I had been watching the beautiful scenery all the way back, feeling especially fulfilled inside.
When I arrived home, my mother immediately hugged me. "Sweetheart, why didn't Alexander come back with you? Who's been taking care of you? You've lost weight after being away for just a few days."
It was only then that I realized—after Alexander left, he hadn't contacted me even once.
And, honestly, I hadn't thought about him either.
But when I thought of Houston, my heart fluttered.
"Mom, I want to annul my engagement to Alexander."
It's time I should give up on him.
I explained everything that had happened on the trip, and my mother, trembling with anger, grabbed my hand and said we were going straight to Alexander's house. "It has to end, and it has to end now!"
I stopped her. "Mom, what about the engagement papers?"
I'm talking about that engagement.
She slapped her forehead. "Oh, right, I'll go get it now."
Soon enough, she handed me a box. I opened it and found the shredded remnants of the red paper inside.
My mother, looking embarrassed, explained, "When you were in school, a girl came to me, saying she was Alexander's girlfriend. So I took the engagement papers and went to see Sarah. In a fit of anger, I tore them up, but it was Sarah who suggested we give him one last chance, so I put it back together."
I was a bit surprised. "Was it Casey?"
She had been the one to reveal it herself. I didn't understand why.
Mom continued, "I visited your school a few times, and she probably mistook me for Alexander's mother.
"That girl was very clever. She knew she had no future with Alexander and asked for some money."
Tears filled my eyes immediately. I didn't know what kind of spell Casey had cast on him, but he refused to believe his parents, blaming everything on me instead.
He used my feelings for him to coldly manipulate me.
I choked, "Mom, I thought you wouldn't agree to annul the engagement."
She hugged me, heartbroken. "Silly girl, stop watching those short dramas, it's messing with your head. I never considered that brat an outsider, but he's been wrong, and we won't let ourselves suffer."
The annulment went smoothly.
Sarah, upon learning about Alexander's nonsense, immediately tore up her copy of the engagement papers.
She also sent someone to drag Alexander back from the bar.
He staggered in, still drunk, and seeing me and my mother sitting on the couch, sneered. "You called me back to apologize, huh? Seraphina, are you really going to be so dramatic?"
My mom was furious, nearly cursing out loud.
Sarah was quick on her feet and slapped him hard across the face. "You scoundrel, Seraphina is here to annul the engagement."
She handed him the box with the shredded papers inside.
Alexander snapped awake and looked at the mess of paper, his eyes wide. "Did you really tear it up?"
He turned to me as if expecting to find something on my face. "Seraphina, are you playing some kind of game with me?"
"You're overthinking it," I said flatly.
He lost his composure. "Give me back my family heirloom necklace."
"Alexander, did you forget? You already took the longevity lock back to give it to Casey."
My mother couldn't take it anymore. She splashed tea in his face. "Alexander, you've really disappointed me. Seraphina, let's go."
