Chapter 3

Garrison tossed out those words and strode into the bathroom, his face cold as ice.

Five minutes later, after his shower, Garrison indeed found no trace of that eyesore of a bag.

Not only that, but all my personal belongings in the house had vanished as well.

I had just finished taking out the trash when Garrison cornered me at the elevator.

He pinned me against the wall, his voice harsh as he demanded:

"Celestine, what the hell are you playing at?"

I blinked, genuinely confused:

"I'm not playing at anything."

He laughed bitterly:

"Do you know how ridiculous you look when you're being stubborn?"

Pressing my lips together, I looked him straight in the eye and said flatly:

"I was immature before, always pestering you and making you unhappy.

I've had time to think these past few days, and I realize we're not..."

Before I could finish, John's phone rang.

At this hour, it could only be Sarah calling.

I thought Garrison would answer immediately.

But unexpectedly, he didn't move an inch, his face darkening as he leaned in close to me.

"We're not what, Garrison? Go on."

"You should answer that. Sarah just left the country, she's in unfamiliar territory and needs someone by her side constantly."

Garrison seemed to snap out of a trance, immediately picking up the call.

"Hello, baby... I apologize, I've been too busy lately."

"Don't cry, Sarah. When you cry, it breaks my heart."

I watched as the man strode purposefully towards the parking lot, his resolute figure eager to fly overseas to meet Sarah.

Secretly, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Two days later, in the afternoon, the elders of both the Montgomery and Shaw families gathered together.

They were all smiles, ready to set the wedding date for John and me.

Before the meal began, I stood at the entrance of the private room, my slender figure pacing back and forth incessantly.

This caused the elders to tease me, saying I was eager to get married and couldn't wait to see Garrison.

Finally, Garrison arrived.

Not only did the man show up unexpectedly, but he also brought Sarah, who had returned from abroad early.

Without even glancing at me, Garrison held Sarah's hand as they both knelt before Grandmother Montgomery.

"Grandma, I've already proposed to Sarah."

The words dropped like a bombshell.

Garrison's statement caused an uproar throughout the room.

Under everyone's scrutiny, Sarah shrank into John's arms like a small animal, looking at me with tears in her eyes:

"Celestine, I know I promised you before that I would stay far away from Garrison.

"But I really can't control my feelings. For the love of Garrison, I, who have always been clumsy and timid, must be brave for love today."

I caught a fleeting glimpse of arrogance and satisfaction in Sarah's eyes.

That's when I knew she had also been reborn.

"Garrison! You're being ridiculous!"

Garrison's grandmother glared at Sarah, about to publicly reveal the truth about her taking money to go abroad.

But I cut her off, calmly speaking:

"Ma'am, between Mr. Montgomery and me, it has always been just me being delusional and having one-sided feelings."

"Actually, everyone knows deep down that Sarah is the one he truly loves. For Mr. Montgomery to find genuine happiness,

"I sincerely hope that you can approve of their marriage."

As soon as these words were spoken, all the relatives present were stunned.

Not just the two families, but the entire New York City upper crust knew that Celestine, the apple of the Shaw family's eye, had shamelessly declared that in this lifetime, she would marry no one but Garrison.

Yet now, here I was, personally begging Garrison's grandmother to bless Garrison and Sarah's love...

In an instant, the relatives on both sides who had been fuming on my behalf were struck speechless, at a loss for words.