Regret Came Too Late

Grace stood motionless at the kitchen's sliding door, thinking it over for several long minutes. There was really no point in torturing herself. If the pain got her in the end, it wouldn't be worth it. Her stomach was already twisting in spasms, and sweat was slick on her forehead.

With her head down, she walked toward the coffee table and quietly sat in the armchair. She picked up a warm slice of bread and began to eat. After a few bites, she spotted her legal documents resting at the edge of the table. She froze, then looked over at Ethan.

Without even looking at her, he said, "We're heading to the city hall once you're done eating."

Upon hearing that, Grace's grip on the bread tightened. She ended up squashing it out of shape.

The moment she walked in and saw Ethan earlier, she nearly convinced herself that the chaos last night had just been a dream. However, hearing what he just said made her realize that it wasn't a dream.

Did Ethan actually have feelings for her?

Grace kept her head down, eating a little more until the ache in her stomach eased. Then, she asked quietly, "Do you like me, Mr. Henderson?"

Ethan flipped the page of his book. In a neutral voice, he replied, "What do you think?"

"You don't like me. This isn't how someone acts when they like someone."

She answered without hesitation, but she couldn't actually define what love was supposed to look like. She truly liked Ed. Still, she knew what they had was a little toxic. It was the kind of thing most people wouldn't understand, let alone accept.

"Then no," Ethan said, still focused on his book. "I don't like you."

His grip on the page remained soft, detached—like none of this mattered.

She suddenly recalled something. Hadn't Yancey once

those feelings onto her? She glanced at him, a quiet discomfort surfacing in her chest. After all, no one wanted to be a replacement for someone

just a replacement,

flickered. He put away his book, rose to his feet, and asked, "Have you

office to register their marriage. Grace's expression tightened in disbelief because Ethan didn't seem like he was joking. Were they really going to get married? It felt like

food. As she chewed, her mind kept spinning, trying to figure out what to do. She couldn't marry

become someone who started things and walked away. The mere thought of

chest

had given him

words. Honestly, she never expected

had no idea how he would react if he learned about this. She recalled the times she had brought up breaking up with him; he had been devastated. He had even gone to

when she decided to leave without a word, there hadn't been this

take another bite

would rather sit in silence than say another

his gaze, then asked, "Finished

half-eaten bread. "I really can't go

knew Ed well.

but it would

marrying