Chapter 7
Kendall’s POV
“Kendall, are you listening?” Marc’s voice cracked with desperation. “Hurry up and tell me this isn’t true. This kind of joke isn’t funny.”
I stayed quiet for a moment, letting the silence weigh heavy. Then I answered softly, “It’s not.”
His breath hitched, and I could hear the hope blooming in his voice. “I knew it! The news about you and Dudley can’t be real-”
Realizing he got it wrong, I firmly cut him off, “No, Marc. What I mean is the news isn’t a joke. It’s true.”
The line went quiet for a second, and then his voice came back, filled with disbelief and panic. “What? That’s impossible, Kendall. Don’t lie to me. I was wrong, okay? If this is about Astrid, I can explain
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Chapter 7
“There’s no need,” I said with a faint laugh, interrupting him again.
“Whatever‘ s between you and Astrid doesn’t matter to me. I stopped caring a long time ago. Anyway, I’m engaged now, Marc. Let’s just leave it at that and not contact each other anymore.”
Before he could launch into another frantic explanation, I ended the call.
I wasn’t lying. I truly didn’t care about whatever he had going on with Astrid–or anyone else for that matter. Letting go of Marc wasn’t as hard as I once thought it would be. The emotional weight I used to carry for him was gone.
But despite my request to leave me alone, Marc didn’t stop.
He called from every number he could get his hands on, messaging me endlessly.
Each time I blocked one, he’d find
another way. It was relentless.
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Chapter 7
What I didn’t expect, though, was for him, to show up while Dudley and I were picking out wedding attire.
As I stepped out of the fitting room, busy smoothing the fabric of my dress, I asked casually, “Dudley, how does this look?”
“Beautiful,” answered a familiar voice, but wasn’t Dudley’s.
My head immediately snapped up, and there he was–Marc, standing just a few feet away.
It had been weeks since I’d last seen him, but he looked nothing like the polished man I used to know. His hair was unkempt, his face unshaven, and his bloodshot eyes gave him a haggard appearance.
The moment our eyes met, a spark of hope flickered in his gaze, lighting up his otherwise broken demeanor.
I stepped back instinctively and asked with disdain, “What are you doing here?”
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Marc froze, a flash of hurt crossing his face. “I… I just wanted to see you.
He took a step toward me as his words tumbled out in a rush. “Kendall, just call off this wedding, please? We can
reschedule ours.” His hand then shot out as if to grab mine.
But before he could reach me, Dudley appeared at my side and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me into his embrace.
“Kendall is my future wife, Mr. Robbins. You don’t have any place here.” Dudley said coldly.
Marc froze as Dudley’s words hit him like a slap. Then, after a while, his eyes twisted with rage and disbelief as he glared at Dudley. “Your future wife? What makes you think you have the right to call her that?”
I watched him unravel, his anger boiling over, and I couldn’t help but feel a surge
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of disbelief. Was this the same man who once brushed me aside like I was nothing?
I remembered standing before him back then, feverish and desperate for his attention, only to hear him say, “Don’t overthink it. Astrid is like a sister to me. Besides, her health is more fragile than yours. You need to learn to be more independent.”
The memory stung, but now, looking at him, it felt distant–like something that happened to someone else.
When Marc moved forward, his fury aimed at Dudley, I stepped between them, stopping him in his tracks.
“That’s enough,” I said sharply. “Marc, are you really going to keep embarrassing yourself like this?”
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