Chapter 9
“Uncle Williams, Auntie Williams, what are you doing here…”
I stared at Peter Williams’s parents, feeling utterly helpless.
“Audrey, we heard there’s been some trouble between you and Peter lately. He’s been in a bad state, thinking only of you. As his mother, I just can’t stand seeing him like this,” Peter’s mother sighed deeply, wiping at the
corners of her reddened eyes.
“I know, it was Peter who made mistakes, but he’s realized them. You’ve been together for so many years-
how can you just end things like that?”
Peter nodded desperately beside her.
“I came here to help you two resolve your differences. You’re not kids anymore. It’s rare to find someone like
each other, and if you let this slip away, you’ll regret it forever.”
“Audrey, I’ve thought it all through clearly. I swear I’ll never make the same mistake again. If I do, may I suffer
the worst!” He swore solemnly.
I kept looking into his eyes, trying to feel my heartbeat shift.
Watching him grovel and apologize, I suddenly realized I felt nothing. No love, no anger-just emptiness.
“Audrey, I really don’t want to let you go…”
He reached out to take my hand.
The cold touch of his fingertips barely grazed my arm before another hand slapped his away.
“Peter Williams, you two are already broken up. Can you stop clinging to her like a stray dog?”
Finn, who had been sent to the North Market for supplies, had somehow come back.
His face was icy cold, and his stance was fierce, like he could devour anyone who dared cross him. He stood
protectively in front of me.
“Who are you? This is between Peter and me. What business is it of yours?”
“I’m Audrey’s suitor! And I can’t stand to see you acting!”
Peter’s face darkened as he sized Finn up. “Are you even twenty?”
“What does my age have to do with you?”
Finn yanked a chair behind him and plopped down between Peter and me.
“As long as I’m here, no one’s allowed to mess with Audrey.”
“Who the hell do you think you are?” Peter slammed his hand on the table and stood up. Maybe the tension had built up too long-he exploded like a powder keg right there.
Peter’s mother saw the situation was getting out of hand and quickly stepped in front of him, glaring at me.
“Audrey, you’re being unreasonable.”
“You haven’t even cleared things up with my son yet, and now you bring in this brash kid?”
“Aren’t you just playing both sides?”
I almost laughed from how ridiculous she sounded. “Auntie, don’t go slapping labels on me. I made it clear with your son-broken up means broken up.”
“He’s the one who won’t let go, keeps clinging to me. I’m done talking about this. Even if he’s the only man left in the world, I will never get back with him.”
I turned to Peter, voice steady and certain, each word deliberate, “Peter, I don’t love you anymore.”
That sentence was a death sentence for him.
His pupils flickered, his gaze lost focus, and his eyes reddened painfully.
“Audrey… that can’t be true. You must be angry and saying things you don’t mean, right?”
I shook my head.
“I’m not angry, and I’m not saying this out of spite. The next time I see you, I won’t feel a thing anymore.”
“Eight years together-I thought it would hurt for a long time, but it hasn’t.”
“I really don’t love you anymore, Peter. You need to move on. Continuing to cling to this has no meaning.”
