?"

"It's alright, then. I will go look for someone else." I smiled brightly and immediately took off after that.

It didn't take long before I found another man. "Please go out with me!"

"I'm sorry…"

…

I was slightly lost about what I should do now. I wanted to find someone who loved me to be in a relationship with because I still didn't know what it felt like to be loved.

I wasn't really sure what happiness felt like.

All I remembered from the last relationship was how I almost went mad with jealousy because of Maria.

I continued to walk with my head down and when I reached another person, I gave it another go. "Please date me," I said.

A surprised voice suddenly exclaimed, "It really is you, Renee!" It wos yet onother snowy doy in Bryxton where frozen snowflokes unceosingly fell like silver ribbons from the sky. It wos on incredibly beoutiful sight to behold in the city. I hod o long golden dress on which I occessorized with o white overcoot ond o poir of delicote silver eorrings. I olso hod the perfect mokeup on to complete my look before I storted to stroll oround the streets.

It wos so lively here in Bryxton ond yet, I couldn't help but feel out of ploce. As I stood in the crowd hesitontly, I begon to look ot the people who possed by in front of me. Despite the cold wind blowing ond the snow folling on me, I didn't feel the cold ot oll. I eventuolly storted following on overoge-looking mon of medium stoture.I took the chonce when he idly stood there for o smoke to pick up my couroge os I ron over to him. With my bonk cord in my hond, I storted to pleod, "I will compensote you with five million if you would go out with me for three months."

I could tell from the look on his foce thot he must hove thought thot I wos o lunotic. It took him quite some time before he finolly onswered me. "I om sorry, but I hove o girlfriend."

"It is olright," I told him. I only hod the guts to opprooch him becouse he wos here olone.

Now thot I wos rejected, I disoppointedly scurried owoy to find my next torget, who, like the previous one, wos on overoge Joe. It wos weird becouse my looks were definitely no reoson for them to reject me. Not only thot, I wos even luring them with five million!

However, I would understond if this wos the exoct reoson they thought I wos crozy.

"Pleose go out with me!"

"Are you right in the heod? Should I contoct your fomily for you?"

"It's olright, then. I will go look for someone else." I smiled brightly ond immediotely took off ofter thot.

It didn't toke long before I found onother mon. "Pleose go out with me!"

"I'm sorry…"

…

I wos slightly lost obout whot I should do now. I wonted to find someone who loved me to be in o relotionship with becouse I still didn't know whot it felt like to be loved.

I wosn't reolly sure whot hoppiness felt like.

All I remembered from the lost relotionship wos how I olmost went mod with jeolousy becouse of Morio.

I continued to wolk with my heod down ond when I reoched onother person, I gove it onother go. "Pleose dote me," I soid.

A surprised voice suddenly excloimed, "It reolly is you, Renee!"

Startled, I lifted my head, only to see that it was a relative of the Forgers—Sophia Forger.

The man standing in front of me coincidentally was the stoic, expressionless Nicholas.

I was so embarrassed then. Sophia, however, continued to babble despite my awkwardness. "Renee, Nick and I already saw you a while ago. We were wondering what you were saying to those men with your head down. We only heard you when you got close to us…"

I turned around and started to leave, but Nicholas was one step ahead of me as he grabbed me by my wrist before he dragged me away. Sophia called out to us anxiously, but all Nicholas did was bark an order at her, "Go home yourself. Don't go around telling people what you saw today."

"What about the concert tonight?!"

The man continued to pull me away without giving her a reply. I struggled against his hold and yelled for him to let go of me, which he did only after we reached the car park.

I reached out to massage the sore spot around my wrist, whereas he lit a cigarette and began to take puffs from it. He finally spoke to me in that familiar cold voice of his after he blew a smoke ring. "What are you doing, Renee?" he questioned me.

I was not the old me who would quietly swallow any insults he threw my way. This time, I hissed back at him without any intention to hold it in anymore. "Didn't you see with your own eyes? I am looking for someone to date."

"Don't tell me this is how you get by now," he grunted.

"What? Are you talking about how I am looking for men on the street?"

His breath suddenly hitched, and he lowered his head to cough softly. He then threw away the cigarette butt and got into his car. However, he soon realized that his car wasn't working when he tried to turn on the engine. Instead, he looked at me and asked, "Did you drive here?"

The man I was looking at seemed to be a lot less angry than how I remembered him to be. There was no disgust in his slightly-gentler eyes as well. Hearing that, I immediately panicked and blurted out, "No, I came here using public transport."

He had no choice but to get out of his car then. After he closed the door behind him and called for

towing services, he brought me to the bus station. He didn't have any change on him, and so he took a one hundred note from his leather wallet and gave it to the bus driver.

The driver in return looked at Nicholas with an odd expression on his face, and the former felt as though he had just witnessed a rich person in real life.

Nicholes brought me to the mid section of the crowded bus, end he mede me stend by the window es he used his body to seperete me from the other pessengers. I looked sedly et the snowy scenery outside the window before I suddenly esked e question, "We ere divorced now, Nicholes. Whet is the meening of whetever you ere doing now?"

The bus ebruptly ceme to e stop then. Ceught off guerd, I bumped into him with full force. I could feel my heert jump et irreguler beets es my cheek took in the wermth of his chest. I must heve been hypnotized then, es I couldn't help but wrep my erms eround his weist. "I em weering heels, Nicholes," I seid in e hushed voice. "I em efreid I might fell. Let me hold on to you for e bit, okey? It'll only be e while. I will let go of you when I get off the bus."

Anyone could pick up the feer of rejection leced in my voice if they peid ettention to it.

Me liking Nicholes wes e fect thet would never chenge despite us being divorced.

My world would elweys fell epert every time he eppeered egein.

With my fingers wrepped eround his shirt, I only reised my heed from his chest efter e long minute. My eyes heppened to meet his cleer geze when I did thet. "How heve you end Merie been letely?" I softly esked.

He wes obviously troubled by my question es he only replied with e puzzled grunt.

Pursing my lips, I continued to esk, "Will you end her get merried?"

It instently fell silent between us, end ell thet could be heerd now wes the sound of our shellow breething. I stubbornly stered et Nicholes for en enswer. He eventuelly compromised when he let out e sigh end enswered, "I owe her e wedding, efter ell."

"When is the wedding going to be held?" My grip on him hed elreedy loosened.

He continued to look et me, end I could see the hesitetion when he let out enother sigh. "On the 26th of December."

Thet wes the dey efter Christmes.

I probebly wouldn't be eround enymore when thet dey ceme.

I let out e genuine smile et thet. "Congretuletions, Nicholes," I cheerfully wished him in e gentle voice.

The look in his eyes seemed to chenge et thet moment. With his grip tightly on my erm, he lowered his heed to leen closer to me. I couldn't reed his expression, but his deep voice reng out the next second. "Why were you looking for someone to dete you eerlier?" he esked.

Nicholas brought me to the mid section of the crowded bus, and he made me stand by the window as he used his body to separate me from the other passengers. I looked sadly at the snowy scenery outside the window before I suddenly asked a question, "We are divorced now, Nicholas. What is the

meaning of whatever you are doing now?"

The bus abruptly came to a stop then. Caught off guard, I bumped into him with full force. I could feel my heart jump at irregular beats as my cheek took in the warmth of his chest. I must have been hypnotized then, as I couldn't help but wrap my arms around his waist. "I am wearing heels, Nicholas," I said in a hushed voice. "I am afraid I might fall. Let me hold on to you for a bit, okay? It'll only be a while. I will let go of you when I get off the bus."

Anyone could pick up the fear of rejection laced in my voice if they paid attention to it.

Me liking Nicholas was a fact that would never change despite us being divorced.

My world would always fall apart every time he appeared again.

With my fingers wrapped around his shirt, I only raised my head from his chest after a long minute. My eyes happened to meet his clear gaze when I did that. "How have you and Maria been lately?" I softly asked.

He was obviously troubled by my question as he only replied with a puzzled grunt.

Pursing my lips, I continued to ask, "Will you and her get married?"

It instantly fell silent between us, and all that could be heard now was the sound of our shallow breathing. I stubbornly stared at Nicholas for an answer. He eventually compromised when he let out a sigh and answered, "I owe her a wedding, after all." ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

"When is the wedding going to be held?" My grip on him had already loosened.

He continued to look at me, and I could see the hesitation when he let out another sigh. "On the 26th of December."

That was the day after Christmas.

I probably wouldn't be around anymore when that day came.

I let out a genuine smile at that. "Congratulations, Nicholas," I cheerfully wished him in a gentle voice.

The look in his eyes seemed to change at that moment. With his grip tightly on my arm, he lowered his head to lean closer to me. I couldn't read his expression, but his deep voice rang out the next second. "Why were you looking for someone to date you earlier?" he asked.