Part 3
Jeffery Hoffman chased after me for ten years, but I never had any intention of being with him.
That was, until the moment a truck sped towards me on the street, and without a second thought, he pushed me out of the way, standing in front of me.
Before being taken away by the ambulance, he tightly grasped my hand. “As long as I can save you, I’m willing to sacrifice my life. I just hope you’ll give me a chance in the next life.”
His words moved me deeply. I resigned from my research position abroad and, against all odds, returned home to marry him.
Who would have thought that the love I once had for him would now become a tool for him to manipulate?
Fortunately, though we were mates, we hadn’t yet marked each other physically. As long as neither of us swallowed Breakbond Herb, the bond could still be severed.
I took a deep breath and said coldly, “Fine, do whatever you want. Cancel it if you must.”
Without hesitation, I walked out the door, not sparing another glance.
I didn’t notice the confusion that flashed across Jeffery’s eyes.
That night, I went home to pack all my belongings, preparing to leave for the airport early the next morning.
But I didn’t expect Jeffery to return in the middle of the night.
He stood in the doorway, shocked by the somewhat empty house. "Where's our photo wall? And the pictures I took of you during our trips?"
I answered casually, “They fell and broke. I threw them away.”
Jeffery stepped closer, hugging me from behind. "Why won’t you look at me? Are you upset?"
He sighed, his voice dripping with frustration. “You should learn to yield a little. There were so many relatives today. I even introduced Fiona to them, and then you showed up. It was so awkward.”
“If you’d just dropped off the gift and left, none of this would have happened.”
Suddenly, I felt him grab my hand and slip something onto my ring finger. It was a woman’s ring, only it wasn’t the one I originally wore.
"Don’t be upset anymore. I’ll fulfill my promise to you. We’ll have our wedding tomorrow. Fiona won’t disrupt us again. Promise me you’ll be there on time, okay?"
He leaned in to kiss me, but I pulled away sharply.
Jeffery’s expression soured, and just as he was about to speak, Fiona’s ringtone echoed through the room.
Without missing a beat, he rushed out to answer the call.
Not long after, he came back and reminded me, “I need to go out. Remember to be at the wedding venue on time tomorrow!”
The door slammed shut, leaving me alone in the stillness of the night.
I didn’t plan to go to the wedding. But eventually, I decided to, if only to return the ring to Jeffery.
When I arrived at the venue, I was stunned. The bride wasn’t me, it was Fiona Keller.
A huge poster displayed her name, and she stood there in a white wedding dress, holding a bouquet and smiling warmly at the guests.
When she saw me, she grinned maliciously. “Bella Ford, you didn’t really think today’s wedding was for you, did you?”
“Jeffery agreed long ago to marry me today. I just wanted you to witness it firsthand. He invited you for that very reason.”
"You should thank me, because without me, you wouldn’t even have had the chance to enter."
Then, her smile twisted. Something clicked in my mind, but it was too late.
She flung a handful of roses with sharp thorns at my face. The thorns cut into my skin, and blood began to drip down, blurring my vision with a flood of red.
Jeffery saw what happened and rushed over, pushing me aside with force.
He looked down at me with a mix of anger and disappointment.
"Bella Ford! I graciously invited you to our wedding—why would you harm Fiona?"
"I already gave you a ring. What more do you want?"
With a cold expression, he took Fiona’s arm, pulling her away from me. Through my blood-streaked vision, I saw Fiona’s smug smile.
I struggled to my feet, feeling the sting of my wounds. Trembling, I placed the letter and the ring at the door.
Then, without a word, I turned and walked out, without looking back.
On my way to the airport, I took the Breakbond Herb. The immense pain overwhelmed me, and I lost consciousness.