Chapter 8

A year later, I found myself at City Hall again. To my surprise, the old man at the door remembered me.

"Well, well, girl, back again? Is this the same guy?" he asked.

I shook my head with a grin. "No, sir, I found someone better this time."

Just then, William jogged up to me with a cup of hot coffee and two buns in his hands.

"Maggie, have a bite first. After we get the certificate, I'll treat you to a big meal!" he said, his smile as warm as ever.

The old man chuckled, "Ah, so it's you two? He was here early this morning. Girl, I'd say you found the right one this time."

William squeezed my hand, and with the staff as witnesses, he took an oath under the bright lights.***

Later, William went all out to plan my dream wedding. As I sat in the waiting area of the hotel, I was taken aback when I spotted Chris. I hadn't seen him since our last encounter at the Skyline restaurant, when his failed attempt to reconcile with me went viral. Chris had essentially become a social pariah. I heard he lost his job, and the landlord had threatened to kick him out. I thought he'd left town, but now, there he was.

When he saw me in my wedding dress, his expression was a mix of disbelief and regret.

"Chris, what are you doing here?" I asked coldly. "If you're here to wish me well, I'll take it. But if you're here for anything else, you should leave."

His eyes were full of pain.

"Maggie, you're with him to get back at your parents, right? I mean, how could you get married so fast?"

He looked at me, pleading. "Maggie, do you still have any feelings for me? Just nod, and I'll take you away. I swear I won't break my promise this time…"

I cut him off sharply. "Chris, I told you before, I don't love you anymore."

His face contorted in disbelief. "Impossible!" he yelled. "How can you just forget about our three years together?"

I smiled faintly, my tone cold. "Maybe it was when you never cared about my feelings, when you were too busy arguing with Sharon. Or maybe it was when you always remembered her tastes, her needs, but not mine."

"And let's not forget the time we rented that house. You insisted on choosing the floor with her 'lucky number,' and when my life was at risk, you abandoned me to rush her to the hospital."

"I've let you go, Chris."

I looked him in the eye. "You know, even though I've only been with William for a year, this year has been the happiest of my life. Maybe that's why I chose him. He stands by me, unconditionally."

Chris looked away, his voice soft. "I'm sorry, Maggie. But I still wish you happiness."

I nodded, my gaze fixed on the door in front of me. It opened, and there stood William in a white suit, walking towards me with a warm smile. He took my hand, his touch grounding me, and I couldn't help the tears that welled up. It was as if all the love I had been searching for was right there in his grasp.

"Why are you crying? What's wrong?" he asked softly, concern etched on his face.

I shook my head, smiling through my tears. "I just realized... I love you a little more today than I did yesterday."

After the wedding, William and I headed to the Maldives for our honeymoon. When we returned to London, I was hit with shocking news. A horrific crime had taken place while we were away, and the story's main characters were all people I knew.

It turned out that after Chris and I broke up, he immediately hooked up with Sharon. Things seemed fine at first, but soon enough, their relationship unraveled. Sharon couldn't let go of her ex, Zack, and the two fought constantly. Eventually, Chris came to me for reconciliation, but that only made Sharon more furious. In her rage, she brought Zack to their house... and was caught in the act.

Chris, consumed by anger, stabbed Zack several times. After killing him, he stuffed the body in a bag, put it in a moving box, and transported it back to his hometown. Sharon, terrified for her own life, followed him.

In an act of vengeance, Chris locked Sharon in the basement and tortured her. By the time she was freed, she had lost her sanity.

The last time I saw Chris, he had come to my wedding carrying a suitcase and a rope. I didn't know his intentions, but I suppose something stopped him. After the wedding, he went back to Sharon, killed her, and then ended his own life by jumping into the river one lonely night.

And that was the end of it all.