Chapter 3
With that, Darren turned around and got back to gaming with his buddies.
Jane gave me a casual glance, snickered, and went over to join them.
No one bothered to look at me the whole time.
I felt like an outsider, like I didn't belong at all.
I shivered and suddenly blurted out, "How much longer do I have to deal with this?"
The gaming noises died down, and Darren shot me an impatient look.
"Two hours, tops. Buddle up," Darren replied.
"But I've got sinus issues. I can't take it," I protested.
"That's your problem, not mine," Darren shot back.
He twisted the controller so hard that it looked like he was about to break it.
The vibe in the room got awkward.
The others exchanged glances and tried to smooth things over.
"Hey, Maggie, why don't you hang out in the bedroom for a bit? You can turn up the heat in there. We'll be done soon," one of them suggested.
I nodded and headed into the bedroom.
The next second, I heard snickering from outside the door.
"Why are you trying to please her? Darren doesn't give her the time of day," one of them said.
"She does look pathetic," another chimed in.
Someone else scoffed, "Anyone who looks that pathetic probably has something about them that's plain irritating.
"I can't stand those overly dramatic types, always acting all superior, but you see, she can't stay away from Darren."
"Yeah, seriously. I've never seen anyone grovel as much as Maggie," someone else laughed.
They were making fun of me to my face, and Darren didn't say a word the whole time.
It showed that he felt the same way they did.
I checked the time. It was Monday the next day.
I dragged out my last suitcase and pushed the door open.
Their laughter froze on their faces.
Darren's face turned sour.
"Do you have to be so dramatic? All this because you can't change the temperature?" he snapped.
Jane stood up, her eyes a little red.
"It's all because of me, Maggie. You don't have to leave. I'll go instead," she said softly.
But before she could take a step, Darren jumped to his feet.
"Stay right there. If she wants to leave, let her," he snapped.
Darren's friends looked like they'd finally had enough of me.
"Seriously, it's about putting on a jacket. Why is she making such a big deal out of it?" one of them grumbled.
"She acts like she owns the place. Who listens to her?" another scoffed.
"No wonder she's an orphan. No one can put up with someone like her," someone else sneered.
I stiffened, swallowing the bitter ache in my chest, and slowly turned to look at Darren.
His face was cold, and he did not care at all.
He stared at me and said, enunciating every word. "If you're leaving, don't bother coming back."
Even now, his first instinct was to threaten me.
I wasn't sure if I felt relieved or numb, but I let out a soft laugh and walked out the door.
The door slammed with a loud bang, and Darren smashed his favorite game console to pieces.
After what felt like forever, Darren muttered a curse under his breath.
He yanked the door open and stormed out.
But I was already gone.
One of Darren's buddies sensed something was off and asked cautiously, "Darren, want me to go get Maggie and bring her back?"
Darren stared into the thick darkness, feeling suffocated with frustration.
He never thought I'd have the guts to leave him for real.
He let out a cold laugh, a confident smirk on his face.
He sneered, "Why bother? She'll be back in three days, tops.
"The day to register the marriage is set. If she doesn't show up, that's on her."
When I checked into the hotel, Jane sent me that voice message.
Her tone dripped with ridicule, like she wanted me to wake up and see how things truly were.
Jane: [If you had any backbone, you'd never come back.
"But I know you can't let go of Darren, your meal ticket. Even if nobody wants you around, you'll stick to him like gum, pathetic and impossible to shake off.]
I knew she was deliberately provoking me, hoping I'd never come back.
It made me want to laugh. I almost told her she didn't need to bother.
But in the end, I blocked her.
Early the next morning, Harry came to pick me up for our wedding.
He looked sharp and put-together, gazing at me for a long moment before planting a gentle kiss on my cheek.
"You look beautiful," he said softly.
I lowered my head, blushing slightly, and smiled.
When we arrived, I snapped a quick photo of the city hall entrance and walked in hand in hand with Harry.
Meanwhile, one of Darren's friends, who'd been up all night, suddenly slumped onto the couch.
"Holy crap, Darren, check out what Maggie's up to," he blurted out.
Hearing my name, Darren snatched the phone away.
On the screen was a photo of the city hall.
He smirked, his lips curling with disdain.
"Oh, didn't she run away from home? Now she's at city hall, trying to make him marry her?" he sneered.
Everyone burst out laughing in an instant.
"Are you going, Darren?" someone asked.
"No way I'm going. If I show up, it's like I'm giving in," Darren replied.
Darren's face, which had been tense all night, finally relaxed a bit.
He raised an eyebrow, a cocky grin spreading across his face. "It depends on my mood. Maybe when I've cooled off..."
"Wait, that's not right," someone blurted out.
Before he could finish, someone else pulled up the latest update.
"Maggie registered her marriage? Isn't that Harry, the heir to the Jenkins Group?" someone exclaimed.