His First Love or Me—Who Will He Choose? I Refuse Chapter 10
After Fred left, I found a file on the table.
He’d signed over everything he could transfer
immediately. Houses, cars, personal accounts.
And the stock earnings agreement.
Plus a letter.
The handwriting was messy, like his hand had
been shaking the whole time.
[Lydia. I’m sorry.]
[I know this won’t bring you back.]
[But I owe you. I have to make it right.]
I didn’t pretend to be a bigger person. I took it all.
That was part of the compensation for nine years of my youth and hard work. No reason not to.
After that, Fred didn’t come find me again.
I heard he resigned as GM of Fred Corp.
The board held him accountable. His dad got sick from the stress. His mom begged people
everywhere to sweep the wedding scandal under
the rug.
Tina reached out to me too.
[Miss Jones, Fred and I were never together.]
I wrote back:
[I don’t care whether you’re together or not.]
She sent another one:
[Are you trying to destroy him?]
I stared at that line and let out a laugh.
[Tina. He destroyed nine years of my life first.]
Then I blocked her.
My life in the small town got steadier by the day.
Wedding planning during the day. Beach walks at
night.
Sherry always said I’d changed.
“When you first got here, you looked like a piece of
glass about to shatter. Now you’re like a river
stone.”
I asked, “Smoother?”
She shook her head. “Polished. By the sea.”
I laughed so hard.
Six months later, the studio officially changed its
name.
Sherry made me a partner.
The day I signed, she pushed the contract toward
- me.
“Lydia. This time, you’re not building for anyone
else.”
“This is yours.”
I held the pen, a faint wave of surrealism washing
over me.
I used to spend so much time waiting. Waiting for
Fred to go public. Waiting for him to marry me.
Waiting for him to finally see me.
I waited nine years.
What I got was someone else’s face on his phone.
Someone else’s name in our house. Someone
else’s life in our vows.
Now I was done waiting.
The studio booked a beach wedding.
The bride was shaking with nerves before the
ceremony.
The groom stood in the wind, staring at her from
far away.
His eyes were so red.
The bride whispered to me,
“Lydia, do I look okay?”
I fixed her veil. “Perfect.”
She asked, “What if he thinks I’m not good
enough?”
I looked at the groom. He was secretly wiping his
eyes.
I smiled. “Someone who really loves you will think
you look your best today.”
The ceremony started.
The sea breeze lifted the white veil. The groom
read his vows in a choked voice.
No fancy words.
“From now on, our door will always recognize your
fingerprint first.”
Everyone laughed. I laughed too.
But my eyes got a little hot. Not because I was
sad.
Because I suddenly realized that good love really
does exist.
Fred just couldn’t give it to me.
After the wedding, the sound of a motorcycle.
came from downstairs.
The young photographer pulled off his helmet and
yelled up at me,
“Lydia! Come on! Sunset!”
Nina leaned out the window, smirking.
“This one’s hot. He’s got broad shoulders and that
warm, sunny golden retriever smile.”
Sherry knocked her on the head. “Stop corrupting
her.”
I grabbed my bag and headed out.
Nina winked at me.
“What time you coming home tonight?”
I looked back and smiled. “We’ll see.”
The sunset painted the whole street orange.
I got on the back of the motorcycle.
The sea air rushed toward me.
The young guy smelled like clean soap.
I closed my eyes.
I thought about that girl at the engagement party. Standing there so humiliated.
If I could go back to that moment, I’d hug her. Tell
her it’s okay.
That wasn’t the end. That was just the starting line. The place where she finally left the trash
behind.
I used to think love was waiting for someone to
come back.
But the real kind of love? It’s walking yourself out of that long, endless wait, all on your own.
Fred didn’t choose me. That was never my failure.
I finally chose myself. That was my victory.
