Chapter 3
A smile broke through.
And finally, without warning, the tears began to fall.
"Okay," I said.
"Let's get married."
Callum was quiet for just a few seconds.
Then Callum spoke again, his voice carrying a reassuring certainty.
"Where are you?
"I'll come get you."
The moment I heard those words, the tears came even faster.
I didn't make a sound, just bit my lip and let the hot tears roll down my face.
I told him the address near the Wallen family's ancestral estate.
"I'll be waiting for you," I said.
After hanging up, I wiped away my tears and walked out of that place that had stripped me of all my dignity, never once looking back.
Fifteen minutes later, a black Phaeton pulled up right in front of me.
The window rolled down, revealing Callum's gentle profile.
He wore gold-rimmed glasses, his features handsome, looking every bit the perfect gentleman.
Compared to him, Ethan was like a raging fire. Ethan was intense and domineering.
Callum had a quiet warmth about him. He was calm and reserved.
I opened the car door and got in.
The heater was blasting, and the warmth melted away the cold clinging to me.
Callum didn't start driving right away. Instead, he handed me a fresh handkerchief.
"Here, use this.
"Your eyes are all swollen from crying."
I took the handkerchief and quietly thanked him.
"I heard about what happened with the Wallen family," Callum said.
His voice was steady, like he was just talking about something that had nothing to do with him.
"Nona, are you really sure you want to marry me?" Callum asked.
He used my childhood nickname, Nona.
Growing up, only my family and Callum ever called me that.
Ethan always used my full name or just tossed out a "Hey" when he couldn't be bothered.
"I'm sure," I replied.
I lifted my gaze and looked him straight in the eye.
"Callum, I'm not acting on impulse, and I'm not doing this out of spite," I said.
"I've spent over twenty years making a fool of myself for a man who never loved me.
"I'm tired.
"I just want to live for myself finally.
"You asked me before if I'd give you a chance. Well, here's my answer.
"Yes. I want to.
"It's just that..."
I hesitated, my voice rough with emotion.
"This isn't fair to you."
Callum was just someone whom I was dragging into all this. He had nothing to do with my mess.
But Callum just smiled.
Behind those glasses, his eyes seemed to twinkle with starlight.
"To me, this is probably the fairest thing that's ever happened to me," he said.
"Nona, you have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that."
His words were like a stone dropped into the lifeless lake of my heart.
Ripples started spreading, one after another.
I'd always known Callum cared about me.
He was the most renowned heart surgeon in Merville, already an authority in his field even though he was still young.
Our families had been close for generations, but the Keller family leaned more toward academia and didn't really mingle with business families like mine.
We'd known each other since we were kids.
He always took care of me, like an older brother.
When I was running after Ethan everywhere, Callum was the only one who ever bothered to ask if I was tired.
When I bent over backwards to fit Ethan's preferences, ending up bruised and battered, Callum was the only one who cared.
I always thought it was just platonic love.
Until about a year ago, he confessed his feelings to me.
He told me he didn't want to be like my big brother anymore.
Back then, my whole world revolved around Ethan, so I rejected Callum.
I thought he'd give up and keep his distance.
But he didn't.
He just went back to being a friend, but he never stopped caring about me.
Looking back now, I realized how foolish I was.
I ignored the pearl right in front of me and kept holding onto a jagged rock that only hurt me.
The car cruised to a stop in front of the Sanders family's villa.
"Go home and get some rest. I'll pick you up tomorrow," Callum said.
"Pick me up?" I asked.
"To the city hall," he replied.
He pushed up his glasses, his voice completely earnest.
"Since you've decided, let's not wait any longer," he said.
"I don't want to give you any chance to change your mind."
My heart trembled hard.
I stepped out of the car, watched as he drove off, then turned and walked into my house.
The living room was filled with light.
My parents sat on the couch, their faces so dark and tense it felt like the air could crack.
"So you finally decided to come home!" Jonathan Sanders barked.
He slammed his hand down on the coffee table the moment he saw me.
"You've disgraced the Sanders family today!"
I knew he wasn't angry because I'd been humiliated.