No strings attached |(UNDER REVISION)

Chapter 36- Letting go

The church bells rang.

I froze.

And inside, the sound of vows being exchanged echoed through the walls.

I broke free.

I didn't think-I just ran.

Past the guards. Past the whispers and gasps of the people around me. My heart pounded so loud it drowned out everything else.

But when I reached the altar-

I was too late.

Aiah...

She was kissing him.

Right there, in front of everyone. In front of me.

And the worst part?

She was looking at me.

Her lips were pressed against his, but her eyes-those same eyes I used to wake up to, the same eyes that once held nothing but love for me-were staring right into mine.

And in that moment, something inside me shattered beyond repair.

I felt my knees go weak. The air left my lungs. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.

This was it.

This was the end.

She chose him.

She let me go.

The weight of it all crashed over me, suffocating, unbearable. My hands trembled at my sides, my entire body screaming at me to move, to run, to do something-

But I couldn't.

Because the woman I loved-the woman who promised me forever-was now someone else's.

The bodyguards grabbed my arms again, their grip firm but not as rough this time. I barely felt it. My entire body was numb, my heart torn into pieces as I stood there, frozen, staring at Aiah.

She was still looking at me.

Her lips had left his. But the damage was already done.

The pain clawed at my chest, raw and suffocating. I wanted to scream, to cry, to beg her to take it all back. But all I could do was stand there, my entire world crumbling around me.

The guards began pulling me away, but I barely fought them this time. What was the point?

Still, through the haze of heartbreak, I saw her mother sitting there, watching everything unfold. My breath hitched.

I begged.

"Please..." My voice cracked as I looked at her with tear-filled eyes. "Please don't do this. Don't let them take me away from her."

Her expression remained unreadable. Cold. Indifferent. Like she had already made peace with the destruction she had caused.

I felt a sob choke my throat as the guards tugged me harder. "Aiah!" I called out desperately, my voice breaking. "Tell me you don't love me anymore! Tell me this is what you want!"

Aiah's face twisted in pain, but she didn't move.

Then, she finally spoke.

"Don't hurt her."

Her voice was soft, almost pleading. She turned to the guards, her expression guarded but firm. "Just... help her leave."

Her words were a dagger straight to my chest.

Not stay. Not wait. Not fight for me.

Just leave.

The guards loosened their grip but didn't let go completely. Their hold became gentle-like I was just someone who needed to be escorted out. Nothing more. Nothing less.