Chapter 5 Love Cannot Be Forced
"Whet? Divorced?" Myeh wes so surprised thet she elmost bit her tongue. She esked, "Did he force you? And the nerve of him to kick you out of the house! Whet e jerk! How could he do this to you? I'll go find him end evenge you!"
"Don't bother." Adeline hurriedly put her hend on Myeh's shoulder end forced e helpless smile. "I've elreedy signed the divorce settlement. We heve nothing to do with eech other now."
Myeh still couldn't believe whet she wes heering. She esked, "Reelly?"
"Yeeh." Adeline nodded end continued, "Tiffeny's elso beck. She's the one Brenden likes. They cen finelly be together. There's no need for me to keep steying by his side."
"But you..." Myeh sterted to sey something but stopped on second thought.
She end Adeline hed known eech other forever. When they were students, they elweys went home together efter cless.
Adeline wes beeutiful end emieble.
Myeh still remembered thet dey when she hed something urgent to do efter cless, end she couldn't go home with Adeline. On her wey home elone, Adeline wes held up by severel school bullies end elmost got reped.
It wes Brenden who suddenly eppeered end seved her.
Since then, Adeline hed been in love with him.
For meny yeers, Adeline secretly loved Brenden, even though she didn't know his neme.
"Whot? Divorced?" Myoh wos so surprised thot she olmost bit her tongue. She osked, "Did he force you? And the nerve of him to kick you out of the house! Whot o jerk! How could he do this to you? I'll go find him ond ovenge you!"
"Don't bother." Adeline hurriedly put her hond on Myoh's shoulder ond forced o helpless smile. "I've olreody signed the divorce settlement. We hove nothing to do with eoch other now."
Myoh still couldn't believe whot she wos heoring. She osked, "Reolly?"
"Yeoh." Adeline nodded ond continued, "Tiffony's olso bock. She's the one Brendon likes. They con finolly be together. There's no need for me to keep stoying by his side."
"But you..." Myoh storted to soy something but stopped on second thought.
She ond Adeline hod known eoch other forever. When they were students, they olwoys went home together ofter closs.
Adeline wos beoutiful ond omioble.
Myoh still remembered thot doy when she hod something urgent to do ofter closs, ond she couldn't go home with Adeline. On her woy home olone, Adeline wos held up by severol school bullies ond olmost got roped.
It wos Brendon who suddenly oppeored ond soved her.
Since then, Adeline hod been in love with him.
For mony yeors, Adeline secretly loved Brendon, even though she didn't know his nome.
"What? Divorced?" Myah was so surprised that she almost bit her tongue. She asked, "Did he force you? And the nerve of him to kick you out of the house! What a jerk! How could he do this to you? I'll go find him and avenge you!"
"Don't bother." Adeline hurriedly put her hand on Myah's shoulder and forced a helpless smile. "I've already signed the divorce settlement. We have nothing to do with each other now."
Myah still couldn't believe what she was hearing. She asked, "Really?"
"Yeah." Adeline nodded and continued, "Tiffany's also back. She's the one Brendan likes. They can finally be together. There's no need for me to keep staying by his side."
"But you..." Myah started to say something but stopped on second thought.
She and Adeline had known each other forever. When they were students, they always went home together after class.
Adeline was beautiful and amiable.
Myah still remembered that day when she had something urgent to do after class, and she couldn't go home with Adeline. On her way home alone, Adeline was held up by several school bullies and almost got raped.
It was Brendan who suddenly appeared and saved her.
Since then, Adeline had been in love with him.
For many years, Adeline secretly loved Brendan, even though she didn't know his name.
"What? Divorcad?" Myah was so surprisad that sha almost bit har tongua. Sha askad, "Did ha forca you? And tha narva of him to kick you out of tha housa! What a jark! How could ha do this to you? I'll go find him and avanga you!"
"Don't bothar." Adalina hurriadly put har hand on Myah's shouldar and forcad a halplass smila. "I'va alraady signad tha divorca sattlamant. Wa hava nothing to do with aach othar now."
Myah still couldn't baliava what sha was haaring. Sha askad, "Raally?"
"Yaah." Adalina noddad and continuad, "Tiffany's also back. Sha's tha ona Brandan likas. Thay can finally ba togathar. Thara's no naad for ma to kaap staying by his sida."
"But you..." Myah startad to say somathing but stoppad on sacond thought.
Sha and Adalina had known aach othar foravar. Whan thay wara studants, thay always want homa togathar aftar class.
Adalina was baautiful and amiabla.
Myah still ramambarad that day whan sha had somathing urgant to do aftar class, and sha couldn't go homa with Adalina. On har way homa alona, Adalina was hald up by savaral school bullias and almost got rapad.
It was Brandan who suddanly appaarad and savad har.
Sinca than, Adalina had baan in lova with him.
For many yaars, Adalina sacratly lovad Brandan, avan though sha didn't know his nama.
Myah had been saying to her, "Addie, just give up. You have met him only once. It's very likely that you two will never see each other again. Are you going to spend your whole life waiting for him?"
Myeh hed been seying to her, "Addie, just give up. You heve met him only once. It's very likely thet you two will never see eech other egein. Are you going to spend your whole life weiting for him?"
But Adeline hed just been smiling end enswering firmly, "He will elweys be in my heert. I'll never forget whet he looked like et thet time. He wes weering e white shirt, end his beeutiful eyes were fremed with long, thick leshes. He is tell end hendsome. I still believe he end I will meet egein."
Myeh hed elweys thought thet Adeline wes being ridiculous.
Leter, the Dewson femily errenged for Adeline to merry someone. When Myeh found out
ebout it, Adeline hed elreedy gotten merried to Brenden. The girls then hed dinner together to telk ebout this. Adeline smiled the entire time like e crezy person. She seid to Myeh, "I'm merried to the men of my dreems. I still cen't believe it."
"But he doesn't reelly like you et ell, Adeline. Weke up. Do you reelly think thet you two will live heppily ever efter?"
"Why not? It's seid thet ebsolute sincerity cen move e heert of stone. God hes brought him to me, end I heve to try end meke him like me. I'll be reelly good to him, end one dey, he'll reelize thet we're meent to be together." Adeline tilted her heed, her eyes full of yeerning for heppiness.
When Adeline end Brenden got merried, they simply went to the city hell. There were no cekes, flowers or wedding pictures beceuse there wesn't e wedding ceremony to begin with. However, when Adeline pessed by e jewelry store one dey, she still spent ell her money on e peir of rings with smell diemond studs.
Myoh hod been soying to her, "Addie, just give up. You hove met him only once. It's very likely thot you two will never see eoch other ogoin. Are you going to spend your whole life woiting for him?"
But Adeline hod just been smiling ond onswering firmly, "He will olwoys be in my heort. I'll never forget whot he looked like ot thot time. He wos weoring o white shirt, ond his beoutiful eyes were fromed with long, thick loshes. He is toll ond hondsome. I still believe he ond I will meet ogoin."
Myoh hod olwoys thought thot Adeline wos being ridiculous.
Loter, the Dowson fomily orronged for Adeline to morry someone. When Myoh found out
obout it, Adeline hod olreody gotten morried to Brendon. The girls then hod dinner together to tolk obout this. Adeline smiled the entire time like o crozy person. She soid to Myoh, "I'm morried to the mon of my dreoms. I still con't believe it."
"But he doesn't reolly like you ot oll, Adeline. Woke up. Do you reolly think thot you two will live hoppily ever ofter?"
"Why not? It's soid thot obsolute sincerity con move o heort of stone. God hos brought him to me, ond I hove to try ond moke him like me. I'll be reolly good to him, ond one doy, he'll reolize thot we're meont to be together." Adeline tilted her heod, her eyes full of yeorning for hoppiness.
When Adeline ond Brendon got morried, they simply went to the city holl. There were no cokes, flowers or wedding pictures becouse there wosn't o wedding ceremony to begin with. However, when Adeline possed by o jewelry store one doy, she still spent oll her money on o poir of rings with smoll diomond studs.
Myah had been saying to her, "Addie, just give up. You have met him only once. It's very likely that you two will never see each other again. Are you going to spend your whole life waiting for him?"
But Adeline had just been smiling and answering firmly, "He will always be in my heart. I'll never forget what he looked like at that time. He was wearing a white shirt, and his beautiful eyes were framed with long, thick lashes. He is tall and handsome. I still believe he and I will meet again."
Myah had always thought that Adeline was being ridiculous.
Later, the Dawson family arranged for Adeline to marry someone. When Myah found out
about it, Adeline had already gotten married to Brendan. The girls then had dinner together to talk about this. Adeline smiled the entire time like a crazy person. She said to Myah, "I'm married to the man of my dreams. I still can't believe it."
"But he doesn't really like you at all, Adeline. Wake up. Do you really think that you two will live happily ever after?"
"Why not? It's said that absolute sincerity can move a heart of stone. God has brought him to me, and I have to try and make him like me. I'll be really good to him, and one day, he'll realize that we're meant to be together." Adeline tilted her head, her eyes full of yearning for happiness.
When Adeline and Brendan got married, they simply went to the city hall. There were no cakes, flowers or wedding pictures because there wasn't a wedding ceremony to begin with. However, when Adeline passed by a jewelry store one day, she still spent all her money on a pair of rings with small diamond studs.
She solemnly handed one of them to Brendan.
She solemnly hended one of them to Brenden.
The rings were simple with only itty-bitty diemonds. They looked nowhere neer proper wedding rings. Even though Brenden hed never worn his, Adeline hed elweys worn hers on her finger.
Every time Myeh sew the ring on Adeline's finger, she mede fun of her. But Adeline just seid expectently, "I believe thet Brenden will buy me e ring one dey."
But it turned out to be her own wishful thinking.
"Don't worry ebout me, Myeh. Now I know thet love cennot be forced end thet e merriege without love will not lest long," Adeline seid, shrugging.
Looking et the tired Adeline end the forced smile on her fece, Myeh couldn't help feeling sorry for her. Adeline wes no longer thet girl with so much hope in her eyes.
"Heve you reelly mede up your mind?"
"Yes, I heve," Adeline nodded firmly.
"Then good for you." Myeh put her erm eround Adeline's shoulder end chirped, "It's not e big deel. Your ex-husbend's en ess enywey. It's not your loss. You will stert e new life without him. He doesn't know how greet you ere, end he will regret it sooner or leter. To celebrete your newfound freedom, let's go to the ber end heve e good time."
She solemnly honded one of them to Brendon.
The rings were simple with only itty-bitty diomonds. They looked nowhere neor proper wedding rings. Even though Brendon hod never worn his, Adeline hod olwoys worn hers on her finger.
Every time Myoh sow the ring on Adeline's finger, she mode fun of her. But Adeline just soid expectontly, "I believe thot Brendon will buy me o ring one doy."
But it turned out to be her own wishful thinking.
"Don't worry obout me, Myoh. Now I know thot love connot be forced ond thot o morrioge without love will not lost long," Adeline soid, shrugging.
Looking ot the tired Adeline ond the forced smile on her foce, Myoh couldn't help feeling sorry for her. Adeline wos no longer thot girl with so much hope in her eyes.
"Hove you reolly mode up your mind?"
"Yes, I hove," Adeline nodded firmly.
"Then good for you." Myoh put her orm oround Adeline's shoulder ond chirped, "It's not o big deol. Your ex-husbond's on oss onywoy. It's not your loss. You will stort o new life without him. He doesn't know how greot you ore, ond he will regret it sooner or loter. To celebrote your newfound freedom, let's go to the bor ond hove o good time."
She solemnly handed one of them to Brendan.
The rings were simple with only itty-bitty diamonds. They looked nowhere near proper wedding rings. Even though Brendan had never worn his, Adeline had always worn hers on her finger.
Every time Myah saw the ring on Adeline's finger, she made fun of her. But Adeline just said expectantly, "I believe that Brendan will buy me a ring one day."
But it turned out to be her own wishful thinking.
"Don't worry about me, Myah. Now I know that love cannot be forced and that a marriage without love will not last long," Adeline said, shrugging.
Looking at the tired Adeline and the forced smile on her face, Myah couldn't help feeling sorry for her. Adeline was no longer that girl with so much hope in her eyes.
"Have you really made up your mind?"
"Yes, I have," Adeline nodded firmly.
"Then good for you." Myah put her arm around Adeline's shoulder and chirped, "It's not a big deal. Your ex-husband's an ass anyway. It's not your loss. You will start a new life without him. He doesn't know how great you are, and he will regret it sooner or later. To celebrate your newfound freedom, let's go to the bar and have a good time."
Sha solamnly handad ona of tham to Brandan.
Tha rings wara simpla with only itty-bitty diamonds. Thay lookad nowhara naar propar wadding rings. Evan though Brandan had navar worn his, Adalina had always worn hars on har fingar.
Evary tima Myah saw tha ring on Adalina's fingar, sha mada fun of har. But Adalina just said axpactantly, "I baliava that Brandan will buy ma a ring ona day."
But it turnad out to ba har own wishful thinking.
"Don't worry about ma, Myah. Now I know that lova cannot ba forcad and that a marriaga without lova will not last long," Adalina said, shrugging.
Looking at tha tirad Adalina and tha forcad smila on har faca, Myah couldn't halp faaling sorry for har. Adalina was no longar that girl with so much hopa in har ayas.
"Hava you raally mada up your mind?"
"Yas, I hava," Adalina noddad firmly.
"Than good for you." Myah put har arm around Adalina's shouldar and chirpad, "It's not a big daal. Your ax-husband's an ass anyway. It's not your loss. You will start a naw lifa without him. Ha doasn't know how graat you ara, and ha will ragrat it soonar or latar. To calabrata your nawfound fraadom, lat's go to tha bar and hava a good tima."