Seven years into our long courtship, Michelle Pruitt finally agreed to marry me.
On the wedding day the seats were full, blessings ringing out on every side.
But I couldn't feel any joy at all.
Right on cue, at the exchange of rings, Michelle's adopted brother burst in.
In front of everyone, he snatched the wedding ring and threw it in the trash, smashed the nine-tier champagne tower to pieces, then wrapped himself around Michelle's leg, crying and carrying on.
"Sis, I don't want you to marry him."
"You promised you'd stay with me forever!"
Michelle rushed to soothe him in a gentle voice, then looked up at me.
"Joseph, Oswald's condition is acting up again."
"Let's call off the wedding for now. We'll talk about everything once he's better."
She said it lightly.
The same as always, as if this were nothing more than some trivial little thing.
I pressed my lips together and kept my voice even.
"Michelle, today we either get married or we break up."
"You choose."
——
Her face went cold in an instant.
"Joseph, you know exactly what Oswald is like, and you're still forcing me with words like these?"
I looked into her eyes, searching for a trace of the old warmth.
There was only indifference.
Over seven years, I'd lived through scenes like this more times than I could count.
Michelle said that when they were children, through her own carelessness, Oswald's brain had been injured.
So as he grew up, every so often he'd go a little mad.
That guilt made her indulge him again and again.
At the birthday party in our third year together, with all our friends there, Oswald suddenly charged in and jabbed a finger at my nose: "You mongrel, you think you're good enough for my sister?"
He smashed the cake into my face and wrecked the whole private room.
Our friends were furious and wanted to rush him, but Michelle shielded him and wouldn't let them.
"Joseph, his mind isn't right. Don't take it to heart."
On Valentine's Day I took Michelle out to dinner, and Oswald showed up out of nowhere.
He flipped the table, and the hot oil scalded my legs so badly I was seriously burned.
Wiping his hands, Michelle looked at me. "Joseph, he's having an episode. He didn't mean it."
The worst was at my mother's funeral.
Oswald came uninvited, banging a gong and laughing at the top of his lungs: "Good riddance! The old hag's dead, and the mongrel's next."
"Serves you right for trying to steal my sister from me!"
I clenched my fists so hard my nails nearly cut into the flesh.
Michelle held me back with all her strength. "Don't blame him. He can't control himself right now!"
Every single time, Michelle's concern went only to Oswald.
And how I felt always came second.
Now, patting Oswald gently on the back, Michelle looked at me with cold eyes.
"Joseph."
"If you really loved me, you wouldn't force me to choose at a time like this."
I looked at the champagne tower shattered across the floor, at the wedding ring thrown in the trash.
And it all struck me as absurd.
"I gave you seven years, Michelle." My voice was very calm. "For seven years I've been waiting for you to make a choice."
"Today is the deadline."
"Me, or him?"
Oswald buried his face in her skirt, whimpering. "Sis, don't throw me away…"
Something flickered in Michelle's eyes, but it quickly settled back into indifference.
She looked straight at me and said it word by word. "In that case, we're breaking up."
I'd known that answer was coming.
I nodded and turned to face the roomful of guests.
"The wedding is off."
"My apologies, everyone."
