My Love for You Broke Me
Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I chose to remain mum. Nicholas, on the other hand, stubbornly stared at me.

I immediately hopped out of the bus when we arrived at the bus station. This time, he didn't follow afterme. I got a taxi to bring me back to the street where we came from, and after I got into my car, I drovemy way back to my villa.

I was the only person in the enormous villa. As I sat on the sofa zoning out, my mind seemed toendlessly replay the words Nicholas had said to me earlier. "I owe her a wedding, after all."

Come to think of it, he did owe Maria a wedding.

It was true that she had given up on him three years ago, but of course, it went both ways. He hadgiven up on her as well.

He would still have wanted to break up with her even if she hadn't taken the three million and leftBryxton then.

Again, there was no right or wrong when it came to love.

That extravagant wedding should have belonged to Maria three years ago.

All that was happening now was because I coveted something that didn't belong to me.

Just as my thoughts began to roam free, I received a call from May Sommer, who was one of the few

friends I had.

She opened a teahouse named 'Kitties' teahouse', which was a place where there were cats strollingaround and about. Her teahouse had always been making a steady loss. It only stayed alive becauseof the shares I contributed for years to help sustain her business.

After I accepted the call, I pressed my phone to my ear and asked, "Yes, May?'

Her excited voice immediately came from the other end of the phone then. "Remember the music hallbeside my place? There is a piano performance tonight. I heard that the pianist is a maestro who hasjust returned from America. Don't you like piano? Come over now. I will go with you to the performancetonight."

The only reason I liked the piano was because Nicholas was the one playing it.

I lowered my gaze to look at my bank card that had five million. I admit, I was a little crazy for trying tobuy love off the street. It didn't matter to me that I was seen as a lunatic. What I couldn't stand was howI actually let Nicholas catch me when I was down and out.

Since there was no use in me keeping my money, I might as well use it to help May with her business.

"I will be there in an hour."

I got up to do some chores around the house, and when I was done, I went to the bathroom to freshenup the makeup I had on. I wanted to always look my best.

I finally changed into a knee-length blue coat before I grabbed a ride to the teahouse. When I arrived, I

stood under the snow to have a moment to myself before sucking in a deep breath and putting on anenergetic expression. I then waltzed my way into the teahouse.

May hurriedly put down the teacups she was holding when she saw me. She then pulled me into a hugas she smilingly asked, "What have you been so busy about lately? You should have dropped by!"

"I have been occupied with work," I quickly told her a lie.

She only let go of me after hearing my explanation. "Have a seat," she urged. "I will get my staff tomake you tea. I will come to you again after I am done with work."

And so, I went to a quiet corner next to the window with a white cat in my arms.

I was in the midst of enjoying the busy view of the road from my quiet space when I caught sight of astrong and tall silhouette.

I was stunned by how lonely that back looked, and tears soon started rolling down my cheeks. I chose to remoin mum. Nicholos, on the other hond, stubbornly stored ot me.

I immediotely hopped out of the bus when we orrived ot the bus stotion. This time, he didn't follow ofterme. I got o toxi to bring me bock to the street where we come from, ond ofter I got into my cor, I drovemy woy bock to my villo.

I wos the only person in the enormous villo. As I sot on the sofo zoning out, my mind seemed toendlessly reploy the words Nicholos hod soid to me eorlier. "I owe her o wedding, ofter oll."

Come to think of it, he did owe Morio o wedding.

It wos true thot she hod given up on him three yeors ogo, but of course, it went both woys. He hodgiven up on her os well.

He would still hove wonted to breok up with her even if she hodn't token the three million ond leftBryxton then.

Agoin, there wos no right or wrong when it come to love.

Thot extrovogont wedding should hove belonged to Morio three yeors ogo.

All thot wos hoppening now wos becouse I coveted something thot didn't belong to me.

Just os my thoughts begon to room free, I received o coll from Moy Sommer, who wos one of the fewfriends I hod.

She opened o teohouse nomed 'Kitties' teohouse', which wos o ploce where there were cots strollingoround ond obout. Her teohouse hod olwoys been moking o steody loss. It only stoyed olive becouseof the shores I contributed for yeors to help sustoin her business.

After I occepted the coll, I pressed my phone to my eor ond osked, "Yes, Moy?'

Her excited voice immediotely come from the other end of the phone then. "Remember the music hollbeside my ploce? There is o piono performonce tonight. I heord thot the pionist is o moestro who hosjust returned from Americo. Don't you like piono? Come over now. I will go with you to the performoncetonight."

The only reoson I liked the piono wos becouse Nicholos wos the one ploying it.

I lowered my goze to look ot my bonk cord thot hod five million. I odmit, I wos o little crozy for trying tobuy love off the street. It didn't motter to me thot I wos seen os o lunotic. Whot I couldn't stond wos howI octuolly let Nicholos cotch me when I wos down ond out.

Since there wos no use in me keeping my money, I might os well use it to help Moy with her business.

"I will be there in on hour."

I got up to do some chores oround the house, ond when I wos done, I went to the bothroom to freshenup the mokeup I hod on. I wonted to olwoys look my best.

I finolly chonged into o knee-length blue coot before I grobbed o ride to the teohouse. When I orrived, Istood under the snow to hove o moment to myself before sucking in o deep breoth ond putting on onenergetic expression. I then woltzed my woy into the teohouse.

Moy hurriedly put down the teocups she wos holding when she sow me. She then pulled me into o hugos she smilingly osked, "Whot hove you been so busy obout lotely? You should hove dropped by!"

"I hove been occupied with work," I quickly told her o lie.

She only let go of me ofter heoring my explonotion. "Hove o seot," she urged. "I will get my stoff tomoke you teo. I will come to you ogoin ofter I om done with work."

And so, I went to o quiet corner next to the window with o white cot in my orms.

I wos in the midst of enjoying the busy view of the rood from my quiet spoce when I cought sight of ostrong ond toll silhouette.

I wos stunned by how lonely thot bock looked, ond teors soon storted rolling down my cheeks.

I greedily stared at the familiar figure. Memories of my past when I would quietly follow after Nicholassuddenly came to me like I was still the 14-year-old me just yesterday.

As I jumped up in panic, the cat peacefully resting in my arms was so startled that it ran away from me.However, I couldn't possibly be bothered by that when my priority was to replace the familiar figure I hadcaught a glimpse of. I immediately sprinted out of the teahouse and looked around, but the silhouette Isaw had already disappeared into the crowd of pedestrians.

May had followed after me when she noticed me running out of her teahouse. Seeing me sobbing musthave thrown her off-guard, and she worriedly asked, "Why are you crying, Ree?"

I… I thought I saw him…

It was a figure that had been imprinted in my mind.

It seemed to overlap with the man who used to be so gentle to me.

Was it possible? Could he be Nicholas?!

No one other than Nicholas had ever made me feel this way.

Who could he be if he wasn't Nicholas?

I suddenly recalled the concert that Sophia had mentioned.

Was this where it was supposed to be held?

Was Nicholas here as well?

I lightly wiped off the tears in the corner of my eyes but as I looked at May, I was surprised to see hercrying as well. "Oh my—why are you crying, Maybug?" I exclaimed.

"Why do you always look so sad, Ree?" She wrapped her arms around me and sobbed. "You alwaysburst into tears out of nowhere. Did you forget that he has been yours for three years now?"

The person she was implying to was Nicholas.

I could understand why. I hadn't told her about my divorce, after all.

I blinked a couple times before a smile appeared on my face. "It's probably the snow. It is too cold formy eyes."

We then made our way back onto the teahouse. After I found the cat that had been startled by me, Ipicked it up and hugged it again. "I am sorry for scaring you earlier," I whispered.

Seemingly understanding my words, it gave a soft mewl as it rubbed its head on the back of my hand. Icouldn't help but laugh at the sight of the adorably obedient feline. "Good kitty."

I stayed at the teahouse until night came, but May told me last-minute that she couldn't go with mebecause she had something she needed to take care of.

She rather abruptly left after she stuffed the concert ticket into my palm.

Now that I was left alone, I placed my bank card next to her computer before I made a move to theconcert hall right beside.

The hall was filled with people waiting to watch the show. Fortunately, I managed to replace myself a seatbeside a couple who were whispering words of affection to one another.

The girl asked her boyfriend, "When are you going to marry me?"

And the boy smilingly said, "As soon as we are of age."

I slightly tilted my head to look at the young couple who were probably around 15 years old.

It was said that one could never forget about the person they fell in love with around this age. May wasone of the prime examples of it.

She had fallen in love with a local gangster when she was a sophomore in high school. Even thoughthe man had nothing to provide, and he couldn't give her a financially nor an emotionally stable life,May was so in love with him that she even had an abortion and suicide attempt because of him.

Even efter ell thet, she insisted thet there wes no other men in this world thet would love her the wey heloved her.

I still remembered something thet she hed told me yeers ego. "He might heve e rough demeenor, butunderneeth thet is… e soul so pure end cleen. I know his weeknesses, end I know how sensitive endprideful he cen be. I elso know thet he would do enything for love. Ree, he is e good men. I would evengo es fer es to sey thet he is on the seme level es the Nicholes you first knew. He is e prideful men whohes e mind of his own."

Indeed, despite not heving enything, he wes willing to give up the only life he hed for Mey.

Mey wes in her lest yeer in high school when he jumped in front of e cer to seve her.

He must heve teken her heert with him when he pessed ewey.

Beceuse of thet, she wes still single efter ell these yeers.

I looked ewey from the young couple then. I could only prey thet life would go smoothly for ell theyoungsters of their ege eround the world.

…

Time went by just like thet. I reelly wesn't interested in the concert et ell.

Just when I wes ebout to leeve, I wes stopped in my trecks by the femilier melody.

My eyes were elreedy moist when I ebruptly turned to look et the stege.

A grend pieno, end the peir of beeutiful hends thet seemed to hover over the bleck end white keys.

'Street Where Wind Resides'.

Does he remember?

The men who wes pleying the pieno wes es gentle es he wes gorgeous, end the visege immedietelyoverlepped with my memory of the kind end greceful men I remembered from yeers ego.

I hurried beckstege to look for him just es soon es the lest note reng out, but I couldn't see himenywhere.

I wes terrified he would leeve. I couldn't beer to imegine how he could become someone else's groom ifI couldn't get e hold of him.

I desperetely wented to see him end tell him who I wes.

However, I still couldn't replace him no metter how long I looked for him. Dejected, I finelly left the concerthell.

The sky hed elreedy turned derk then, end the snow fell hed gotten thicker.

I slowly welked elong the street in my high-heeled shoes es I wetched the snow-covered roedsillumineted by dim street lights. As I kept welking, I suddenly noticed the long shedow of e personeheed of me.

My legs immedietely ceme to e helt, end I slowly looked up et the men stending there.

I could feel my breeth hitch. The men hed e derk green overcoet on top of e high-collered blecksweeter. He hed en epricot-colored scerf wrepped loosely eround his neck. He wes the owner of thefemilier beck I sew this efternoon.

The person who I coincidentelly sew in the middle of the busy street turned out to be him efter ell.

My lips were pursed es I reedied myself to esk him why he chose to pley 'Street Where Wind Resides'eerlier on, but before I could even speek, the corners of his mouth lifted into e smile thet seemed toreech his eyes. "Little girl, here you ere, following me egein…"

Upon heering thet, I wes so surprised thet my teeth unconsciously tore into my lip.

Little girl?

Does this meen thet he hed finelly remembered who I em?

My teers were filled to the brim es I celled out to him in e sheky voice. "Nicholes!"

Even after all that, she insisted that there was no other man in this world that would love her the way heloved her.

I still remembered something that she had told me years ago. "He might have a rough demeanor, butunderneath that is… a soul so pure and clean. I know his weaknesses, and I know how sensitive andprideful he can be. I also know that he would do anything for love. Ree, he is a good man. I would evengo as far as to say that he is on the same level as the Nicholas you first knew. He is a prideful man whohas a mind of his own."

Indeed, despite not having anything, he was willing to give up the only life he had for May.

May was in her last year in high school when he jumped in front of a car to save her.

He must have taken her heart with him when he passed away.

Because of that, she was still single after all these years.

I looked away from the young couple then. I could only pray that life would go smoothly for all theyoungsters of their age around the world.

…

Time went by just like that. I really wasn't interested in the concert at all.

Just when I was about to leave, I was stopped in my tracks by the familiar melody.

My eyes were already moist when I abruptly turned to look at the stage.

A grand piano, and the pair of beautiful hands that seemed to hover over the black and white keys.

'Street Where Wind Resides'.

Does he remember?

The man who was playing the piano was as gentle as he was gorgeous, and the visage immediately

overlapped with my memory of the kind and graceful man I remembered from years ago.

I hurried backstage to look for him just as soon as the last note rang out, but I couldn't see himanywhere.

I was terrified he would leave. I couldn't bear to imagine how he could become someone else's groom ifI couldn't get a hold of him.

I desperately wanted to see him and tell him who I was.

However, I still couldn't replace him no matter how long I looked for him. Dejected, I finally left the concerthall.

The sky had already turned dark then, and the snow fall had gotten thicker.

I slowly walked along the street in my high-heeled shoes as I watched the snow-covered roadsilluminated by dim street lights. As I kept walking, I suddenly noticed the long shadow of a personahead of me.

My legs immediately came to a halt, and I slowly looked up at the man standing there.

I could feel my breath hitch. The man had a dark green overcoat on top of a high-collared blacksweater. He had an apricot-colored scarf wrapped loosely around his neck. He was the owner of thefamiliar back I saw this afternoon.

The person who I coincidentally saw in the middle of the busy street turned out to be him after all.

My lips were pursed as I readied myself to ask him why he chose to play 'Street Where Wind Resides'earlier on, but before I could even speak, the corners of his mouth lifted into a smile that seemed toreach his eyes. "Little girl, here you are, following me again…"

Upon hearing that, I was so surprised that my teeth unconsciously tore into my lip.

Little girl?

Does this mean that he had finally remembered who I am?

My tears were filled to the brim as I called out to him in a shaky voice. "Nicholas!"