Stubbornly In Love [Unedited]

Chapter 14: Cancelled

Chiyo could not concentrate during the graduation ceremony. She could not still process what Tora had said to her that morning.

Tora is currently having his speech at the podium for being their batch's outstanding student. His words could not reach her, only the news of Diana being pregnant is all she could hear.

She stared at him as he gazes at the audience.

"I wanted to stay away from him. I should be glad now that Diana bears his child," she thought, "But why does it hurt so much? Why am I wishing he'd change his mind and marry me instead?"

Without noticing, Chiyo started to shed tears again. Lucky for her, the graduates all cheered and stood up as they are finally done with the ceremony. Chiyo just sat down on her chair, feeling her heart breaks again.

She cried while others thought she's crying out of joy. She wished Tora would come and comfort her but much to her disappointment, no came.

When she calmed down a bit, she ran to the washroom and washed her face. She looked at herself on the mirror and her eyes are already red and puffy.

Her phone suddenly rang and when she saw the caller, she immediately answered it.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Igarashi?" she asked.

"Can you drop by my office now?" Tora's father asked. "Tora is here as well as your father. We'll have to discuss about your wedding."

"Okay," Chiyo says calmly, "I'll be right there."

After their call, Chiyo was taken to the Igarashi group's company. The building was huge and tall, almost up to 50 storeys. She did not feel good, her uneasiness is starting to crawl all over her body.

She entered and waited for the elevator.

"Could it be that Diana is here?" she asked herself. But she shook off that idea as she tries to comfort herself. "No, it would not be possible. Tora knew that Diana is an illegitimate child and it would be hard for them to process the papers to combine the Igarashi and Sakurai shares in the company.

It would takes years for Diana to be legalized as a legitimate daughter of the Sakurai family. And such time would not be wasted especially that both Igarashi and Sakurai are old and would not be able to manage the companies.

"The marriage shall go on as scheduled," Chiyo cheered up her own. She breathed in and out to calm her nerves before finally entering Mr. Igarashi's office.

Upon opening the door, her eyes grew wide in shock. At the office, Diana is happily chatting with Tora like she has never gone missing for the past five months.

"Diana," she called.

"You're here," Mr. Igarashi said and her father is also sitting across the two. Chiyo felt her heart beating fast as she started to realize what is going on.

"Just like our deal 5 months ago, your marriage with Tora is cancelled," Mr. Igarashi said. "Just what you've stated before, Diana does carry my grandchild so there is no more reason needed for them not to be wed."

"I've already prepared Diana's papers for the two of you to get equal shares from the company," her father added.

Chiyo did not mind them but instead, she faced Diana whose belly is now big.

"Where have you been for the last few months?" she asked.

Diana smiled at her as she clings onto Tora's arm.

"My fiance had sent me to the US to relax. You're finally free, Chiyo," Diana replied.

She, then, raised her hand showing her stepsister her fingers.

"And look, Chiyo, we're now engaged. And we'll be getting married next month," Diana boasted.

It was hard for Chiyo to comprehend, she just stood there staring at Tora who has not said anything. But when their gaze met, he smirked at her.

"Shouldn't you be congratulating us?" he said.

Chiyo wanted to shout, she wanted to lose herself but such choices will only make her look pathetic and stupid.

So, she stood straight and gave her sweetest smile to the new couple.

"Congratulations," she said, "I'll be waiting for your wedding."

"Now that we're settled, I hope the wedding goes on smoothly," Mr. Sakurai said as he held out his hand.

"There would no longer be any problem," Mr. Igarashi stated and the two shook hands.

"I'll go pack my things up," Chiyo excused.

After saying those words, she turned her back and the tears she had been holding back finally ran down her face as she walks out from the office.

"We were engaged for months," she thought as she tried to wipe off her overflowing tears. "But he never had given me a ring."

She went back to the apartment where she had lived with Tora. It was filled with their memories together but now, it will be all replaced and only her would be able to remember them. She packed her things and before leaving, she took one last glance at the place where she had spent most of her time speaking and arguing with Tora.

They are precious to her so even if they are now nothing, she'll treasure those memories and keep it inside her heart.

Chiyo got into her car and drove away, far away from the city. She reached the beach and there, she cried her heart out.

"I should have agreed to be wed with him before, I should not have tried to cancel our engagement,' she keeps on repeating.

She held her chest tight as the pain worsens.

"It hurts," she sobbed, "It hurts so much."