Chapter 4

Thinking about this.

Alfred took out his phone and sent a message to his friend group chat:

"I'll say it one more time. Tomorrow's wedding—none of you go."

"Let Carrie make a fool of herself all on her own!"

The group chat instantly lit up:

"No problem, Alfred!"

"That's our Alfred—you sure know how to keep a woman in line!"

"This'll teach Carrie a lesson too. Otherwise she'll start climbing all over Alfred one day!"

Alfred leaned back on the couch, and the anger inside him eased a little.

He could already picture Carrie in her wedding dress, standing at the door, looking around anxiously with panic all over her face.

Thinking of this.

He took out his phone and called Libby, saying with a smile:

"Haven't you been wanting to see that new movie? I'll go with you tomorrow morning."

"It's been a while since I bought you a bag. We'll do some shopping while we're at it."

Libby, on the other end of the line, was delighted at first, but the next second she hesitated:

"But… isn't your wedding tomorrow? This… isn't it a bad idea? Don't let me be the reason things go wrong between you and Carrie."

"Nothing wrong with it. It's settled."

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Mom had woken up.

She looked at me, and her eyes couldn't help but redden.

"Carrie, you've suffered so much…"

I reached out and took her hand, smiling to reassure her.

"It's all in the past."

"Mom, let's leave."

"I've already booked the tickets. We leave tomorrow."

Early the next morning.

Alfred, for once, woke up very early.

He'd agreed to shop and see a movie with Libby, so all he needed was casual clothes.

But for some reason he still changed into a suit—a white one.

Carrie's favorite color.

Before setting out to pick up Libby, he even made a point of turning his phone ringer up to maximum.

He even stood at Libby's doorstep and deliberately called out:

"Libby, are you ready? I'm here to take you to the movies."

As he said this.

His eyes stayed fixed on the door across from Libby's.

That was the house where Mom and I lived.

But it stayed completely quiet over there. No one came out, and there wasn't a single sound.

The door in front of him suddenly opened, and Libby stepped out with her makeup done perfectly.

She grabbed Alfred's arm and said with a smile:

"I'm ready, let's go."

"Sure, let's go see the movie now," Alfred said loudly.

But the only thing that answered him.

Was Libby's laughter.

For some reason, Alfred felt a stir of irritation.

He hadn't expected Carrie to be able to endure this much.

He wanted to see just how long Carrie could hold out!

During the movie.

Libby watched intently, but Alfred kept glancing at his phone.

Quiet.

Not a single person reached out to him.

"Alfred, look over here."

Alfred looked up, and the next second Libby leaned in and kissed the side of his face.

Alfred froze for a moment, then casually took out his phone and snapped a picture of the moment.

Alfred opened his social media feed and casually posted the photo he'd just taken, with the caption:

"With her."

In an instant.

The comment section nearly exploded.

"!"

"The couple I've been shipping is finally real."

"Are they together now?"

"They're finally together!"

But Carrie had no reaction at all. Against his expectations, there was no comment, no call demanding an explanation.

He hadn't expected it.

This time, Carrie was surprisingly able to hold back.

Finally.

He opened the chat window with Carrie and slowly typed:

"Stop pretending."

"If you apologize now, I can let bygones be bygones, and the wedding can go on."

But at this moment.

Mom and I had already boarded the plane.