Unrequited Love: Breaking the Chains
After all, the guests were her relatives, and if anyone was going to be embarrassed, it should be her.
Diana didn't return until the next morning, still reeking of alcohol.
She brought along my favorite snacks from the south side of the city, watching my expression as she spoke,?"Logan, you saw what happened yesterday. I had no choice. But I promise, this is really the last time. There won't be any more surprises at the next wedding."
Sure, she couldn't bear to watch Vincent humiliate himself in front of others, yet she had no qualms about leaving me alone at the altar. How ridiculous was that?
We had been together for seven years, and I had finally gotten her to agree to marry me. But on our wedding day, she ran off with Vincent, turning me into a laughingstock.
Diana felt indebted to him after he had chased her for five years, ever since she helped him out during college. He had fallen head over heels for her after just one small favor.
Vincent would show up rain or shine with breakfast, boldly declaring his feelings even when he knew she had a boyfriend. Diana's feelings shifted from disdain to a reluctant, affectionate smile whenever he was mentioned.
At our first wedding, Vincent sprayed beer all over my carefully chosen suit, ruining it completely. I was furious, but before I could even say a word, he dashed out, tears in his eyes, while Diana scolded me for overreacting and ran after him.
The second wedding was even worse. Just as Diana and I were exchanging rings, Vincent suddenly collapsed, turning the ceremony into an emergency rescue. Diana panicked and rushed him to the hospital.
Then came the third wedding, where Vincent showed up in a groom's suit to crash the ceremony. Standing at the back, he looked defiantly up at Diana and declared, "Diana, I've stumbled after you for five years, gathering the courage to confess my feelings each time only to be shot down. But I want to try one last time! I love you, Diana. Can I win just this once?"
Diana glanced at me, a flicker of struggle and guilt in her eyes. She whispered, "Logan, I'm sorry. I just have to indulge Vincent this last time. I can't let him humiliate himself in front of everyone."
With that, she jumped off the stage, took Vincent's hand, and declared his victory with her actions.
Watching them run off hand in hand, like something out of a romantic drama, I thought I would feel the same anger as before and chase after them to confront her.
But instead, I felt an unusual calm, like an outsider watching them leave.
That night, Vincent tweeted at midnight: [My leading lady has escaped from her wedding for the third time! No one can stop true love!]
The accompanying photo showed him and Diana clinking beer bottles on the beach, looking carefree and wild.
When I snapped back to reality, Diana pushed the snacks toward me, her voice soft and coaxing. "Still mad?"
Why would I be angry? What did the next wedding have to do with me? In a month, I would finally be free from this world.
My name was Logan.
The first time I laid eyes on Diana, she was like a radiant beam of light.
As the top student at Arola University, she had an impressive background and stunning looks, drawing countless gazes wherever she went.
So when the System informed me that my target was her, I found myself at a loss, feeling like I was facing an impossible mission.
But the thought of successfully winning her over and returning to my original world, waking up to walk and dance again, pushed me to give it my all.
The System assigned me the role of a classmate from the same year but a different major.
To create more common ground with her, I enrolled in some of her elective courses. I spent countless sleepless nights delving into the complexities of physics, determined to leave a mark in her memory when the professor called on me. But even when the professor remembered my name, Diana's gaze never lingered on me.
Then came a field trip to the mountains, where we unexpectedly encountered a landslide.
In a split second, Diana was swept away by the mudflow.
I grabbed her hand desperately, trying to pull her back. As we were dragged down the slope, a sharp rock nearly pierced her abdomen.
"Watch out!" I shouted, pushing her aside just in time.
The rock slammed into my side instead. At that moment, I thought if the worst happened, I'd just die in this world, my soul returning to my original one, and I'd be a failure in my mission, continuing to live as a vegetable.
But saving a life felt worth it.
Diana carried me on her back, tears brimming in her eyes as she rushed down the mountain. "Why would you do something so foolish, risking your life to save mine?"
I forced a smile, trying to lighten the mood. "What can I say? I like you."
She fell silent for a moment, not responding, just urging me to hold on. Once we reached the hospital, she took care of me meticulously until I fully recovered.
For three years, we remained friends until a major upheaval in her life brought us closer together in our senior year. Her family went bankrupt, and both her parents committed suicide, leaving Diana with a mountain of debt. She fell into a deep despair, watching her friends drift away.
To numb the pain, she started smoking and drinking, trying to escape the crushing reality. I couldn't stand by and watch her suffer.
I took Diana's shoulders and urged her to pull herself together. She looked at me, confusion and pain swirling in her eyes.
After a long pause, she managed a wry smile and pushed me away. "Why haven't you left me? Aren't you worried I'll ask you for money?"
"I'm not worried," I replied.
She paused, then suddenly wrapped her arms around me tightly, her hot tears soaking my shoulder.
During those toughest days, I was by her side, balancing my studies and starting a business. Her way of addressing me shifted gradually.
The System eventually informed me that her affection for me had reached 100%. It asked if I wanted to leave this world. I hesitated. During our journey together, I had genuinely fallen for Diana.
As I wrestled with my decision, I found her standing in front of a sprawling rose garden she had tended to herself.
A fierce love radiated from her gaze. "Logan, let's be together. Forever."
As I met her intense gaze, the seed of love I had buried deep within me sprouted at that moment.
So, after completing my mission, I chose to stay for her. But then, everything changed when she met Vincent.
"I'm not angry," I replied calmly, focusing on my late-night snack.
Diana looked surprised as if she couldn't believe I wasn't going to dig into what had happened yesterday.
After all, I had sulked for ages after the first two times. Initially, she would patiently console me, but eventually, she had tossed out a dismissive comment: "It's just a formality. I'm not really with him; can't we just do this to fulfill his wish?"
Noticing my cold demeanor, she pressed her lips together and softened her tone a bit. "Once you're done eating, I'll drive you to the office."
I paused mid-bite, a pang of bitterness rising in my chest.
The car accident back in my original world had left me with some lingering anxiety about driving.
So, I always relied on Diana to take me.
I loved watching her focused profile while she drove, sharing the little highlights of my day with her.
But somewhere along the line, Diana had become incredibly busy. She was busy sleeping in, busy taking Vincent's dog to the vet, and too busy to drive me.
Over time, I stopped asking her for rides. So, I was taken aback when she offered today. I forced a self-deprecating smile and set my fork down. "No need. I got my driver's license."
Diana froze, her hand clutching the car keys, staring at me in disbelief. "Wha... when?"
Maybe it was that one time I worked late, and my stomach suddenly started to hurt like hell. I had taken a couple of painkillers, but they didn't help.
The rain was pouring outside, and I couldn't get a cab. My face went pale from the pain as I called Diana, begging her to come take me to the hospital. But after many attempts, I couldn't reach her.
Finally, an ambulance arrived, wheeling me into the hospital. As I lay on the stretcher, passing by a room, I caught a glimpse of Vincent looking blissful in his hospital bed. Diana was sitting beside him, scolding him impatiently,?"Who told you to eat so much ice cream when your stomach was already hurting? You deserve it!"
Yet, her hands were tenderly rubbing his belly.
Tears streamed down my cheeks, a bitter mix of hurt and longing. I remembered how she had taken care of me with that same tough-love approach when I was in the hospital. I realized then that Vincent must hold a different place in her heart.
After that incident, I suddenly learned to stop relying on her. I gathered my courage and started learning to drive again. The moment I gripped the steering wheel and maneuvered through traffic, that sense of emptiness and insecurity finally began to fade.
"The last time my stomach acted up, I called you a bunch of times, but you didn't pick up. That's when I decided to learn," I said nonchalantly.
Diana opened her mouth, struggling to find her voice. She knew I had a fear of driving, but she had no idea when I had conquered that fear or when I had stopped needing her.
A wave of inexplicable disappointment washed over me.
Ignoring the way her face paled, I walked straight out the door.
Maybe it was out of guilt.
Diana rarely cooked, but tonight, she made a candlelit dinner just for me.
As I walked in, she placed the last dish, spicy chicken wings, on the table and said, "You're back? Come eat! I made all your favorite dishes."
I sat down at the table, staring at the array of spicy dishes. My stomach twisted uneasily.
She picked up a piece of beef coated in chili and dropped it onto my plate. "Dig in!"
Looking at her eager expression, I replied flatly, "I don't like spicy food."
"Logan!" She slammed her fork down, her brows knitted together, her voice tinged with irritation. "It's just a formality! Why are you making such a big deal out of it? As long as we're together, that's what matters. I only agreed with him at the wedding to spare Vincent's feelings. I didn't want him to embarrass himself in front of everyone or do something stupid. How long are you going to keep sulking about this?"
The overwhelming smell of chili made me cough violently. It took a while to catch my breath, and when I finally looked up at her, I explained helplessly, "I've never been able to handle spicy food. I only pretended I could because you like it."
Diana froze, realization dawning on her. It seemed she finally remembered how I would always sweat and drink a lot of water whenever I had something spicy. Until now, she hadn't noticed.
Her face turned slightly uncomfortable as she glanced at the table filled with spicy dishes, unsure of what to say. "If you don't like it, we don't have to eat it. I just thought you might still be upset about the wedding, so I wanted to explain..."
I nodded calmly, "Yeah, I get it. You just see him as a junior."
Then I stood up and headed to the kitchen to make myself some pasta.
Diana watched me with a complicated expression, her face suddenly falling. She stared at me for a long time, as if my reaction didn't meet her expectations, but she didn't know how to respond. After a heavy silence, she muttered, "As long as you know."
With that, she pushed her chair back and retreated to the bedroom.
Diana seemed to take my newfound distance personally.
For several days, she kept giving me the cold shoulder, waiting for me to make the first move to reconcile. In the past, I would always be the one to soften first after a fight, and she had come to expect it.
But after deciding to leave this world, I found a strange sense of relief in her silence. I finished up all my work, wrapping things up and preparing for my departure. My boss, reluctant to let me go, suggested I take all my vacation days before leaving and even handed me a hefty bonus.
I bought a bunch of clothes, snacks, and storybooks, then drove to the orphanage in the south of the city.
Standing at the entrance of the little park, I watched the kids I hadn't seen in a while. The thought that I might never see these adorable kids again made my eyes sting with unshed tears.
This was the orphanage that Diana and I had supported together.
Whenever we had free time, we would come back to visit the kids. Just as I was getting lost in my melancholy, the children spotted me and rushed over.
"Logan! You came to see us again! We missed you so much!"
"I missed you all too!" I replied warmly.
One little girl tilted her head, glancing between me and the entrance. "Logan, why are you alone today? Where's Diana?"
I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could say anything, Diana's voice rang out behind me. "I was parking the car! Did you miss me?"
I turned around to see her standing there with bags of fruit and snacks, looking right at me.
After handing the goodies to the director, she stayed to join us for dinner.
At the dinner table, perhaps due to her experience, the director quickly sensed that something was off between Diana and me.
"Diana, after all these years, Logan has been by your side through thick and thin. You need to treat him well, or you might regret it later!" The director's words hung in the air, and it seemed to jog some memories for Diana.
She glanced at me, her eyes flickering with a mix of emotions like guilt, unease, and something else I couldn't quite place.
Before leaving, she took my hand in hers, her grip warm and reassuring. "Logan, I saw that there's a concert tonight for that singer you love. I got us tickets, and I want to go with you..."
But before Diana could finish, her phone buzzed, interrupting her.
She glanced at the caller ID, her expression shifting to one of panic as she quickly hit the decline button.
The phone rang again almost immediately.
Diana hesitated, her brows furrowing in conflict, and after a moment of internal struggle, she finally answered.
"Diana, I lost the dare! They said if you don't come, I'll have to drink a whole case of beer!" Vincent's voice came through the phone, sounding pitiful.
Diana didn't immediately agree like she usually would.
Instead, she glanced at me, hesitation written all over her face.
Vincent picked up on her uncertainty, his voice trembling as he added, "Please! Everyone's egging me on to drink. They're saying I have to take the punishment!"
Diana clenched her fists, her anger bubbling over. "Don't pressure him! I'll go," she snapped, hanging up the phone. Then, she turned to me, carefully choosing her words. "Logan, Vincent's in a bit of trouble. I need to help him."
Diana held my hand, trying to reassure me,?"I'll be back soon. I won't miss the concert."
I pulled my hand away, my voice steady. "Go ahead."
The indirect way of trying to change her mind felt pointless, like watering a dead flower, which was utterly meaningless.
Thankfully, I had long stopped expecting anything from her.
In the silence that followed, Diana suddenly hugged me tightly before turning to leave.
By eleven that night, the concert had wrapped up.
My favorite singer had just finished their final farewell performance, but Diana still hadn't returned.
Deep down, I knew she wouldn't be coming back tonight.
Maybe it was stubbornness or anger, but I suddenly couldn't bear to keep enduring this even if I was leaving soon.
I headed to the bar they often frequented.
As I stepped inside, the deafening music and flashing lights almost made me forget reality. Pushing through the crowd, I was caught off guard by a wave of cheers and laughter.
There was Vincent, leaning in to kiss Diana, who was sitting in a booth.
Instead of pulling away, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer as they kissed.
It felt like a knife twisting in my chest, a cold wave of despair washing over me.
Just as tears threatened to spill, I wiped my face and walked towards them.
The sudden slap that fell was almost deafening against the loud music.
All eyes in the bar turned to us. Diana's face turned sharply away from me, her cheeks flushing crimson.
Vincent yanked my arm, shouting, "Logan, what the hell? Why are you hitting her?"
Without a moment's hesitation, I turned and slapped him again. He looked stunned, his hands flying to his face in disbelief.
Diana's dazed expression finally sharpened as she stood up, reaching for my hand. "Logan..."
Hearing her call me like everything was normal made me feel nauseous.
I grabbed a bottle from the table and poured it over her head, watching as the brown liquid dripped down her hair. It was the only way to release some of the pent-up anger inside me.
"Diana, let's break up. I'm setting you free," I said, my voice steady as I turned and walked away without looking back.
I was exhausted. I didn't want to entangle myself with Diana?any longer. Let her do as she pleased.
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