Chapter 23
A year later, Nora received a text from Jasmine. She was getting married and wanted her to be
her bridesmaid.
Overwhelmed with joy, Nora put everything aside and immediately bought a flight ticket to
meet her.
Naturally, Martin also got word of it from Nora. His hand froze for a second before he lowered his gaze and asked with a seemingly casual tone, “You’re getting married already?”
For the past year, he had been getting frequent updates about Jasmine from Nora. He knew that she had a boyfriend who loved her from the bottom of his heart, but it was still baffling that she was getting married this quickly.
No words could describe what he was feeling right now. His vision became blurry, and he couldn’t make out the words he was writing. Nora’s phone was on the table, and he could hear a warm, silky voice coming from the phone’s speaker.
“Yeah. It’s time. I finally met someone who’s meant for me. So, I decided I’m done waiting.”
It was Jasmine. Her voice was soft but tinged with joy. It was obvious that she was happy and
blissful.
Nora packed her suitcase as she talked on the phone. “Hard agree. But are you guys going to stay overseas for good and not come back to Corvalis?
“You’re making me take flights just to see you, and you didn’t even return the favor once.” She grumbled as she smiled. Before long, she was done packing her stuff.
Turning around, she waved at Martin and said, “Ciao, Martin!”
Martin didn’t say anything. He waited until Nora was gone and disappeared from his sight. Once he could no longer hear the silky voice on the phone, he slowly put his
pen down and
placed his forehead in his palm.
Tears dropped onto the document he was going through. His heart ached so much that he was about to suffocate. So, this was how it felt to see the woman he loved marrying another man. This time, he had lost Jasmine for good.
Martin trembled. He couldn’t hold back his tears of anguish and finally broke down in
suppressed sobs.
Another year flew by, and Nora was getting married too. Jasmine returned to Corvalis and became her bridesmaid as promised.
It had been years since Martin had seen Jasmine. He fought to stay composed and placed
Chapter 23
Nora’s hand in her husband’s, giving her away at the wedding ceremony. Then, his eyes couldn’t help but linger on Jasmine.
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Her bridesmaid dress was as simple as it was elegant. She looked so attractive that she stole his breath away. He felt as if breathing too loudly could disrupt this beautiful moment.
After the ceremony, Martin went from table to table, drinking with guests alongside Nora. Eventually, they arrived at Jasmine’s table.
“Jasmine, it’s been a long time!” Nora grinned.
Martin nodded calmly. “It’s been a while, Jasmine.”
He clinked his wine glass with hers. The crisp sound reverberated in his restless heart. He had a lot to say to her. He wanted to tell her how different she looked, to ask her how life had been treating her, and if she was happy.
So many questions, but they were stuck in his throat the moment a man stepped forward. It was Jasmine’s husband.
The man wrapped one arm around her waist and gently took the wine glass away from her. ” Excuse me, but Jasmine is pregnant. So, I have to drink this for her.”
Jasmine blushed a little while Nora was shocked to her core.
“I can’t believe you’re pregnant! Jasmine, why didn’t you say anything? Do you still think of me as your best friend?”
Jasmine hurriedly explained, her tone laced with embarrassment. “It has only been 4 weeks. I wanted to wait a little longer before I told you. It’s still too early now.”
Nora wouldn’t have any of it. She immediately told Jasmine that she would be her baby’s godmother. She carefully and merrily touched Jasmine’s belly, whose husband’s eyes were full of affection and tenderness. Jasmine also had a helpless yet blissful smile on her face.
The three of them were huddled together, while Martin stood next to them like an outsider. As it turned out, the best closure was going their own separate ways.
He looked at Jasmine in a daze, taking in the joy on her face and the gracefulness of her gestures. The sight of her leaning intimately against her husband broke his heart.
Raising his wine glass, Martin murmured, “I’m happy for you. You’ve finally found your happiness.”
He chugged his wine, finding it more acrid and burning than he had remembered. Then, he left in silence and stopped being a bother to them.
A breeze swept by. Jasmine raised her head, only to realize that Martin’s spot was empty now. She spaced out for a moment before shaking her head. The people who mattered most to her
Chapter 23
were standing around her now.
