Thought It Was ‘The End’, Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 45

The drinking party that replaced the reception went on late into the night.

“You haff no idea! How shorry I wash!”

“Uh, yeah, I’m sorry too.”

Even an angel’s drunken rambling was tough to handle.

“Why dish you doo tha, whyyy….”

“……”

“If you’d juss asked for h—hiccup—help….”

“……”

“I would’a done anyffing….”

I never wanted to see you again in my life.

I needed to stay away to survive.

Even now, Adeline was anxious. She never knew when the nightmares would start again.

‘I don’t want this either…’

I didn’t want to create any secrets.

If Shane ever betrayed me, she wanted to be the kind of person who could hit him once and let him go cleanly.

Until then, She just wanted to get along without causing any heartache.

She wanted to support Genevieve, who was trying her best without a family, from beside her.

And it would be so great if they all could just laugh happily while reminiscing about the time she and Shane were engaged…

But more than any of those wishes, she wanted to live.

‘Oh, this must be the alcohol talking.’

Somehow, she was feeling sentimental…

Adeline, who was holding Genevieve’s alcohol glass instead of the tea Shane had brewed, slowly opened and closed her eyes. This is why you shouldn’t drink when you’re feeling down.

“If you’been haffing sush a hard time…”

“I’m shorry, Genevieve.”

“I din’t want excuses…”

Genevieve’s forehead finally hit the table with a thud. Adeline couldn’t resist the drowsiness that overwhelmed her either.

She wasn’t a lightweight, but she must have been really tired.

‘It’s understandable. It’s been chaos since dawn.’

Although she replaced the first night with a drinking party, Adeline was a bride who had just gotten married today.

As Shane said, she barely slept and had been tense the whole time. She was physically at her limit more than she realized.

She hadn’t even washed yet. She wanted to brush her teeth and knew she’d regret sleeping hunched over. Her shoulders and back would ache tomorrow…

‘Ah, whatever.’

Adeline closed her eyes.

But not long after she fell asleep, she woke to the sensation of her body being moved. It felt like she was being rocked in a small boat and then settled onto a fluffy cloud.

Damn, this mattress is really nice…

‘A mattress? A bed?’

It wasn’t Lloyd. If Lloyd had found her asleep, he would have just covered her with a blanket instead of moving her to someplace else.

It seemed Shane noticed she had woken up because his voice came from a bit of a distance.

“Just sleep.”

Warm lips touched her forehead and then pulled away. It was a gentle kiss.

Adeline wanted to get up and go to her room, but her limbs felt as heavy as lead. A low chuckle fell over the top of her head as she furrowed her brow.

Keep getting mad, call me a wicked woman.

Why act kindly?

After kidnapping me, you’re just barely managing to not hurt my earlobe.

The bed dipped with his weight. Adeline sluggishly realized a strong arm was slipping under her neck.

“Go away…”

“I’m not going to do anything.”

“……”

“I’ll just sleep holding you.”

Shane gave Adeline another kiss—on the cheek this time. Adeline struggled to open her eyes.

She could barely see his chin by lifting her head. But even that was pressed down by his large palm, pushing her face into his chest.

The sleep she hadn’t fully shaken off weighed her eyelids down. When feeling drowsy, being hugged by something warm and firm naturally gave a sense of security.

“You can’t escape anyway, Adeline.”

“Ugh….”

“Just give up and sleep. If you don’t sleep now, you’ll have a fever tomorrow.”

It already felt like she had a fever. With the alcohol and the heat, it wasn’t her fault she couldn’t fight off the drowsiness.

Honestly, she was a little exhausted.

Emma had cried a lot. She had cried often over the past ten days, but from dawn today, she cried even more while saying, “It feels like a dream to see you getting married.”

Gregory’s eyes were red, and Patrick repeatedly urged her to tell him if she needed anything.

Jeff said he’d keep in touch through Lloyd and repeatedly said, “You look really beautiful.”

Adeline found it hard to endure all of this.

It’s all because of Shane.

Even though she knew it wasn’t Shane’s fault, she couldn’t help but resent him.

“I really hate you, Shane….”

“I know.”

“I hate you….”

The last words were almost swallowed back into her throat. As Adeline felt the arms holding her tighten, she closed her eyes. I hate you. I really do.

And, a soft whisper dissipated by her ear.

That’s why I can’t let you go. Even if you cry.

That night, she didn’t have nightmares.