Just twenty minutes earlier, a message from Isabella Lancaster lit up her phone screen.
The attached photo was hard to miss. Isabella, with her radiant smile, held a bouquet of roses identical to the ones now resting before her.
[I told Edmund I wanted blue roses. He ditched you to scour the city for them. But honestly, I lost interest once he bought them. Thought he might as well hand them to you instead.]
The truth stung. What lay before her was a cast-off, something discarded, handed over as an afterthought.
Much like Edmund, standing there now, looking at her with that same shallow sincerity.
Victoria’s lips curved faintly as she accepted the roses, placing them on the table with a casual grace.
"I’m not mad. I just got a little hungry while waiting."
"Then I’ll whip up some soup for you! I’ll fry an egg, too.”
Noticing her composed demeanor, he relaxed. But before he could step toward the kitchen, his phone buzzed, breaking the moment.
"I’ll be right there!" he answered swiftly.
Ending the call, Edmund walked briskly to the entryway. "Something urgent came up at school. I’ll order you some takeout later."
It was the same excuse he had used before, but Victoria didn’t seem fazed.
"Alright," she replied with an easy smile. "Be careful on your way."
Her eyes lingered on the empty doorway after he left. It was all too familiar, last night, he had bolted out after a similar call, leaving even his jacket behind.
Concerned by the biting chill of the night, she grabbed his jacket and hurried after him. She called his name repeatedly, her voice echoing into the stillness, but Edmund never returned. Even his phone remained unreachable, its silence mocking her attempts.
Left with no choice, she hailed a cab and followed him. The trail led her to a bar, where the sight awaiting her stopped her cold. Edmund cradled a drunken Isabella in his arms, his movements tender, his tone laced with worry.
"Why would you come to a place like this to drink alone in the dead of night?" he scolded softly. "Don’t you know how dangerous it is? I worry about you!"
The neon lights outside cast an ethereal glow on Isabella’s already captivating face, highlighting her beauty in a way that made her seem almost otherworldly.
"But you already have a girlfriend. Why do you even care about me?"
"If you keep this up, she’s going to get jealous," Isabella slurred, her words tangled in her drunken haze.
There was no sense in explaining things to someone in such a state. Yet, Edmund still made the effort, carefully tilting Isabella’s head back and speaking clearly. "I don’t have a girlfriend. The one I’ve been waiting for... has always been you."
After five years of shared moments and unspoken promises, she didn’t even deserve a title. If that was the case, what was left to hold on to?
The application form had already been completed; only Edmund had destroyed the original. With a swift resolve, Victoria rewrote it and personally delivered it to her mentor’s office.
The older woman’s surprise was evident when she saw her so soon. "I thought you’d take more time to think it over.”
Her mentor had always regarded her highly.
Though she was a woman, her resilience and determination could outshine even the most hardened men. Once Victoria set her sights on something, nothing could deter her; she pursued it with all the fire in her soul.
But this same tenacity had kept her bound to someone even when everyone else had given up. She poured all her heart and passion into him, ignoring the cost to her own future.
Victoria offered an apologetic smile. "I didn’t live up to your expectations before and was being reckless with my own life."
"But now, I’ve made my choice."
"From now on, I will only do what I truly love."
Her mentor’s face finally softened at those words, a warm smile spreading across her features.
"That’s good, that’s good!"
"There’s still half a month before you leave. Be sure you’re fully prepared."
As Victoria left the office, a sense of clarity settled over her, as if the weight had been lifted.
She called her parents and a few close friends, sharing the news of her decision.
Her best friend was taken aback, her surprise evident in her voice.
