Chapter 21
It had been so long since I’d truly let loose, so at the pajama party, I had several glasses of wine.
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After an intense pillow fight, my emotions were at their peak–I was so excited I’d even say hello to a stray cat.
This continued until the party ended. After walking the last two tipsy neighbors home, I hummed a tune as I headed back to my house.
From a distance, I noticed a blurry figure standing at our door, holding a box.
It was so late, my birthday was already over. Who could it be?
As I got closer and recognized the face, the smile instantly vanished from my face, my tone turning cold.
“What are you doing here?”
Catching my mood shift, a flash of pain crossed Ryder’s eyes, almost imperceptible. His voice was hoarse.
“Autumn, happy birthday.”
I didn’t respond. I walked straight to the door, unlocked it, and was about to go inside.
Ryder must have thought I hadn’t heard him, so he called out again.
“Autumn, happy birthday. This is the gift I got for you.”
His voice was so loud that my mom heard from the living room and called out.
“Who is it? Autumn, is that you back?”
Not wanting my parents to know Ryder was here, I quickly answered.
“It’s me. Just getting some fresh air. I’ll be in soon.”
Then I turned to face Ryder, making my position clear in a few words.
“I don’t need this.”
The light in his eyes gradually dimmed.
But he still forced a smile and continued trying to persuade me.
“I know you don’t want to see me, but I promised you once that I’d get you a birthday gift every year. I don’t want to break that promise. Autumn, please just take it.”
As he spoke, he opened the box.
Seeing the dazzling, beautiful gemstone necklace inside, I fell silent for a long time. On my sixteenth birthday, my parents had given me a necklace.
Ryder had been surprised when he saw it and told me his family had what was supposedly an heirloom necklace with a similar style.
Afraid I wouldn’t believe him, he’d gone home to get it, then proudly showed it to
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- me.
“Isn’t mine much prettier than yours? But I should tell you, my mom’s saving this for her future daughter–in–law. You can just look at it.”
At that time, Ryder always had Elle’s name on his lips.
I thought he was hinting that he didn’t like me, that we would never have a chance together.
Those unspoken feelings were buried deep inside me.
Even after we started sleeping together and I heard all his sweet words, even after my heart raced for him countless times…
I never dared tell him I’d liked him for years.
I’ll always remember the casual smile on his face when he held up that necklace, and the absolute certainty in his voice.
So seeing this necklace again, I still felt a sense of déjà vu.
There was nostalgia for the past, but no fluttering in my heart anymore.
I took a few steps back, distancing myself from him. My voice was clear and quiet, but absolutely firm.
“Stop doing these meaningless things, Ryder. We’re over. I won’t accept this necklace or anything else you try to give me in the future.”
With that, I turned and walked into the house without stopping.
A cold autumn wind blew, making Ryder shiver.
He watched my retreating figure, feeling something being pulled out of him. All the frustration and pain he’d suppressed for so long finally crumbled and poured
out.
“What will it take for you to forgive me? We’ve been together for over twenty years -do you really want to cut me out of your life completely?”
“Autumn, no matter how harsh your words are, I will never give up. I’ll prove to you that you’re the only one in my heart. In this lifetime, it has to be you!”
No matter how loudly he shouted, I never looked back.
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