Chapter 22 Couldn't Forget You

• "Yes, it's a lame excuse! I know you're back, and you have asked me out on a dinner, but I just didn't want to go."
• "Why should I go? Why would I want to see you? Do I have to show up just because you asked me to? Do I have to oblige what you ask of me? You said let's get married and I obliged. You said to hold on and not get married first, and I reciprocated. You said you wanted to go to the United States, and you left. You did everything as you wished. Have you asked me about my feelings? Have you ever asked me for my opinion?"
• "What was I going to do at the dinner tonight? Do I go there to see how successful and well-off you are now in the United States? Do I show up to let you see how miserable and hard up of a life I am living?" Ben was furious. He didn't hold his tongue on the grievances he had for many years.
• "No, Ben. No. I've missed you every day for the past few years. You didn't answer my calls or respond to my emails. I can only find out about you through Jamie. My heart broke for you when Jamie told me you run a barbeque stall and work tirelessly every day. How I wish I could fly back here and be with you again." The woman cried pitifully.
• "How nice of you? You are good with words. To begin with, you wouldn't have left if you really cared about me as you claimed. If you really cared about me, you would never have left me on the night before our wedding. You wouldn't have let me deal with all the mess and pain you left behind with your unforewarned disappearance."
• "Do you have any idea your mother was hospitalized from emotion-induced hematemesis on the day of our wedding? It was I who stayed by her throughout the seven days at the hospital. It was I who sent her home upon the doctor's permission to discharge her from the hospital. All my relatives and friends were there at the wedding. My father had no choice but to brave the shame and announce the cancelation of our wedding at the very last minute. He lied to a temporary halt on the wedding because I was so sick in the hospital. My dad is a reputable figure to many people. But after that incident, he hadn't stepped out of the house for more than half a year. He felt ashamed and feared people's comments. The very same reason triggered my mother's old sickness, we spent all our savings to save her, but she passed away a year after that. My father would chase me away with a broom in his hands, and I had no audacity to go back to my family after what went down at the wedding. Mia, was this how you showed your concern for me? Did I deserve a love like that?" Ben said coldly.
• "I'm sorry, Ben. I couldn't help it too. You know how much I cherished the opportunity to be able to go to the United States. It's only once, and if I miss it, it won't come back again. It has always been my dream to go to the United States..." Ben interrupted Mia halfway through her explanation.
• "Dream? How noble of your dream. Of course, you have dreams and longings. Everyone else does too. I'm the only loser who doesn't have dreams and longings. I'm a loser who doesn't deserve to dream. I only deserve to be an instrument for other people in achieving their dreams." Ben sneered coldly.
• "Ben, please don't talk down on yourself like this. The opportunity I acquired working at the HQ in the United States has been a valuable experience and stepping stone for me. This time I have come back to work for my former employer as the Deputy National Manager of the United Kingdom Region with an annual salary of two million and other bonuses on top of that. I will my duty at the company tomorrow. I know that you have been through a lot all these years, but I believe we are worth it, Ben. My income was pretty rewarding back in the United States, and I managed to save some money. We can buy a house and get married in London. Okay?" Mia held Ben's hand and said earnestly.
• "Hahahaha. This must be the funniest joke I've ever heard. Are you asking to get married again? Is marriage nothing but a joke to you? Mia, please do not tarnish the true meaning of marriage. Do not insult me again." Ben laughed bitterly.
• "I mean it this time, Ben. Please believe me. I've asked you to wait for me, and we'll get married when I come back to you after three years. Now that I'm back, I promise I will never go anywhere after this. I'll be with you. We'll get married and have children. Isn't that better for us? We get to be together for the rest of our lives." Mia persuaded Ben.
• Ben looked into Mia's yearning gaze. At that moment, Ben felt as if he had been transported back to the past when he and Mia were madly in love with each other.
• But the pain and bitterness he had borne brought him back to reality. Ben shoved Mia's hand away and said, "You are exceedingly selfish, Mia. Let people live their lives. You have chosen opportunities and careers over love and family. Now that you have made it in your career and fulfilled your dream, you are asking for love and marriage."
• "Mia, you can't have everything in this world. There are losses and gains, and you are not entitled to things you once gave away. Some things are never the same once it is gone. I have told you if you leave, we will never get back together again. I told you that when I saw you for the last time, yet you left steadfastly. You should have known we would never be together again before you got into the taxi that day. Our love had ended there and then. It is impossible for us to be together again."
• "Why isn't it possible? Do you remember all those years we were together, Ben? We had nine years together since my freshman year. Nine years, Ben." Mia couldn't contain her sorrow and disappointment, and she said with tears rolling down her ashen face.
• "No, you're wrong. We broke up three years ago. All in all, we were only together for six years." Ben bellowed with grievances.
• "Even if it's six years, we had been together for 2,190 days and 52,560 hours in those six years. How could you give up a six-year relationship? I highly doubt you can do that." Mia said.
• "I never thought you were good at Mathematics, but your calculation has indeed improved a lot ever since you've gone abroad."
• "Mia, it wasn't me who gave up on us. It was you. In order to go to the United States, you bailed out on our love and left me without hesitation. That indicated our love was optional and tradable to you. Go. Please leave me alone. I don't want to see you again. You are well-to-do and a successful expatriate who has returned from abroad. I am just a stinky barbecue stall vendor that nobody cares about. Don't stoop so lowly by coming to me ever again." Ben uttered indifferently, but his heart was bleeding in pain.
• There was a suitcase in Mia's hand. Her eyes and face were covered with glistening remorseful tears.
• "Are you going to just let me stand here like this? Can you open the door? Let's go in and talk, okay?"
• "Sorry, it's inappropriate. I can't allow you in because there's no one at home. I do not want people to talk behind us." Ben stood still in front of the door. He refused to let Mia into his house.
• "How is it inappropriate? Why didn't you say anything like that during the years we were cohabiting? As you can see, I came here with my luggage. Ben, I'm not going anywhere tonight; I'm staying here with you." Mia got flustered.