About Your Pride and My Prejudice

Chapter 23: The Broken Love Oath

Chapter 23: The Broken Love Oath

I dont know how I managed following Mr. Graham. I didnt know what was going on, but the moment I heard his terrible words, I was so surprised that I burst into tears.

When I arrived at Violas house, my face was already messed up with tears.

Melissa.

Mrs. Graham...

Mrs. Graham stood in front of the tightly closed door with tears dropping. We stood face to face with painful faces that looked just like each other.

She wont open the door for me. Would you like to talk to her?

..Yes, I will.

Sure enough. Violas sobs leaked from inside the door. As if she had been crying for a while, her husky voice sounded cracked.

Viola.

.

Its me, Melissa. Please open the door.

Its hard to believe that the bright and cheerful Viola declared she was going to die, but the fear of what would happen if she didnt even let me in came flooding in like a tide.

Ill listen to everything for you..

At that moment, I heard the door knob turning.

Viola!

Come on in, Mel.

As I quickly entered the room and closed the door, I couldnt take my eyes off her face.

Oh my god

Her face was horrible. Her lips were chapped, eyes were red like a rabbit.

Viola

I embraced my one and only best friend and gently patted her trembling back. By the time I felt her tears calm down little by little, I asked quietly.

Whats going on, huh?

Melissa, Jacob.

Jacob?

I held my breath. The first and last time I met him was on the night of the Victory Ceremony. The impression itself was good, his polite manners were adequate  for our single meeting.

Did something happen to him?

Whats wrong with Jacob? Viola?

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Jacob..hid his child.

What? What does that mean?

.

Jacob has a child?

Viola burst into tears as if crying again.

What should I do, Melissa.

I couldnt believe what she said, so I just blinked vaguely.

It was the only thing Viola managed to confide me before she broke down sobbing and ran out of breath.

Jacob had a lover he met when he was seventeen. One day, she disappeared without saying a word and he was deeply heartbroken. To the point where he thought he would never love again.

However, it seemed that she, who disappeared, was carrying Jacobs child in her womb. The woman, who was suffering from hardships of life, finally took her life, and the womans family sent the orphaned child to Jacob..

I was taking a walk by myself a while ago, but a neighbor came and asked if I know that Jacob has a child..

Viola had recently been in Piccom. At first, it was only the weekend, but the days in the capital gradually decreased. Without Tobias, I wouldnt have had anyone to meet.

At this rate, I thought that news of marriage might be delivered suddenly, but something really unimaginable happened.

When I heard that, I immediately questioned him At first he denied it.

Did he eventually admit it?

Viola buried her face in her palm and shook her head.  Her delicate trembling shoulders were pitiful.

So Jacob didnt know that he had a child?

He really didnt know until the child appeared.

How old is he?

Three years old haa.

This was a really, really absurd situation.  Jacobs three-year-old son is now living at his cousins house, she said.

Viola, what did your parents say?

Just marry him. Its a good family many people know weve been courting for a while now.

..What are you going to do?

I cant do it, Melissa. Its over.

It wasnt like Viola, who had been begging me to start dating right away not so long ago.

I dont believe in love.

.

Somehow I became uncontrollably sad and hugged her tightly.

* * *

Viola thanked me. She said that just sharing the story with me gave her some strength.

After comforting Viola, saying that tomorrow would be a better day, I left her home, who fell into the world of sleep like waves.

I think that a person who comforts shouldnt be shaken and should be reliable enough to lean on. Thats why I tried to act calm in front of my friend.

But I was also shocked by Jacobs story. It is true that the affectionate appearances of him and Viola made me feel a positive appreciation for love.

When I imagined me and Tobias, who might become lovers someday, I would naturally overlap the two of us with the appearance of Viola and Jacob. They were the closest and most firm role models for me.

But if reality is that, the same man who can vow love to his lover for the rest of his life is also deceiving his loverwould Tobias be any different?

Im not sure at all. Toby and I are not as deep as they are in the first place, so it will be much easier to face the end of the relationship for whatever reason.

Even though I was afraid to open up myself, I only knew a small part of him. Even after becoming an adult, I dont understand the hearts of men.

Nevertheless, as I took Violas worry and care into consideration, I began to pour my heart into Toby with a similar sincerity.

This is very meaningful. It was for this reason that I decided not to go to New Ditch and hid the incident about the stalker. Of course, it would be his achievement to open my heart this much by doing the best.

Everything is going well, but I feel Im starting to become more and more passive in my relationship with Toby these days.

What could it be because of? Viola and Jacobs shocking story cannot be the cause as I came to know today.

Then, is it because I didnt go to New Ditch right away? Are my feelings for him fading because I missed the hottest period?

It was a pretty plausible guess, but unfortunately, I suddenly realized the answer.

No, I must say I knew it from the beginning.

This is all because of Alan Leopold, who saved me from the white snow. This is because his arms that saved me kept me from thinking of any other man.

Of course, Alan was only doing his duty as a gentleman, and any noble man would have stretched his arms without hesitation. I also know from my past experience that he will not take a look at me even if I expressed my gratitude. I can perfectly draw even the expressions he would make.

Nevertheless, I am obsessed with the idea of wanting to live in his shadow without despair, and desperately kissing his traces.

Alan is a fantasy to me. Perhaps thats why, when I think of him, Im trapped in a distant universe. Unfortunately or fortunately, in a distant reality that even the stalkers gaze next to me is considered insignificant.

Even so, the stalkers requirements should not be ignored. Its foolish to go against his misconduct in a situation where I dont know whats going to happen, so for the time being, I need to follow his demands and look at the situation.

Im relieved that everything he asked for was doable.

Dont go to New Ditch.

This request was already the second time. I didnt go to New Ditch as he told me to.

Toby and I talked about going there around April, but wouldnt the stalker leave me by then?  If not, I can delay it a little longer.

Visit Antris at least three times a week.

Even if my houses income is not great, my allowance is not enough to not be able to drink three cups of coffee a week.

Of course, if I go to the coffee shop three times a week, it will be difficult to buy the necessary things, but shopping can be on hold as I will be busy writing for a while anyway.

As for novels, I started reading the novel < Fugitive> again, so there is no problem for the time being.

You wont go home with that man. If you dont listen to me, Ill trample him.

Its a little creepy, but technically, I can meet Toby, but we shouldnt go home together, right?  Although its hard to figure out how to do it, its not an impossible requirement.

Complete the novel. And dont show it to anyone. Write it only for me.

It is no longer surprising that he knew I was writing a novel. He might have overheard my talk with Toby from the coffee shopwhile hearing about New Ditchor glanced sideways past me, who was absorbed in writing novels.

But showing it to someone also includes sending it to the academy?  I sincerely want to go to study abroad in the Principality of Lunoa, so I hope he doesnt mean I cant submit it.

I dont know what it means to write for him, but what was more strange was the last sentence.

You started it first.

So, am I the one who caused him to stalk me and make these threatening requests?

What

Could it be that hes mistaken me for some other person?

I know its an absurd idea, but if I was the one who made him a stalker, I should have done something or action against him. However, there are only a few people who I interact with, even if I were to count men and women.

Excluding the people living with me, Viola and her family, Tobias, Greg, Violas loverJacob, Longhorn, employees of bookstores, hat shop, and Antris coffee shop, ladies who talked or argued with me at the ball, and the doctor who took care of me.

First of all, the first clue to the stalker is the colour of his hair, but unfortunately, none of them has red hair. Among the women. I dont know if its that beautiful woman who was choosing a cake at Antris, but she didnt even make eye contact with me.

Oh, wait. Come to think of it, theres one more person.

Alan Leopold?

At the moment, I was truly grateful that there was no one in the room except me.

How foolish of me.

Even after I said it, my face was burning because I was embarrassed. This  With a little exaggeration, isnt it my wish?

What if he is madly admiring me because he feels the same way as me? So what if hes chasing every move I make tomorrow? Its not a coincidence that he saved me from the snow..

Please, Melissa.

There was no such delusion. I shook my head and broke my thoughts.

You have to hurry to send the novel manuscript to the academy by March. The stopped hand quickly grabbed the pen.

Wait a minute.

Anyway, why does an idea come every time you try to start something?

The red hair that covers that face.

As if its disturbing him.

Isnt it a wig?

***

Comments from Korean readers:

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Even if the main character had a previous life, she was hospitalized since middle school and passed away early, so her mental age should be considered as a high school student at best to a new adult level. Its true that her response is too unrealistically passive and compliant, so its a little out of it, but I think its not a ridiculous situation considering her emotional and soft voice, low self-esteem, and mental age

You listen to the stalker so well.

Werent you possessed? You dont know what a stalker is? The stalker would disappear on his own? No matter how low your self-esteem is, isnt it too complacent? The writers style and atmosphere are so nice. Please take good care of us until the end!

The novels heroine may be frustrating because active and enterprising women are in trend these days, but considering the background of the novel, she must have had a family education suitable for the times, and in her past life, she died in the dark in the past. Personally, I am enjoying this novel!

She cant help but listen to him in that situation. Even if she reports it, she cant catch him, point fingers, and the stalker is a rich man, the police are on the rich side, and the stalker mentioned to watch her family, Mels actions are not the answer, but thats the only choice.