The Girl in a White Dress

Chappie 31

John's POV

     It has been a month now since my first piano lesson with Candice. Each time we have our lessons, I give her chocolates because I know she loves them. I think it is obvious that the only reason I signed up for these classes was to spend time with her. 

    She would only speak if it is about music, and the rest of the time, she would remain silent. I wish she would talk to me like she used to, but I guess that is too much to ask considering what I have done. Besides, just getting to see her and hear her voice is good enough for me.

     Our lesson is almost done, and I played the remaining notes on the music sheet. I lifted my hands off of the piano and looked at Candice. I found her looking at the place where my fingers were just a few seconds ago, and I asked her, "Why?"

     She shifted her eyes toward me and replied, "What do you mean?"

     I sighed and said, "Candy, why did you marry Christian?"

     Her eyes hardened, and she smiled a bitter smile. She looked straight forward. "Wow, John. You sure had some guts to ask me that. If there is anyone who should be asking questions, it's me," she said calmly. She continued, "So John, why? Why did you leave me on our wedding day?" Tears brimmed in her eyes, but she blinked them away. "Did you know how any times I wondered why you left? I even came to a point where I doubted myself. I thought that I wasn't enough, that I had done something wrong, or if you even loved me at all." Her voice remained calm as she kept blinking away the tears.

     "I do love you." 

    "Then why? Why did you leave, John," she now lost her cool and looked me straight in the eyes. A tear managed to escape, and I followed it with my eyes as it quickly ran down her face and fell to her dress.

     "I-I-I do not know how to say it, Candice," I said as I looked down at my hands with sad eyes.

     "Try," she said with a cold voice.

     I sighed and said, "My mum...she never liked you. She did not want me to be with you. She wanted me to marry an English woman. However, I still dated you because I am in love with you, Candice. I never informed you of my mum's dislike for you because I did not want to worry you."

     I now looked at her and found her looking back at me. "That is why I wanted to keep our wedding a secret. But somehow the news got to her. Before you walked down the aisle, I received a text message from her. She gave me two choices. It is either I would marry you, and she would make our lives a living hell, or I would leave you and meet the daughter of her friend who was in town at that moment."

     "And you chose to leave me," she said. Tears are now freely streaming down her cheeks. 

     Tears now brimmed in my own eyes, and again, I looked down. "I got scared, Candy. I got scared that one day you might regret marrying me because of my mum. I got scared that-that you would not have the life I promised you because my mum would make our lives miserable. I got scared," my voice turned into a whisper at the end.

     Candice stopped crying and only the trail of her dried tears are left on her face."John, you should have stayed. Even if your mom would make our lives a living hell, I would still be happy because I know you're still with me. I would've been happy because even if challenges came my way, I knew I didn't have to face them alone. But it's clear, you didn't thought the same," there was a hint of disappointment in her voice.

     "I know, Candice. I have realized what an idiot I have been after I ran out of the church. I didn't meet the girl my mum wanted me to meet. Instead, I went straight to a pub. I wanted to go back to you, but again, I got scared. I was a coward. That night, I drank in order to forget my idiotic act.

     "I'm sorry, Candice." A moment of silence came upon us, and I spoke again, "It has been almost 10 years now since I first saw you, and up until  now you still manage to amaze me by your beauty, talent, and kindness. When I saw you, I knew you were the one for me, and I would not even dare face the future without you. So Candice, today, I vow to give you my heart, my fidelity, my everything. I promise to be the best husband that I can be and to love you until the day I die." I paused for a moment. "That was my wedding vow that I never got to say because I was an imbecile. Candice, I'm here to make things right," I said as I looked at Candice with hope in my eyes.

     Candice looked down and slightly shook her head side to side. "I forgive you, John, but we're done. We can't be together."

     I held her hands and said, "No, Candy. We can still be together. I know that it was an arranged marriage, but you can file for a divorce. Then we can get married, just like what we planned!"

     She looked at me and removed her hand from mine. "John, I didn't stay with Christian just because I didn't have a choice. I stayed with him because..." She paused and suddenly, a smile came upon her face, and she continued, "Because I'm in love with him. John, I'm in love with Christian!"

    I've never been shot in the chest before, but at this moment, I think that that would be better than to hear Candice say that she's in love with another man. Tears are now flowing down my face, but I still had hope. "Candice, I know you still love me. We've been together for nine years, you can't just tell me you don't love me anymore." She remained silent. I kneeled in front of her and put my face on her lap, "Candice, please. Say something. Tell me you love me...even if it is just a lie."

     She sighed, and said, "John, stand up." I wiped away my tears and did as she told. She then followed suit. "John, you know, I can't lie...but it's true. I do love you."

Author's note:

   Hello, wonderful people of the world. I'm so so sorry for not updating for a long time. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! *evil laugh* Anyway, the book is almost over I'm serious this time. I'll write one more chapter and then the epilogue. 

    Guys, before you get mad at John or at me, please wait for the next chapter ;) 

Ps. I love you !!!