Chapter 5

I stared up in disbelief. I understood each word individually, but strung together, it was incomprehensible.

Everyone knew who these legs were broken for.

Yet here he was, saying my broken legs weren't worthy of wearing wedding shoes?

"Why should I apologize?"

"It's Luna's birthday today. The birthday girl gets whatever she wants. Don't you understand that?"

Landon glared at me angrily, his voice loud.

I'd only heard that pure love was powerful, but I never imagined that the usually decisive, intelligent Landon could be so easily manipulated by such a clumsy ploy.

I couldn't be bothered to deal with him. I turned my wheelchair around and went back to my room.

Behind me, I could hear Luna's sobs and Landon's voice comforting her:

"Don't worry, I'll teach her a lesson!"

I locked myself in the small room and started trying to walk.

These past few days, I'd been secretly doing a lot of rehab training, and my condition was gradually improving.

Mrs. Winchester, worried I might be too upset, kept calling from outside the door for me to come out and join the fun.

Not wanting to worry the old lady, I opened the door and let her push me out.

The decorations in the yard were exquisite, looking even better than the scene at my engagement and proposal with Landon.Landon and Luna were high school classmates, and he had invited almost all of their mutual friends to attend.

They stood on stage, sharing stories from the past, holding hands and playfully teasing each other, appearing incredibly close.

In the lively scene, I seemed to be the only outsider.

Everyone knew I was Landon's fiancée, yet they all tactfully ignored me.

"They really were a perfect match back then. It was so strange how they broke up. I was disappointed about it for a long time."

"Yeah, looking at the situation now, do you think they've gotten back together?"

"How could that be? Landon's fiancée is right there!"

Amidst the chatter, several unkind glances fell upon me.

That kind of scrutiny and disdain made me feel uneasy.

I patted Mrs. Winchester's hand, signaling her to wheel me away.

But just as we turned to leave, the projection screen in the courtyard lit up.

Chaotic, noisy, and confusing sounds and images unfolded on the screen. I turned my head in horror to watch those scenes, my body involuntarily trembling.

The entire venue erupted into a frenzy, with everyone turning to look at me.

Even Mrs. Winchester froze, standing dumbfounded in place.

Tears fell without warning.Luna stood there, grinning wildly, her eyes seemingly telling me I had lost.

Landon hurriedly turned off the projector and strode towards me:

"Is this the lesson you wanted to teach me?"

Landon's steps faltered, his handsome face tinged with a hint of weariness, but he didn't deny it.

Disappointed, I turned my wheelchair around to leave. Mrs. Winchester, coming to her senses, called out my name and followed.

"How disgusting!"

"Landon's still willing to marry her?"

...

I ignored those words, pretending not to hear them.

But once back in my room, I shut myself in. An unprecedented sense of humiliation left me feeling numb all over.

I cried myself to sleep, only to wake up in the middle of the night to Landon's scent.

He held me from behind, patiently coaxing me:

"I'm sorry, Melody. I know you resent me, but I really had no choice."

"I feel guilty towards Luna, and towards you too. I don't know what to do."

"Tomorrow's the day we get our marriage license. Will you come with me in the morning?"

I heard myself say yes.

Perhaps it was time to leave, after all.

Early the next morning, Landon took me to the courthouse.

As he approached the door, Landon was stopped by a phone call. On the other end, someone was throwing a hysterical fit, and Landon patiently tried to calm them down.

I stood up from my wheelchair, turned around, and hailed a cab to leave.

As the car sped past, I looked at Landon's furrowed brow and softly whispered, "Goodbye."

Landon, tired from placating the caller, thought of me - the one he never had to coax.

Turning his head, he saw the wheelchair was empty.

He frantically grabbed a passerby, asking in a numb panic:

"The person in the wheelchair, have you seen them?"

He questioned several passersby, but they all shook their heads fearfully and walked away.

Landon was completely freaked out.

Thinking I had been kidnapped again, he called Luna...