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He’d loved me for far longer than he realized. The realization dawned on him gradually: when I declared my lack of love for him; when he found out I was leaving without a goodbye; when he searched my room and couldn’t find the love letters and drawings I had made for him; when he came to England and saw me dating someone else, ultimately getting engaged. He’d loved the girl who’d followed him, without consciously acknowledging it.
But he buried those feelings deep down, treating them like a taboo. Each time he tried to suppress them, they would resurface, again and again. Until this moment, when everything finally erupted.
Julian’s heart felt like it was being squeezed by a giant hand,
making it hard for him to breathe. For a fleeting second, he
wanted to rush in, sprint up the stairs, grab my hand, and
confess his feelings. He wanted to apologize for his past actions, beg for a second chance.
But reality had him rooted to the spot, as if his feet were nailed down, unable to move. The snow covered him, but the chill of the snow was nothing compared to the coldness in his heart. He watched helplessly as the girl who once adored him stood beside another man, whispering sweet nothings to him. In eyes, he saw the long–lost affection and joy he hadn’t witnessed in ages.
my
In a daze, he recalled a rainy night from long ago. The rain that night was as heavy as today’s snow. That night, separated by a building and a window, he and Olivia were lost in each other’s
warmth. Meanwhile, I knelt in the downpour, watching their intimacy unfold for an entire night. That night, he witnessed
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the despair in the girl’s eyes deepen until she finally closed them and collapsed.
Now, he was experiencing the very situation I had faced back
then.
The “snowman” standing before the castle drew the attention of the guests. People by the window sipped hot cocoa, whispering about the mysterious figure. Eventually, even the two hosts of the party were drawn to the window.
The moment I recognized the snowman’s face, I was taken aback. After the surprise, I found it somewhat amusing. I’d
heard about the situation back home. The woman Julian
believed to be pure and innocent had turned out to be vicious. And the little girl he had deemed malicious was, in fact, the
most innocent victim in this mess. The reversal of the two
women’s images made Julian finally realize what he had done in the past. That was why he’d come to England. That was why he would do something he thought was deeply romantic in the
heavy snow.
I tightened my grip on my cup, then casually shifted my gaze. My tone was laced with sarcasm.“If Olivia hadn’t gotten caught, I might have waited forever for his apology.”
People only regret their actions after facing the consequences and losing what they had. But I didn’t need his belated remorse. I didn’t want to keep entangling myself with Julian over those matters. It would only add to my troubles without serving any
other purpose.
Cutting ties completely was the best outcome for us.
William remained silent, pulling me into a comforting embrace.
One by one, the lights in the castle went out. Cars departed into
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the snowy night. By the time the gates closed, Julian was still standing alone in the snow, waiting for me to show up.
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