Oscar stayed at the hospital with Myra for three days, and during that whole time, Shirley didn't see him at all.
It wasn't until the fourth day, while she was discussing the wedding details with Daniel, that Oscar suddenly barged in.
"Mr. Bishop, Ms. Shirley, I have something to say."
Shirley didn't even look up. "We're eating. Say it after dinner."
"No. It can't wait." Oscar's face was cold. "Ms. Shirley, I don't love you. I won't marry you in seven days."
Daniel froze. "Oscar, Shirley actually—"
Shirley cut him off, raising an eyebrow at Oscar. "I don't care whether you love me or not. All I care about is that you show up on time in seven days."
Oscar straightened his back. "I won't show up. I told you: I'm not marrying you."
"Fine." Shirley let out a bitter laugh. "Since you love Myra so much, I'll have Dad marry her to someone else! Seven days from now, she'll have a wedding at the same time as mine. I want you to watch her marry another man!"
Oscar panicked, his face darkening. "Why are you doing this? Why must you force things? Just because your family is powerful doesn't mean you can do whatever you want!"
"Well, you can leave!" Shirley bit her lip while staring at him fiercely. "You can run away with her and live however you want, but I can't guarantee how long the Millers will survive in Anteford."
As Oscar was faced with her dominance, a sharp glint of hatred flashed in his eyes.
If looks could kill, he would have ended her countless times already.
"Fine." He ground his teeth and nodded. "I'll marry you."
After Oscar left, Daniel looked confused. "Why did you provoke Oscar? You're supposed to marry Jamie anyway."
"He owes me that much."
As Shirley thought of her last life, her heart throbbed with old pain.
He had ruined her life. Now, she was only going to make him suffer for seven days.
After a long moment, her anger slowly faded. "Dad, let them be. Seven days from now, I'll marry Jamie, and Myra will marry Oscar. Since he loves her so much, I'll let him have her."
Outside, the rain began to fall, and the leaves rustled in the wind. Thunder roared as lightning struck again and again.
Having lost her appetite, Shirley left the dining room, only to see Oscar and Myra in the courtyard, holding each other tightly.
Myra was crying so hard that she could barely breathe, her face streaked with tears that mixed with the rain.
"Why? Why is Shirley doing this to me? The only thing I did was love you! Is that wrong? Why is my life so miserable? Why am I just an orphan, a shadow of Shirley? Oscar, I don't wanna marry anyone else!"
Oscar wiped her tears over and over while holding her close with a pained expression.
"I'm sorry I can't do anything about this. She threatened my family's livelihood to force me to marry her. But I promise you, I'll never touch her! Myra, you're the one I love!"
The two kissed passionately in the pouring rain. It was a romantic scene that would touch anyone watching.
Shirley, however, found it utterly pathetic.
"Myra, do you know why I love you and not Ms. Shirley? When I was ten years old, during guard training, I fainted from low blood sugar. But you—you carried me back to the Bishops' in the rain, stumbling as you walked, telling me to hang on. From that day, I swore I would protect you forever."
Hearing that, Myra froze while staring at him.
Shirley finally understood why Oscar had 'loved' Myra so much all these years.
It turned out that he had mistaken Myra for the girl from back then. But that girl was Shirley.
A bitter laugh escaped Shirley's lips. She pressed them together and said, with a hint of mockery, "What an idiot."
