The Cost of His Kindness
In those ten years, we squeezed into tiny rental rooms together, shared instant noodles, and planned our future late into the night.
Reed Carr always said he was against marriage. At first, it bothered me a little, but seeing how good he was to me, I slowly accepted it.
I thought that living my life with him like this would be fine; whether or not we had that marriage certificate didn't seem so important.
Until that day, when Reed suddenly pulled a red envelope out of his bag and handed it to me.
I took it, puzzled, and when I opened it, it was a wedding invitation.
The groom's name on the invitation was boldly written as Reed Carr, but the bride wasn't me—it was a woman named Maria Zamora.
My mind buzzed with a sudden shock, as if I had been hit hard; in an instant, everything went blank.
My hand holding the invitation started trembling as I looked up at Reed Carr, my voice shaking with disbelief: "Reed, what... what's going on here?"
Reed's eyes darted away nervously; he avoided my gaze and said softly, "Ingrid, please don't get upset yet. Just hear me out."
I forced down the anger and fear inside me, waiting for his explanation.
He stayed silent for a few seconds before slowly saying, "Maria... she has stomach cancer, and it's already in the late stage."
"Her biggest wish is to wear a wedding dress and be the most beautiful bride."
"I just want to help her fulfill this wish. We're only holding a wedding ceremony; we won't be registering the marriage."
I could hardly believe my ears. I stared at Reed Carr, my voice full of disappointment and anger: "A wedding ceremony?"
"Reed, what do you take marriage for? What do you take me for?"
"We've been together for ten years. You said you wouldn't get married, and then we were not married. Now, for a woman you barely know, you want to have a wedding ceremony with her?"
Reed frowned, as if I were being unreasonable: "Ingrid, I told you, I'm just helping her fulfill her dream. It's not like I'm actually marrying her."
"On the wedding day, I'll make sure you sit at the head table. If anyone asks, I'll say you're my most important friend."
"Most important friend?" I gave a bitter smile, tears stinging my eyes.
"Reed, ten years of feelings, and to you, I'm just your 'most important friend'?"
It felt like my heart was being ripped apart—ten years of devotion, treated as worthless in his eyes.
I threw the invitation onto the table, stood up, and faced Reed Carr. "I'm not going to that wedding. And I need time to really think about what's between us."
Reed Carr looked at me, his face showing a flicker of panic: "Ingrid, don't be like this, I just wanted to do something good."
"Something good?" I sneered coldly, "Your 'something good' is built on my pain. Reed, you're selfish."
After saying that, I turned and walked into the bedroom, closing the door firmly behind me, shutting out Reed Carr and his ridiculous words.
The bedroom was silent, save for the sound of my heartbeat echoing in my ears, each thump heavy with pain.
I leaned against the door, tears finally spilling down my cheeks, unstoppable.
After ten years together, is it really going to end like this? I just can't accept it.
But whenever I think about Reed Carr having a wedding with another woman, I feel like I'm suffocating.
I don't know what to do; all I can do is let the tears keep falling.
After a long while, there was a soft knock at the door: "Ingrid, are you hungry? I made you some porridge."
I didn't respond, and I didn't open the door.
I don't want to see him right now. I'm afraid I won't be able to control my emotions and will end up arguing with him.
The knocking stopped, then I heard Reed sigh: "Ingrid, I know you're hurting, but I really can't just watch Maria leave with regret."
"Once the wedding is over, everything will go back to the way it was. We'll be like before, okay?"
I smiled bitterly inside. Go back to the way it was? How could things ever go back to how they were?
Some things, once they happen, can never be undone.
I closed my eyes, my mind filled with every little moment Reed Carr and I had shared over the past ten years.
Those sweet memories now felt like sharp knives, constantly stabbing at my heart.
I didn't know how long I had leaned against the door before my legs went numb, and I slowly walked over to the bed and sat down.
I picked up my phone and scrolled through my chat history with Reed Carr—from the sweet confessions at the start to the daily little things later on; every message brimmed with the happiness we once shared.
But now, all that happiness has twisted into bitter irony.
I tossed my phone aside, lay back on the bed, and stared up at the ceiling with wide-open eyes.
I spent the whole night awake; it wasn't until dawn that I finally drifted off in a daze.
When I woke up, Reed Carr was already gone. On the table sat the porridge he'd made—now cold.
I got up and walked into the living room, where the invitation was still lying on the table, its red cover glaringly bright.
I walked over, picked up the invitation, hesitated for a long time, then finally tossed it into the trash.
I told myself I couldn't keep living like this—I needed to start living for myself.
Today marks ten years since I've been with Reed Carr.
I had planned to go to the restaurant where we had our first date tonight, to celebrate properly.
But now, because of that wedding invitation, everything has changed.
That evening, Reed Carr came home holding a cake, wearing a pleading smile. "Ingrid, today is our ten-year anniversary. I got a cake—let's eat it together."
I looked at him without saying a word, not moving a muscle.
Reed put the cake on the table, opened the box, and lit the candles. "Ingrid, come blow out the candles and make a wish."
I slowly walked over to the table and stared at the flickering flames, but inside, I felt nothing but cold.
"Reed, we need to talk." I spoke up, my tone so calm that even I was surprised.
Reed Carr's smile stiffened for a moment, then he nodded, "Alright, what do you want to talk about?"
"Let's talk about our ten years, about you and Maria Zamora's wedding." I looked into his eyes, speaking each word clearly.
"Ingrid, I know you're still angry, but I've already explained—Maria and I are just having a wedding ceremony; we won't be registering the marriage." Reed hurriedly said.
"Is having just a wedding enough?" I raised my voice, "Reed, have you ever thought about how I feel?"
"I've been with you for ten years. I've always wanted to be your bride. Every time I brought up marriage, you'd always refuse, saying you didn't believe in it."
"You said marriage was a shackle, something that would trap our feelings. I believed you. I thought as long as we loved each other, marriage didn't matter."
"And now? Maria just made up that she has stomach cancer, and you agreed without hesitation to marry her. What do you take me for?"
Reed Carr's face darkened. He furrowed his brow and said, "Ingrid, this is different. Maria is dying, I can't let her leave with regrets."
"Different? How exactly is it different?" I sneered, "So because I'm healthy, you think you can betray me however you want?"
"And do you still remember when I was pregnant last time?" I looked at him, my eyes filled with disappointment.
When he heard the word "pregnant," Reed Carr visibly tensed. His gaze flickered evasively: "I... I remember."
"Back then, when I showed you the pregnancy test and told you I was pregnant, I thought you'd be happy — that you'd change your mind about not wanting to get married, for the sake of the baby."
"What about you?"
"You wanted me to have an abortion, saying you weren't ready to take on family responsibilities. You said our life was fine as it was, and we didn't need a child to mess it up."
"Do you know how heartbroken I was? I thought you just hadn't figured it out yet, so I kept waiting for you to change your mind."
"But now, what I'm waiting for is the news that you're marrying another woman."
"Reed, what do I truly mean to you? What were these ten years we spent together?"
My voice grew increasingly choked, and tears helplessly streamed down my face once again.
Reed Carr looked at me with tears in his eyes, guilt flickering across his face. "Ingrid, I'm sorry. I know what I did was wrong, but Maria is truly pitiful."
"Pitiful?" I wiped away my tears and stared at him. "Reed, have you ever thought that Maria might not have stomach cancer at all?"
Reed was stunned, clearly not expecting me to say that. "Why would you even think that? Maria showed me her medical records—clearly stating late-stage stomach cancer."
"Medical records can be forged, and hospital diagnostic certificates can be faked, too." I said calmly.
"Have you gone to the hospital to verify? Have you met her attending doctor?"
Reed Carr was left speechless by my question. He opened his mouth but couldn't say a word.
"I think you've been fooled by her tears. You never actually verified the truth." I looked at him, my voice full of disappointment.
"Reed, you're too naive. Do you really think everyone is as kind as you imagine?"
"Maria just took advantage of your kindness, fabricating this lie to make you hold a wedding with her, to become your 'bride'."
Reed Carr was silent, his head bowed, lost in thought.
After a long pause, he finally spoke slowly, "Even if she really lied to me, so what?"
"The wedding's already been set, and the invitations have been sent. I can't just cancel it now, can I?"
Hearing his words, I felt my heart completely shatter.
I looked at him, my eyes no longer burning with anger or disappointment—only cold, calm detachment. "Reed, since that's how you feel, then there's nothing left for us to say."
"Let's break up."
The moment he heard the words "break up," Reed Carr's face went deathly pale.
He suddenly looked up at me, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief. "Ingrid, what did you say? You want to break up with me?"
"Yes." I looked him firmly in the eye. "Reed, we've been together for ten years. I've had enough of your selfishness and cowardice."
"Because of a lie, you'd rather hurt me, hurt what we've had for ten years. You are not worth my love anymore—or my waiting."
Reed stood up and grabbed my arm urgently. "Ingrid, don't be impulsive. Let's talk this through calmly. It's not what you think."
"I'm not acting on impulse; I've thought this through very clearly." I forcefully shook off his hand. "I'm not going to continue with you anymore."
"You call me selfish, call me cowardly—what about you?" Reed Carr's emotions flared up as well.
"Can't you try to understand me just once? I just want to do a good thing. Am I wrong?"
"Doing good? You're 'doing good' by hurting me—is that what you call kindness?" I shot back.
"Reed, your kindness is cheap and cruel."
"Cruel?" Reed sneered coldly. "Ingrid, you're just too stubborn; you only think about your own feelings and never consider anyone else."
"Maria is dying soon. She just wants to have a wedding. Can't you just make this happen for her? Do you have to be so petty about this?"
"Make this happen for her? Then who will make it happen for me? Who will make it happen for the ten years we've shared?" I shouted, my emotions spiraling out of control.
"Reed, wake up! She doesn't have stomach cancer at all. She's a liar!"
"Stop spouting nonsense!" Reed raised his voice as well.
"Maria is not that kind of person. You're just jealous of her—that's why you're making up these lies to slander her."
"Me, jealous of her?" I almost laughed in anger. "What would I have to be jealous of her for?"
"She lied to get your sympathy and ruin our relationship. Why should I be jealous of her?"
"Reed, you've been completely brainwashed by her—you can't even tell right from wrong!"
Our argument grew more and more intense, and we threw the house into chaos.
Reed looked around at the mess on the floor, then back at me, his eyes burning with anger. "Ingrid, you're being completely unreasonable!"
"I'm unreasonable?" I looked at him, tears welling up again. "Reed, you're the one who hurt me first—you're the one who betrayed us!"
"I didn't betray you! Maria and I are just having a wedding ceremony; we're not really getting married!" Reed Carr shouted.
"So having a wedding ceremony doesn't count as betrayal? What exactly does marriage mean to you?" I looked at him, feeling completely shattered.
"Enough! I don't want to argue with you anymore!" Reed Carr waved his hand impatiently.
"I'm not canceling the wedding. If you can't accept it, then we're over."
"Fine, we're over!" I said to him, each word clear and sharp.
"But Reed, I'm telling you, I won't let you and Maria have that wedding without a fight. I won't let you succeed!"
Reed Carr's face darkened when he heard me. He glared at me, angry: "Ingrid, don't push me too far!"
"Push too far? Me?" I shot back. I stared at him. "After what you did to me, this isn't even close to going too far."
Reed Carr trembled with rage. Suddenly, he raised his hand and slapped me hard with a sharp smack.
That slap left me dizzy, my face burning with pain.
I covered my face, staring at Reed Carr in disbelief as tears instantly blurred my vision.
We'd been together for ten years, and he'd never gotten this angry with me before, let alone hit me.
I looked at him, my voice trembling: "Reed, how could you hit me?"
Reed Carr stood frozen. He looked at his hand, then at my red, swollen cheek, his face flickering with panic and guilt. "Ingrid, I... I didn't mean to. I was just too upset just now."
"You didn't mean to?" I sneered coldly, "Just because you're upset, you think you can hit me? Reed, it's completely over between us."
I turned and walked into the bedroom, packed my things, and filled a suitcase.
When I came out of the bedroom, Reed was still standing there. He looked at the suitcase in my hand and hurried over. "Ingrid, where are you going?"
"Please don't leave me, okay?"
"I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have hit you. I shouldn't be having a wedding with Maria. I'll cancel the wedding—we'll start over, okay?"
I ignored him and walked straight to the door.
"Ingrid, please don't go—I'm begging you." Reed Carr grabbed my suitcase, his voice full of desperation.
I yanked my hand away and said coldly, "Reed, it's too late. There's no future for us anymore."
"I'll make sure your wedding with Maria turns into a joke."
With that, I dragged my suitcase and walked out of the home we'd shared for ten years without looking back.
The moment I stepped outside, I felt like a heavy weight had been lifted. Though my heart still ached, I mostly felt free.
I know that from this moment on, my life has to start all over again.
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