Chapter 82.1
Chapter 82.1
“This is coming from someone who got married after breaking up twenty times.’”
Aisha declared solemnly. They tried not to laugh but couldn’t help chuckling. Marian shook her head slowly.
“So, it’s proven. Look at me now. Trying to patch up something that’s already done will only make you end up like me.”
“But why did you fight so much back then? There must have been some underlying reasons that kept repeating.”
Jasmine asked, curious. Marian squinted her eyes.
“I can barely remember now. We fought over trivial things. We fought out of jealousy, fought because someone didn’t pick up on hints. In the beginning, most of our fights were over nothing significant, and later on… Looking back now, it was all about pride.”
“Pride?”
“Yeah.”
Marian blinked a few times and ran her hand through her hair. After a brief pause, she muttered.
“Ugh, this is depressing.”
“What is?”
“Realizing nothing’s changed from before.”
For the first time, her low voice carried a bitter tone. Jasmine looked at her quietly, then grasped her small hand resting on the table for a moment before letting go. Marian’s continued voice sounded gloomy.
“Maybe even now, we’re just fighting a battle of pride. Waiting for the other to apologize first. I can’t understand why we’re stuck in this childish mindset.”
“Probably because figuring out who’s right and wrong feels meaningless now.”
Lichang said as she placed a warm scone on Marian’s empty plate. Marian glanced at her with slightly reddened eyes, her sophisticated, almost cold face showing a hint of disdain.
“You’re kind of annoying when you do this.”
“For saying the right thing?”
“Yeah.”
Lichang chuckled softly. Marian, with an affectionate look in her eyes, primly cut her scone into small pieces and ate.
Jasmine was lost in thought for a moment. In the past, she wouldn’t have fully understood Marian’s words, but now she felt like she did. Both Marian and Soyer were people with pride as tough as oxhide.
Marian, who had taken on the responsibility of supporting her family as the eldest daughter from a young age, and Soyer, who, despite his extraordinary talent, grew up alone, training himself in a path opposite to the tradition of producing judges in his family, without any support.
Both were loners in different ways, and pride was likely the only shield that sustained them as young children.
Perhaps they were drawn to each other because they were similar? And fought for the same reason.
So what about Richard and herself?
At first glance, they seemed so different. They had different beginnings and distinct personalities. He preferred quiet, while she enjoyed talking and laughing with people.
She found comfort and happiness in discussing things together and being open, but Richard preferred to think and decide alone.
While she would dive in headfirst and build things up one by one, Richard was cautious and meticulous, only making a move when he was certain.
She had already begun to consider their short relationship as part of the past, but Richard insisted that it wasn’t over yet.
They were so different.
What kind of magic had made her think they were once so similar, so alike that they knew each other better than anyone? Their differences now made her question how she ever felt that way.
So what was that feeling then?
The sense of unity, that fleeting moment when she felt she could understand, empathize with, and know everything about a man who had nothing in common with her—not even a single hair or flesh.
Perhaps seeing was believing, and belief itself became trust.
‘Then why couldn’t I trust you?’
She knew that this seemingly perfect person had some emotional immaturity, but when pushed to the limit, she found even that part of him frustrating and unreliable.
‘I did my best. Isn’t that enough? Then why are you doing this to me?
You claim to care about me, so why make me feel this way, make me anxious, and hurt me? Did I ask for too much? Do you think that because I love you, you can just push me around as you please? Do you think I’m a pushover? Is this all my fault, then? Why do I always have to be the one to endure?
It’s so easy for you to reject me, spend nights together, and then push for marriage as you please, but I’m on edge over one word from you about being upset.
When you look at me fondly, I get excited, but I’m also confused if you like me or just my body. I try to see only the good at this moment, even though my heart feels like it’s being torn apart when you put politics over our relationship, but you can’t even say you love me.
I know it might have been too soon for your cautious self. Still, is it too much to ask that you at least pretend to cherish me if you can’t respect me?
If that’s too much to ask, I’ll just selfishly look out for myself. Since it seems you can’t take care of my emotional well-being.’
Jasmine smiled bitterly, reflecting on her past self. That’s how it was back then. She couldn’t tell if this man truly cared for her or even knew how to care, and it frustrated and angered her that their relationship could only be maintained if she demanded and fought for the obvious.
An awesome story 💖💖
Thank you for the translation 💜
You are welcome, Israella!