One Way

I got together with Adrian when I was eighteen. At twenty-two, I moved to the bustling city for him. But all I got in return was him saying, "I never planned on marrying her, you guys are just messing around." After eight years with no commitment, I gave up. I was gone for three years. The day I returned, a friend asked me, "It's been three years. You two must have made up by now, right?" They all thought I was back to beg for him back. But what they didn't know was, I was back to get married. 1 "You're getting married?" I was sorting through the guest list. "Yeah," I replied. "The wedding is next week." My friend was silent on the other end of the line for a moment, then asked, "What about Adrian?" Hearing his name after three years felt strange, like a ghost from a past life. But he and I had ended things three years ago. I was the one who broke up with him. It was his birthday. I had come back early from a business trip to surprise him, but instead, I overheard him talking to his friends. One of them asked, "You're twenty-six, man. When are you gonna pop the question to Clara?" Adrian leaned back, a lazy, half-mocking smile on his face. "I never planned on marrying her. Don't start that." His friend was stunned. "You've been together for years. If you're not marrying her, who are you gonna marry?" "Like you said," Adrian replied, "we've been together for years. Where's the excitement in that?" Honestly, in that moment, I couldn't believe my ears. We had just been on the phone half an hour earlier. He had been so sweet, whispering and coaxing me to come back and celebrate a belated birthday with him. But now, I couldn't even picture that tenderness. The thought of breaking up hit me right then. That night, I didn't push open the door to confront him. I turned around, went home, and calmly packed my bags. Adrian came home at two in the morning. He walked in and stopped short, seeing me with my suitcase. He was only stunned for a second before he rushed forward, pulling me into his arms and nuzzling my neck affectionately. "Surprise? I love it." I pushed him away. "Adrian." "Hmm?" "Let's break up." We had threatened to break up before, but it was always me who caved first. Our mutual friends used to say, "Adrian is an insecure guy. He needs a partner who will never leave him. If you really want to be with him long-term, you have to be more patient with him." Back then, I really did love him. So I was willing to soothe him, to put his feelings first. From eighteen to twenty-six, I loved him fiercely and without reservation. And all I got in return was, "I'm not going to marry her." 2 "What are you talking about? You're breaking up with me just because I didn't spend my birthday with you?" Adrian's voice pulled me back to the present. He wrapped his arms around me again. "Come on, I'm not mad. We're not breaking up." My friends were wrong. Adrian wasn't a difficult partner. On the contrary, when he wanted to, he could be incredibly charming. On the surface, our breakups were always his doing, and our reconciliations were always mine. But no one knew that in the dead of night, he would use a mix of tenderness and pressure to win me back. He knew exactly how to find my softest spots, making me forgive him willingly. And now, he was trying the same trick again. As he leaned in to kiss me, I shoved him away with all my strength. Caught off guard, he stumbled back a few steps. Before he could regain his balance, I said, "I'm serious. I'm not joking." In an instant, his expression turned icy, his eyes dark and menacing. "Say that again." I couldn't blame him for being angry. In eight years, this was the first time I had initiated a breakup. Everyone, including Adrian himself, thought I would never leave him. But this time, I was truly tired. My gaze lingered on his handsome profile for a few seconds, then I looked away without hesitation and started to wheel my suitcase towards the door. I had only taken a few steps when the suitcase stopped moving. Adrian was holding onto it, his eyes locked on me. "Why?" He had beautiful eyes. Deep and intense, they had a way of making you feel like you were the only person in the world. I avoided his gaze. "If we don't break up, will you marry me?" In eight years, he had been rational, ambitious, and had meticulously planned his future. But I was never a part of that plan. The silence in the room was deafening. After what felt like an eternity, he finally asked, "Do we have to get married? Can't we just keep dating?" I met his gaze. His eyes were like black holes, pulling you in. Even though I was reluctant to let go of our eight years together, a relationship with no future felt pointless. Looking into those bottomless eyes, I managed a small smile. "It gets a little old after a while." The veins on his hand, gripping the suitcase handle, bulged. He practically spat the words out. "You're tired of it?" "Yes." He said "Fine" three times, his eyes turning red by the end. I didn't dare look at him anymore, afraid I would break down first. I turned and continued to walk away. The only sound in the quiet night was the dull rumble of the suitcase wheels on the floor. As I reached the entryway, his cold voice came from behind me. "If you walk out that door today, don't ever come back!" I paused, my throat dry. After a moment, I said, "Fine," and left without a backward glance. 3 We saw each other one more time after that. It was the night before I left the city. I had realized I'd left an important document in his study. I called him before I went over. The living room was empty, so I headed straight for the study. As I passed the master bedroom, I heard voices. I glanced inside and saw Adrian lying on the bed, a woman gently wiping his face. I recognized her. Sophia. The daughter of his father's close friend. The woman his family had arranged for him to marry. When she saw me, Sophia blushed and explained, "Clara, don't get the wrong idea. Adrian drank too much, we… nothing happened." I nodded, not wanting to chat, and went to the study. When I came back, the bedroom door was closed. But even so, I could clearly hear Adrian's voice, soft and intimate, cooing, "Babe~" Even though we were broken up, a wave of bitterness washed over me. I couldn't bear to listen, so I quickened my pace. As I reached the door, Adrian called out to me. "Don't come over anymore. Sophia will mind." He was leaning against the bedroom door, looking lazy. The top three buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing a lipstick mark on his collarbone. My eyes lingered there for a few seconds before I nodded. "Okay." The moment I stepped outside, I heard the sound of a vase shattering, followed by Sophia's alarmed cry, "You're bleeding!" I didn't turn back. I walked away as fast as I could. That was the last time we saw each other. For three years, we had no contact. So, he had no idea I was getting married. 4 When the news of my wedding got out, the first person to call me was Liam. A mutual friend of Adrian and me. "Clara, I heard you're getting married?" "The wedding is next week," I told him honestly. "I won't be sending you guys invitations." My fiancé had already sent them invitations; it would be inappropriate for me to send another set. As soon as I said that, I heard laughter and jeers from the other end of the line. "See? I told you. If she was really getting married, she'd invite you. It's obviously just an excuse to come back to the city." "What else can she do? Adrian's engagement is at the end of the month. She has to make a last-ditch effort, right?" "Exactly! They were together for eight years. How could she just watch him marry someone else?" I was taken aback for a moment, then I realized all of Adrian's friends were there. They were waiting to see how I would try to win him back. It was their usual game. Every time Adrian and I fought, they would place bets on how long it would take for me to come crawling back. They were certain I couldn't let him go. Not just because of his family's wealth, but because of our eight-year history. No one could just walk away from that. This time was probably no different. Just as I had that thought, someone shouted, "Adrian, if she begs you to take her back, are you gonna do it?" After a long pause, Adrian's voice, cool and unconcerned, came through. "I'm getting engaged. Why are we even talking about this?" Someone laughed. "You think Adrian is stupid? He's not gonna pass up the daughter of the Song family for some girl with no background. Would you?" Amid the laughter, I remembered something. When I first moved to the city, Adrian's friends were all very polite to me. I thought they had accepted me. Then, at Liam's birthday party, Sophia lost a priceless necklace. Her friends surrounded me, demanding I give it back. By the time Adrian arrived, I was a disheveled mess. Sophia said to him, "Adrian, don't be mad. They were just trying to help me find my necklace, that's why they were a little rough…" "Once we find it, I'll apologize to Clara, okay?" Adrian smiled, walked over to me, and patted my head affectionately. "It's not a big deal." I clutched his shirt, all the hurt and humiliation bubbling up inside me. I was about to tell him what had happened when he said, "If you wanted it, you could have just asked me. Why did you have to do this?" My mind went blank. I looked at him in disbelief. "You don't believe me?" He didn't say a word, but the mockery in his eyes said it all. I started to tremble, my hands and feet turning to ice. We had been together for so long; I thought he knew me. But he hadn't even asked a single question before taking their side. Everyone was looking at me. With contempt, with ridicule, with indifference. No one believed me. For some reason, I thought of what my grandfather had said to me before I left: "My dear, I won't stop you from pursuing your dreams. But remember, social classes are not so easily crossed. Even if he loves you, will his family and friends truly accept you?" I had confidently promised him, "Don't worry, Grandpa. Adrian won't disappoint you or me." I was young and naive then, I didn't understand the invisible chasm that lay between us. It was only when I was cornered and alone that I truly understood. 5 The laughter on the other end of the line continued for a long time. Someone shouted, "Liam, ask her where the wedding is. We're friends, after all. We should at least send a gift." After a moment, Liam's voice came through. "Clara, which church are you getting married in?" "The one on the island." As soon as the words were out of my mouth, someone else piped up. "See? I told you she was delusional. The Rogen family's wedding is next week, also on the island. Is she going to claim she's marrying Caleb Rogen next?" The group erupted in laughter. Even Liam couldn't help but whisper a warning, "Clara, you remember Caleb, right? His wedding is also next week…" "Liam," I interrupted. "It's my wedding to Caleb." The line went dead silent. Then, an explosion of laughter. "Has she lost her mind? Now she's dragging Caleb Rogen into it." "She's really desperate to make Adrian jealous." "Adrian, just take pity on her and meet with her. She's clearly not well after the breakup…" I didn't listen to the rest. I hung up the phone. A text from an unknown number immediately followed. 【Add me back.】 The familiar tone, the familiar attitude. I knew instantly it was Adrian. I deleted the message without a change in expression, turned off my phone, and went to sleep. The next morning, I had a video from Liam. It was from after I'd hung up. Adrian was sitting on a sofa, a cigarette glowing in the dark, illuminating his cold, handsome features. He let out a low chuckle. "Plenty of people have broken up with me. Am I supposed to meet with every single one of them?" "That's our Adrian! But if you don't meet with Clara, are you just going to let her leave empty-handed?" Someone else retorted, "She's the one who broke up with him! Now she regrets it and wants him back after three years? She's got some nerve!" "Exactly. Look at her, making up stories about marrying Caleb Rogen. Adrian was too good to her." Adrian didn't speak, just played with his phone, lost in thought. Then, Liam spoke up. "Clara's not a liar. Maybe she's telling the truth." "What's with you, Liam? Are you getting paid to defend her? Or do you have a thing for her?" Liam gave the speaker a long, hard look. "Have you all forgotten about the necklace incident? She suffered so much because of your prejudice." The room was silent for a moment. Then someone said, "It's easy to find out if she's lying. You all got invitations to the Rogen wedding, right? I'll call home and have someone send me a picture of the invitation." After about a minute, the person laughed. "See? I told you. There's no way Caleb Rogen is marrying Clara. The bride's last name is also Kane, but her first name is Claire." "Don't worry, Adrian. She's definitely back to get you back." … The video ended there. They were right. Caleb's bride's name was Claire Kane. What they didn't know was that Claire was me. Three years ago, my grandfather had a fortune teller read my chart. He said I was in for a bout of bad luck, and changing my name could ward off evil spirits. So, he gave me a new name: Claire. 6 I knew I would run into Adrian eventually. I just didn't expect it to be so soon. The day of my wedding dress fitting, Caleb had a last-minute emergency and said he'd be late. When I arrived at the bridal shop, Adrian was sitting in the VIP area. Our eyes met. I gave a polite nod and followed the consultant to the dressing room. While I was waiting for the stylist, Adrian walked in and locked the door behind him. Before I could react, he was standing behind me. The dressing table mirror reflected his handsome face. "Why did you block me?" he asked, his tone as familiar as if we had never been apart. He was actually the one who had blocked and deleted me first. The day I left the city three years ago. How did I know? I didn't, not at first. Liam let it slip. He had called me to ask for a photo of Adrian. I told him I would send it to Adrian directly. "You can't," Liam had said. "He blocked you. Just send it to me." I was stunned. Adrian and I had an unspoken rule: no matter how bad the fight, we would never block or delete each other. That was the first time the rule had been broken. And he was the one who broke it. After I sent the photo to Liam, I opened my own phone, deleted every picture, every memory of Adrian, and blocked all of his contact information. And now, the one who started it all was questioning me. I warily put some distance between us. "Adrian, we've broken up. And we're both about to get married. There's no need for us to be in contact." A slow, meaningful smile spread across his face. "There's no one else here. You can drop the act." I frowned. "What act?" "You're only saying you're getting married to get my attention, to make me come back to you." Honestly, I was shocked that even after three years, he was still so certain I would come back. And I finally understood that my endless patience and tolerance over the past eight years had given him this unwavering confidence. "Adrian," I said, "no matter what you think, I'm back to get married. As soon as the wedding is over, I'm leaving. If I've done anything to give you the impression that I want to get back together, I apologize." He was silent, studying me. After a long moment, he asked, "Is it because of my arranged marriage?" "It has nothing to do with that, Adrian. I'm getting married…" He cut me off. "Okay, okay, I get it. You're still mad." He ignored the last part of my sentence and softened his tone. "It's been three years. Are you still not over it?" He raised his hand, as if to pat my head like he used to. I moved away, avoiding his touch. "Can't you understand English? I'm here to marry Caleb. It has nothing to do with you." His hand froze in mid-air. His eyes grew cold, his voice dropping to a dangerous low. "Clara, if you wanted to find someone to make me jealous, why did you have to pick Caleb? The Rogens are out of your league." Just like before, he didn't believe me. The prejudice was ingrained in him. He was convinced I could never reach someone like Caleb, could never marry into a family like the Rogens. For some reason, I started to laugh. "In your eyes, am I really that worthless?" His brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?" He sighed. "Fine. If you want to come back, then come back." "Come back to where? Your new home? And what role am I supposed to play?" His expression darkened. "Clara, I'm already backing down. What more do you want?" "I don't need anything from you." I didn't want to get into another pointless argument with him. I tried to walk past him. As I turned, he grabbed my wrist. His voice was low. "If you really want to get married that badly, I can marry you." I turned back, a sarcastic smile on my face. "Marry me? I thought you never planned on marrying me." His face went pale. "Who… who told you that?" "You did," I said, looking him straight in the eye. "That day. I was right outside the door." His expression shifted from confusion to shock, then to understanding. "So you broke up with me because you heard that?" "Yes!" If I hadn't decided on a whim to go back and surprise him for his birthday, I would still be in the dark, desperately holding onto a relationship that was never going to go anywhere. The atmosphere in the small room became tense. His lips were pressed into a thin, cold line. "Why didn't you ask me?" he asked, his voice strained. "Would it have made a difference?" He was about to say something else when a knock on the door interrupted him. It was the consultant. "Miss Kane, do you need any help?" "No, I'm coming out now." I took advantage of his distraction, pulled my hand free, and walked out. But I stopped short when I saw who was standing outside the door. 7 Sophia was standing outside the dressing room in a wedding dress. I didn't know how long she had been there, or how much she had heard. "Clara," she said. "Long time no see." I gave a slight nod in acknowledgement. "Can I talk to you alone for a minute?" "No, I'm busy." I turned to the consultant. "Could you please find me another dressing room?" "Of course. This way, please." "Wait." Sophia walked over, holding up her dress. "I heard you're getting married. Congratulations." "Thank you." "Adrian and I are having our engagement party at the end of the month. Can you come? I think Adrian would be very happy to have your blessing." Sophia was pretty in a delicate, quiet way. Anyone would think she was a sweet, innocent girl. But I just found her annoying. After the necklace incident, she never apologized to me. Instead, she said to Adrian, "It's all my fault. I should have checked my bag more carefully, then things wouldn't have gotten so out of hand." Adrian had laughed. "Everyone knows you're a little scatterbrained. We're used to it." Then she had turned to Liam. "I'm so sorry. I almost ruined your birthday party." They were all laughing and talking, but no one thought to apologize to me. I was the victim, but they were all comforting the perpetrator. "Don't come to our engagement party." Adrian's voice pulled me back to the present. He had walked out of the dressing room as if he owned the place. The moment he appeared, Sophia's face went pale. But she quickly forced a smile and said sweetly, "Adrian, I was just looking for you. I didn't realize you were catching up with Clara." She walked over and linked her arm through his. "I wasn't thinking. I forgot Clara has her own wedding to prepare for. Do you have time tomorrow? I'm planning a birthday celebration for Adrian. You haven't been back in a while, it would be a good chance to catch up with old friends." I shook my head. "I have plans tomorrow night." Caleb was taking me to meet his friends. And even if I were free, I wouldn't go to their party. But I never expected that we would run into each other anyway. 8 During a break at the dinner party, I went to the restroom. On my way back, I ran into Adrian coming out of the private room next to ours. The moment our eyes met, I saw a flicker of mockery in his. "I thought you said you were busy."

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