As Love Fades Away

I ignored my friends and family’s objections and insisted on pursuing my now-girlfriend, who was disfigured in a car crash when she tried to save her first love. Some laughed at me for being a back-up plan, but I didn’t care. I worked day and night, earning money for her plastic surgery, and stayed by her side as she walked out of depression. But on the eve of our wedding day, as I was doing her laundry, a marriage certificate dropped out of her pants pocket. The groom was her first love. I was about to make things clear with her when I overheard her conversation with her best friend. “I know Steve saved me, but if Yves doesn’t marry me, he’ll be forced into a marriage alliance. I don’t want to see him lose his freedom. “As for Steve, I’ll find someone to forge a certificate for me. Don’t blurt this out, okay…” I felt my blood then grow cold as I quietly changed the groom of our wedding three days later to her first love. By the time she found out about the surprise, I would have left for abroad, never to return. Chapter 1 “Hazel, it was Steve who sold his house and car and even his own blood to save you from that car accident that disfigured you. He loves you so much, yet you ended up registering your marriage with Yves right before getting married to Steve. How could you do this to him?” “I know it’s not fair to him, but I can’t stand idly by watching Yves get forced into a marriage with another woman by his own family. He’ll lose all his freedom for the rest of his life.” As I heard my girlfriend’s voice of helplessness through the door to her room, I stood right outside as a cold dread washed over me, leaving my whole body trembling. Just moments ago, a folded-up marriage certificate had dropped out of her pants pocket when I was doing laundry for her. The groom’s name was Yves Landon, her first love. I felt a huge weight over my chest, suffocating me so much it hurt. I had wanted to demand an explanation from her but ended up accidentally overhearing her phone conversation. Five years ago, Yves caught the common cold but exaggerated his condition, making my girlfriend, Hazel Bale, drive to him with medication. She met with a car accident on her way there, and Yves fled abroad immediately, abandoning her for fear that she might hold him accountable and blame him. She was in critical danger at that time and was severely disfigured. She also had severe depression. I stayed vigil by her side at the hospital to take care of her and even used up all my savings on her treatment. I gave her my all just so that she could slowly walk out of the dark. I didn’t expect her to still be in love with Yves despite agreeing to marry me. I smiled bitterly and walked back to the guest room in silence. I tortured myself by staring at that marriage certificate and a photo of the two of them looking like a match made in heaven. They were wearing matching outfits, and Yves had a bright smile on his face, while Hazel looked more reserved in comparison. However, the way their shoulders pressed against each other left no doubt that their hearts were closely connected. The date indicated on the certificate was yesterday. Hazel had told me that her friend needed help. I asked her which friend it was, to which she hemmed and hawed, and even the look in her eyes was off. At that time, I had mistakenly thought that she was preparing a surprise for me. To think that she was harboring a guilty conscience. Over the past five years, I had never once thought of leaving her. I was the one who walked out of the hospital with her back then. I was the one who was by her side as she went through countless plastic surgeries to become beautiful and confident once more. I was the one who hugged her tight whenever she had nightmares. I was also the one who stayed by her side during her darkest moments. But now, I felt tired. I swallowed past the lump in my throat and called the wedding planner. “Change the groom to Yves Landon.” “Ch-change the groom? Do you have his measurements? We might have to redo the entire custom suit.” I blurted some figures without much thought over it. During the time I spent with Hazel, she had told me everything about Yves countless times, and I listened to her every single time. “Remember, don’t tell anyone about the change in groom.” I considered this surprise my final gift to Hazel. Chapter 2 The moment I hung up, Hazel opened my door and asked, “Don’t tell anyone what?” I said calmly, “It’s just work.” Hazel didn’t think much of it. She walked over and held my hand, saying softly, “Steve, our wedding’s three days away. Don’t be so busy at work and rest more so that you’ll be in your best state at the wedding.” The tender look in her eyes broke my heart. I asked her in all seriousness, “A perfect wedding should be between two people who love each other, right?” “Of course. A perfect wedding is only meaningful if it’s between two people in love, just like us,” Hazel said with a smile, which soon faded into confusion as she asked softly, “Steve, why are you asking that? Are you getting the jitters because the wedding’s around the corner? It’s okay. I love you, and I’ll never leave you my entire life.” I smiled bitterly to myself. Was registering her marriage with another man an act of love toward me? Hazel could sense that something was wrong with me and was about to push further when her phone rang. She glanced at the screen and a cold, conflicted expression crossed her face. After a few seconds of hesitation, she stood up to answer the call with an icy voice. “What is it?” I couldn’t hear what the caller said, but whatever it was made Hazel’s voice grew colder. “You are completely able-bodied. Can’t you do something so trivial? My time is precious, and I can’t waste it listening to your nonsense.” She fell silent for a few seconds, listening to what the caller had to say. The look on her face grew hesitant and conflicted. A few seconds later, she muttered an acknowledgement under her breath before hanging up. Before I could ask her further, Hazel looked apologetically at me and said, “Steve, I have something urgent to attend to and need to leave the house. Wait for me at home, okay?” I nodded. After she left in a hurry, a guess surfaced in my mind. The only man in this world whom Hazel hated and loved at the same time and could cause such a huge swing in her emotions with just a few words was no other than Yves, who had once abandoned her. I felt like a third party coming between them. Now that her true love had returned, it was time for me to leave. I was about to search for flight tickets departing the day after tomorrow when I received a friend request. It was from Yves Landon. After I approved his request, he immediately sent me dozens of photos of Hazel seated next to him, her head bowed as she peeled prawns and fed him. [Steve, thank you for taking care of my girlfriend. See that? A word from me, and she’ll come running to me, leaving you behind. Scram if you know what’s good for you.] His deliberate provocation only deepened my misery. During those days I spent with Hazel, I was always the one peeling prawns for her and taking care of her, for fear that she would be exhausted. Now that she was with Yves, she was the one who was always giving. It was painfully obvious who she loved. I quickly booked a flight ticket departing three days later before calling my secretary, Cherie Lyons. “I’ll be going abroad to explore opportunities for foreign expansion. Take care of the company while I’m gone, I might not be back for a few years.” Hazel Bale, I’m giving you your freedom back. - After I was done handing over my computer, I started clearing out all my belongings from the house. Since I had decided to leave, I wanted to make a clean break. Meanwhile, Yves kept texting me to show off. [Hazel is shopping with me and even bought me a branded suit. Don’t get mad, alright?] I switched my phone off, pulled the wedding photo off the wall in the bedroom, and threw it in the trash. When I was ordering takeout, I saw a text from Hazel containing a photo of her meal. [Steve, I’ll be having dinner with a client tonight. Be good and don’t forget to eat.] If I ignored the fact that the photo was an old one that she saved in her gallery, she would still be that kind and gentle girlfriend who always gave me a strong sense of security. Chapter 3 It was a pity that I had seen through her facade. I ignored her text and finished ordering my food. I took out our couple outfits from the wardrobe and scheduled a pickup service for recycling. A text from Yves then popped up on my phone screen. [We’re now taking a trip down memory lane at our old school. You might not know this, but this tree was where Hazel and I shared our first kiss.] I switched my phone off, turned on my laptop, and submitted the documents for my request to go abroad. When I received a verification code, another text from Yves popped up, accompanied by a photo. [We found a confession letter we buried in the sand previously. Hazel wrote that I’m the only man she’ll love in her entire life. Do you see it?] Such blatant displays of affection continued till the evening. I didn’t wait for Hazel to return, unlike what I had always done in the past, and went to bed immediately. After a long while, the lights in the living room were switched on, and Hazel walked in quietly. She asked softly, “Steve, are you asleep?” I jolted awake and sat upright on the bed. She sat by the bedside and said rather indignantly, “You didn’t stay up to wait for me tonight. “I was busy at work and came home late. Sorry.” She apologized sincerely, but I yawned and said with a wave of my hand, “It’s okay. Go to bed.” Hazel looked rather disappointed that I didn’t seem to care for her explanation. She was about to throw back the covers when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. “Where is the wedding photo? Why is it not there anymore?” She paused for a moment before looking around the entire room. She asked doubtfully, “Why does the room feel so empty, as if many things have vanished? Did you do some tidying up?” “I accidentally smashed something when I was cleaning up. The wedding photo and decorative items are all in the storeroom.” After my brief explanation, I reached out to switch the lights off. “Go to bed. I’m tired.” Hazel sensed that something was wrong but couldn’t quite identify what it was. She hugged me and said tenderly, “Steve, I’ll go with you to check out the wedding venue, okay?” I rejected her flatly. “I’m busy tomorrow. Perhaps another day.” I switched the lights off. Hazel was about to lie down when her phone screen lit up. She hesitated for a few seconds before tucking the sheets in for me and then turning to walk out of the room. When I woke up the next morning, I saw the breakfast that Hazel had lovingly prepared for me. Instead of taking a photo to commemorate the special occasion like I would have done in the past, I took two bites and threw the rest in the trash. I drove to the office to grab some documents. When I arrived at the entrance, I saw a familiar figure surrounded by a few employees who were pointing fingers at him and muttering under their breath. “Isn’t he the rascal who dumped Hazel back then?” “Hazel got disfigured from saving him from a car accident, while he left her so mercilessly for fear that he might be held accountable for his actions!” “Do you call yourself a man, Yves Landon?” “You shameless coward! The cheek of you to come back!” Yves bowed his head, his face pale with tears still hanging at the corner of his eyes. He shook his head and tried to explain his innocence. “No, I had my reasons for doing so back then. Please help me call for Hazel…” One of the employees pushed him away in disdain. “You’d better scram! If not, we’re calling security!” Just then, Hazel rushed out and demanded, “Stop! All of you!” She stood in front of Yves and scolded everyone else there, “Yves isn’t as bad as you make him out to be! Bully him some more, and see if you’ll end up losing your jobs! Get back to work right now!” Very soon, the crowd dispersed. Yves called out to Hazel, feeling both indignant and touched at the same time. Hazel’s head snapped toward Yves, and she glared at him, saying, “Are you stupid? Why didn’t you call me before coming over? “Why didn’t you hide far away from them when they started scolding you? Must you stand here and let them insult you?” Chapter 4 Hazel’s tone was harsh, but her words were filled with concern. She dragged Yves to the elevator, grumbling, “You haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? I’ll take you for some.” Ironically, she walked past me and didn’t notice me. - During those two days after my handover at work, I worked on my strategy abroad. Despite living under the same roof as me, Hazel did not notice what had changed with me. Conversely, she went on many dates with Yves under the guise of working overtime. After getting thousands of his texts ignored by me, Yves, who was trying to provoke me to anger, finally broke down. [Steve, you’re truly the ultimate cowardly wimp. Do you really not care that Hazel goes on a date with me every day? Are you really a man?] [Oh yes, let me tell you something. I kissed Hazel today and she wasn’t mad. Do you know what that means? She is your girlfriend by name, but her heart belongs to me!] I ignored his text as usual and focused on buying things I needed abroad and learning their language. As for Hazel, she treated me as tenderly as she usually did. However, I could sense a change in her mood. She smiled more frequently and started to doll herself up more, just like how she did in the past. I guessed that the misunderstanding between her and Yves had been resolved, and they were in the honeymoon stage of their rekindled relationship. However, all these had nothing more to do with me. Very soon, the eve of our wedding day rolled around. Hazel came back early to be with me, which was a rare occurrence. She wanted to discuss with me the details of the wedding tomorrow, but I was busy reading foreign financial news and very distracted whenever I replied to her. Hazel finally belatedly realized that something had changed about me. “What are you reading these for? Are you going on a business trip?” “We’re never too old to learn.” My reply was evasive and Hazel wanted to press further, but her phone rang right at that moment. A shy look flickered across her face, and she went into her room to chat with Yves. The moment day broke the next day, Hazel left the house despite needing to have her makeup done for the wedding. “Steve, I have something urgent to attend to. “Go to the wedding venue first and wait for me there. I promise I won’t miss our wedding. I love you.” I nodded distractedly and dragged my luggage case out and headed straight to the airport after she left the house. While waiting for my plane, Yves sent me another provocative text. [Steve, oh, Steve. I’ve seen through you. You’ve been such an ostrich precisely because you’re scared that your wedding today will come to nothing.] [A pity that a single call for me is enough for Hazel to come running to my side.] [I’ll come to your wedding today as your groomsman. Don’t thank me—you’ve helped Hazel so much, so you’re practically our benefactor.] This time, I didn’t ignore his text, which was what I had been doing over the past few days. For the first time, I typed a few words and sent it to him. [No need for that. I give you two my blessings.] Yves texted back multiple question marks. I ignored him once more. Very soon, when it was time for boarding, Hazel suddenly called me. “Steve, I’m at the wedding venue. Where are you? I even brought you a groomsman and want to introduce him to you…” Before I could say a word, shock registered in her voice. “Steve, what’s going on? Why is Yves’s name indicated as the groom on the banner? Did the wedding planner get mixed up? You…” “This is my last gift to you, Hazel. Let’s break up.” With that, I resolutely removed my SIM card, snapped it in two, and threw it into the trash. I boarded the plane without looking back.