Chapter 171
I looked at Aaron in surprise; I didn’t expect him to compromise. I felt like a terrible partner. How could I bear to refuse him?
I pursed my lips and stretched out my ring finger. Aaron’s eyes instantly overflowed with joy, and I watched as he slipped the ring on my finger with his trembling hands and kissed my hand reverently.
I still couldn’t smile. When he looked up and noticed my expression, the excitement in his eyes disappeared in the blink of an eye. His expression seemed totally lost.
The bright red rose petals on the ground did not fit the current atmosphere. I could only imagine the joy and excitement in Aaron’ s mind as he decorated this place. I had let him down, and my heart was filled with guilt.
I was certain that Aaron loved me, I just didn’t know how to respond.
Aaron frowned bitterly, stood up, and shoved the bouquet of roses back into my arms. He lowered his head to give me a gentle kiss on the cheek. “Babe, don’t worry too much about it. I don’t want you to be stressed; I just want you to be happy.”
On the way back, I kept fiddling with the engagement ring. It had a stunning heart-shaped pink diamond kept in place by a shiny rose gold setting.
I recalled the Christmas event where that rich kid Jason told me he saw Aaron bid on a rough diamond worth $8 million at Sotheby’s.
That diamond couldn’t be the one sitting on my finger right now… could it?
My mood started to sour again at the possibility,
Aaron was driving, and his right hand reached out to hold my stiff left hand. His fingers caressed the pink diamond ring, and the corners of his lips raised in a sad smile. “Olive, please don’t blame yourself. This is all my fault. I should’ve thought about it more.”
I raised his hand and gave it a kiss. “No, this was all my fault.”
I shifted in my seat uncomfortably. “Thanks.”
This flowy white dress will probably just bring back bad memories. I shouldn’t wear this kind of dress again.
The car drove on in dead silence, and the beating of my heart slowly returned to its normal pace.
The scene of the proposal came back to my mind. At the start, he was brimming with excitement and happiness. I played the memory over in my mind like a slow-motion movie.
I looked down at the beautiful ring on my finger.
Aaron stayed silent as well. I noticed that his brow was constantly furrowed and his lips were pursed into a stiff line. He didn’t seem to be in a good mood either.
I licked my lips and leaned in close to whisper to Aaron. “You know Aaron, you look stunning today as well, like a fairytale prince.”
He was wearing a plain white suit and a tie, with his hair perfectly combed back with some hair gel.
When I first saw him in that valley, I was blown away. He looked
like a magical prince living in the forest. He was so handsome I wondered if he was just a hallucination.
Aaron let out a chuckle. “Thanks.”
I could tell that Aaron was racking his brain to find something to talk about. He didn’t want that awkward silence to return.
The longer he let the silence linger, the more anxious I got. I knew. he didn’t want me to be unhappy, but the thought of letting him down just made me feel guilty.
When I got back to Waterfall Villa in the evening, Cinder could instantly tell something was wrong. She poked Eliott’s arm. “Let’s eat first.”
Eliott had dinner delivered from a restaurant, and the food was kept warm in the oven.
He nodded in response and headed into the kitchen.
“I can help set it up.” Aaron casually brushed a strand of hair out of his face and followed Eliott.
The two quickly brought out the meal, and Cinder gave me a concerned glance before raising her voice to ask, “Would everyone like some wine?”
I really needed some alcohol to calm my nerves, so I replied, “Please pour me a glass, dear.”