To the Love of My Life

On the day the wedding was called off, Steve had warned their friends not to disturb Ruby. Madeleine, who had always been fearful of Steve, didn’t dare to act rashly but she did send Ruby a text message or make a phone call every now and then without ever receiving a reply.

Today was New Year’s Eve, and Madeleine had been unable to find Howard Coleman since seeing him at Pristine’s Enterprises yesterday afternoon. She felt dejected as she drove alone back to the West Garden Villa Area for the Chinese New Year. Then, from afar, she spotted a familiar person standing under the bus stop sign. Resembling Ruby but with much shorter hair, Madeleine wasn’t sure at first and slowed her car down. As she got closer and saw her features clearly, she realized it was indeed Ruby, whom she hadn’t been able to reach for a long time.

When Madeleine heard Ruby call her name, she blinked her eyes and regained her senses. The surprise in her eyes turned into boundless joy, “Ruby, it’s really you.”

With that, Madeleine unlocked the car, “It’s so cold, hurry up and get in. Be careful not to catch a cold.”

Ruby opened the door and got in. Madeleine turned up the heat a little, and with a hint of complaint in her voice, said, “How could you not drive? Waiting for the bus here. It’s the end of the year, and there are only two bus trips left. You’ll have to wait at least until 5 o’clock in the afternoon.”

As Madeleine spoke, she started the car and glanced at the road behind through the rearview mirror. Then, she moved the car onto the middle road. She glanced at Ruby’s hair again, her lips moved, and in a somewhat low voice, she said, “Ruby, why did you cut your hair? Was it to cut off the past with my brother?”

Ruby didn’t really subscribe to the idea of cutting hair to sever emotional ties, as portrayed in novels or TV dramas. She had only done it because the winter weather was too cold and her hair took too long to dry, and she was afraid of catching a cold while pregnant. However, she couldn’t tell Madeleine about her pregnancy, so she just hooked the corner of her lips and sat there quietly with a smile.

Following suit, Madeleine fell silent too. She stared straight ahead, driving her car. When the red light appeared in front, Madeleine stepped on the brakes, and the car slowly came to a stop. In the end, she couldn’t help but speak again, her tone of complaint filled with care, “Ruby, where have you been all these days? Did you have a good time? How worried have I been about you?”

“Madeleine, I’m sorry, I just hadn’t adjusted my mood back then and didn’t know how to face you.” Ruby smiled at Madeleine, “See, I’m sitting right in front of you now, aren’t I?”