Fifty-Two Cancellations

After seven years together, Veronica Monroe canceled our wedding for the fifty-second time. A wall of comments suddenly appeared before my eyes. [Here we go again. Don’t tell me the male lead is still thinking about getting back together with her!] My heart jolted. I couldn’t believe they actually knew. [If this were a normal person, he would’ve found someone else to marry by now!] [My blood pressure is through the roof. Go ask Veronica’s biggest rival if she’ll marry you!] Could I really do that? Uneasy and hesitant, I walked up to Veronica’s biggest rival, Meredith Rodgers, and quietly asked, “Would you marry me right now?” The entire room erupted. The guests all thought I’d lost my mind. But she simply curved her lips into a smile. “Of course I will.” [The male lead finally grew a backbone! Everyone, look!] [Oh my God, if Veronica finds out, she’s going to be furious!] Chapter 1 Just as we were about to exchange rings at our wedding, Veronica Monroe’s childhood friend, Damon Foster, burst in, his voice trembling. "Veronica, if you marry him, I’ll kill myself right now." Veronica’s hand froze in midair. She sighed, her voice filled with an almost indulgent helplessness. "Stop messing around. I only see you as a younger brother." "Your younger brother?" Damon’s tears instantly spilled down his face. He pointed at me, gritting his teeth. "He’s just some guy from a nightclub! Veronica, you’re the heir to the Monroe family. How many people in this city are watching you? Are you really going to humiliate yourself like this and drag the Monroe family’s reputation down with you?" The entire room fell silent. Countless looks of pity and ridicule pierced me from every direction. I stood onstage, my fingertips ice-cold. A nightclub guy. Those three words effortlessly tore open every ugly part of my past. Abandoned at six, I was pushed into a neon-lit hell at sixteen by the woman who raised me. With nothing but my stubborn refusal to bend and the last bit of compassion my foster mother had left, I had barely managed to remain a singer who never sold my body. Veronica happened to pass by one night, pointed at me without a second thought, and pulled me out. I clung to her like she was a lifeline, pouring everything I had into loving her and repaying her. She had once held my hand and told me, "Shawn Jackson, I don’t care about anything except you." When her parents learned about our relationship, they were furious. They cut off her financial support and still demanded that we separate. Back then, we lived together in a cramped rental, splitting a single hunk of bread between us. She smiled and said she was happy to have it. In that moment, I truly believed love could overcome anything. So even after being abandoned fifty-one times, I was still standing here, waiting for the possibility that the fifty-second time might finally end happily. I looked at her, praying she would defend me as decisively as she had before, telling everyone that she didn’t care. But she simply turned to Damon and even smiled faintly. "At least Shawn genuinely loves me. What about you? Why did you come here to make a scene?" Damon rushed forward and shoved me hard. My arm slammed into a decorative display beside me, and the pain caught my breath. "I made a bet with someone that you wouldn’t be able to get married today!" He grabbed Veronica’s arm, his voice leaving no room for argument. "If I lose, I have to give away the kitten I’ve raised for ten years! Veronica, please…" Veronica’s expression visibly softened. Ignoring the pain, I hurriedly grabbed her other hand, tears already blurring my vision. "Veronica, this is the fifty-second time. Please don’t go…" Chapter 2 But she gently pried my fingers loose. "Shawn." Her voice was gentle, yet every word cut like a blade. "You know that kitten means everything to Damon. I can’t just ignore that." Then she let Damon pull her away. She left me behind like a clown, alone in the suffocating silence and whispers filling the room. Five times, ten times, thirty times… all the way to fifty-two. It felt as though my heart had been hollowed out, cold wind rushing through the empty space. Just then, a translucent wall of text suddenly appeared in front of my eyes. [Here we go again! Shawn, don’t tell me you’re still thinking about getting back together with her!] I shuddered, nearly losing my balance. How did it know? [Blood pressure through the roof! I suggest asking Veronica’s mortal enemy if she wants to get married right now!] [Yes! Go find Meredith! Make that cheating bitch Veronica furious!] Her mortal enemy, Meredith Rodgers? The woman who clashed with Veronica every time they met, yet occasionally let her thoughtful gaze drift over me? Could I really do that? Veronica’s parents, Robert and Emmeline Monroe, stood up at that moment and began mocking me. "I knew it. There’s no way my daughter would actually stay with you. Just look at yourself." The other guests joined in. "Exactly. Some nightclub guy with no idea where he came from actually thinks he can marry into a wealthy family? What a joke!" "If you ask me, Miss Monroe did the right thing by leaving!" I clenched my suit lapel tightly, my heart full of grievance. She was the one who had done something wrong, yet because of the difference between our social positions, I was the one being ridiculed. The comments continued urging me on. [What are you waiting for? Go ask her!] With every guest staring at me in shock, I walked straight toward Meredith, who had been sitting quietly in the corner. She looked up at me, her eyes clear and indifferent, giving nothing away. I stopped in front of her. My voice was quiet, trembling as though I were throwing everything I had away. "Meredith, will you… marry me right now?" The room erupted. Countless gazes shot toward me like arrows. Someone exclaimed, "Are you insane? This isn’t a nightclub. Don’t tell me you’re trying to use the same tricks you used to hook Miss Monroe to hook Meredith Rodgers too?" I just stared at Meredith. She froze for a moment, then set down her wineglass and gave me a faint smile. Her voice wasn’t loud, but everyone in the room heard it clearly. "Of course I will." [AAAAH! Shawn finally grew a backbone!] [Oh my God, if Veronica were here, she’d be absolutely furious!] Chapter 3 The comments exploded before my eyes. I stared at her in disbelief. It was real. She really was willing to marry me right now. "Meredith!" Emmeline hurried over, forcing a stiff smile onto her face. "I’m afraid that’s not quite appropriate. Just a few days ago, you were having tea with your Uncle Robert and discussing an engagement with Conrad. Isn’t this joke going a little too far today?" As soon as she finished speaking, her eyes swept over me, filled with undisguised contempt and warning. I had heard Veronica mention before that the Monroe family’s business had been struggling, and they planned to reconcile with the Rodgers family through a marriage alliance. The guests exchanged complicated looks, and whispers once again buzzed throughout the room. It was true. The Monroe and Rodgers families were evenly matched. If they formed an alliance through marriage, it would be considered a perfect match. But what was I? The little warmth that had just returned to my fingertips quickly faded. I instinctively curled in on myself and took a step back. But then a hand firmly clasped mine. It was Meredith. She was slender, but her grip was steady and strong as she pulled me back to her side. "Emmeline." Her voice wasn’t loud, yet it clearly overpowered every other sound in the room. "Considering that our families have always been competitors, why would you assume I’d marry your son? "As for my marriage, Emmeline, there’s no need for you to concern yourself with it. Whoever I marry will be because I want to marry him—and because he deserves me." She placed particular emphasis on the words "he deserves". After all, one was a wealthy heir and the other was a nightclub boy. Everyone knew which one they were supposed to choose. [Shawn, straighten your back! You absolutely deserve this!] I shuddered, but my back straightened as if someone had actually slapped me across the shoulders. Emmeline’s face instantly turned ugly. "Everyone here today is a witness." Meredith raised our joined hands between us. "I, Meredith Rodgers, am willing to marry Shawn Jackson." She paused, her gaze sweeping over Emmeline and the guests who had mocked me moments earlier. Her voice remained calm. "As for Mr. Jackson’s past, I know more about it than any of you. If anyone brings up his past again, you’re showing me disrespect." Silence fell over the entire room. Emmeline opened and closed her mouth, but under Meredith’s sharp, penetrating gaze, she was momentarily speechless. Chapter 4 The guests who had mocked me earlier all looked away, and no one dared say another word to my face. [Oh my God! Meredith is absolutely killing it!] [She’s protecting her man so openly!] [She just publicly slapped the Monroe family in the face, staked her claim on Shawn, and gave him the highest recognition and respect!] [I’m in tears. This is what a truly good woman looks like!] [Veronica, who the hell do you think you are!] The comments raced wildly before my eyes. I stared blankly at Meredith’s profile so close to mine, warmth spreading through my chest. "Meredith…" My throat tightened, and my voice was barely audible. She turned to me and gave me a reassuring smile. "Since the ceremony isn’t over yet…" Her voice was steady, with a hint of amusement. "Why don’t we continue? But—" Her gaze drifted casually across the room. "Let’s skip the unnecessary parts and just exchange rings." Someone quickly brought over a brand-new pair of rings. Their design was simple and elegant, with an understated luxury that made it obvious they were worth a fortune. The cold metal slid slowly onto my ring finger. Somehow, the fit was perfect. "Your turn." She handed the other ring to me. My hand was still trembling slightly as I held the band, as though it weighed a thousand pounds. I took a deep breath, lifted her long, strong hand, and slowly slid the ring onto her finger. Meredith released my hand and said simply, "The ceremony is complete. Today was too rushed. Give me a year. I’ll prepare something perfect." Every guest was stunned. For a moment, no one even applauded. But Meredith didn’t care. She looked once more at Emmeline, whose face had turned livid. Her smile was gone. "Emmeline." Then she turned toward the guests. "Thank you all for attending my wedding today. Please forgive us for the lack of hospitality." She said nothing more before she took my hand and turned away. "We’re going home." Home? She led me through the crowd, which instinctively parted before us, and toward the dazzling sunlight outside the hall. A fresh wave of comments floated happily across my vision. [AAAAH! They’re holding hands! They’re holding hands!] [Home! She said they’re going home!] [A new chapter begins! I can’t wait to see Veronica regret everything!]