Three Years of Devotion in Vain: I’ll Set You Free
I’m Chloe Quinn, the orphan adopted by the Foster family and Luke Foster’s sister. He cherished me dearly. For five years after my parents passed away in a car accident, he spoiled me like a precious princess.
Yet, after I confessed my feelings for him, he ignored me for three whole years.
On the day he went to propose to someone else, I also accepted another’s proposal.
“I’ll marry him,” I said.
1
After I agreed, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Grandma Foster smiled, “Good girl, you can prepare for the wedding this month.”
She and other relatives happily discussed the wedding plans as they walked out with light steps.
I sat by the window, staring blankly at the scenery outside.
Sophia stood aside with red–rimmed eyes, “I’ll try to persuade Luke again. Maybe there’s still a chance things could change.”
I looked at her teary eyes and chuckled lightly, “Isn’t marriage supposed to be a happy event? Look how thrilled they all are.”
My agreement to marry probably relieved Luke the most.
Silly Sophia still didn’t understand.
“But Luke used to care for you the most,” she said with a voice on the verge of tears, pulling my thoughts back to years ago.
That year, when my parents died in a car accident, relatives like wolves divided up my family’s assets, leaving only my fate undecided.
“Who wants this little girl?”
“I can’t afford to raise her.”
“We can’t either.”
They pushed the responsibility around.
I huddled in a corner, shivering.
A tall teenage boy appeared like a divine figure, shielding me, “I’ll take her!”
He brought me home.
From then on, I became the Foster family’s adopted daughter and Luke’s sister.
Though he seemed cold, he was attentive enough to notice my fear of the dark and stayed up all night telling me stories.
Even when he worked outside, he never forgot to search for interesting gifts for me.
He took my childish words seriously.
He said, “If Chloe doesn’t want to get married, the Foster house will always be your home. I’ll protect you forever.”
He spoiled me to the bone, letting me grow up safely, becoming the most precious princess in our social circle.
I took his vow as truth.
Unnoticed feelings gradually sprouted.
I also naturally felt that Luke would be mine forever.
12:16 PM d
<
a
D
I took his vow as truth.
Unnoticed feelings gradually sprouted.
I also naturally felt that Luke would be mine forever.
So on that Valentine’s Day, when he handed the bouquet he won to another girl, I unhesitatingly smashed the flowers and declared my feelings in front of everyone.
“Luke, I don’t just see you as a brother. I like you.”
I was adopted by the Foster family anyway, and Luke and I grew up together like childhood sweethearts. If it worked out, it would be a good
match.
But Luke avoided me like the plague ever since.
I still didn’t want to give up.
I thought he loved me but just wouldn’t admit it.
If he didn’t love me, why was he so attentive to me?
If he didn’t love me, why would he get jealous whenever he saw me interacting with other guys?
I even went to his company.
But day after day, year after year.
This infatuation eventually became a joke.
People no longer said, “This could be a good match.”
Instead, they said, “That adopted daughter of the Fosters is really shameless, pestering Luke every day!”
I waited and waited, but Luke never said he liked me.
I only waited for dark nights with no one to keep me company.
In the gift boxes, presents gradually gathered dust.
The once earnest boy who told me stories had grown into a cold, emotionless man.
I stubbornly refused to marry anyone else, gradually passing the suitable age for marriage.
Grandma Foster finally revealed the truth, “Years ago, when he took his little sister out to play, she got lost, and he felt extremely guilty.”
“Later, when he saved you, he treated you like his own sister.”
“Luke only has sibling affection for you. You’re getting older now, you should wake up.”
I finally realized the truth.
It turned out that this doting love was just borrowed from someone else.
That day, Luke went to visit the Sanders family.
To discuss marriage, the target being Rachel Sanders, the girl whose flowers I had smashed.
That day, I also agreed to Grandma Foster’s suggestion, “If someone is willing to marry me, I’ll do it.”
