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.

slowed her eating. She suddenly recalled something. Hadn't Yancey once said she looked

her face familiar and transferred those feelings onto her? She glanced at him, a quiet discomfort surfacing in her chest.

I just a replacement, Mr.

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

office to register their marriage. Grace's expression tightened in disbelief because Ethan didn't seem like he was joking.

her mind kept spinning, trying to figure out what to do. She couldn't marry Ethan; it

started things and walked away. The mere thought of

her chest tighten

had given him

a ring, and countless loving words. Honestly, she never

was emotionally delicate. She 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 the edge of

few nights ago, when she decided to leave without a word, there hadn't been this kind of emotional weight. But right now, it felt like

take another bite

perspective, she was upset, and she would rather sit

averted his gaze, then asked,

bread. "I really can't

Ed well. Leaving

but it would

marrying someone