No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

I was at the Silent Wisdom Temple, soaking up a session on mindfulness, when Conrad's call pulled me from my trance.

"Felicia, it's nearly 11 o'clock. Where are you?" Conrad's voice crackled with urgency through the phone.Content is property © NôvelDrama.Org.

“I'm almost there. Give me a minute," I lied, a hint of mischief tinting my voice.

I had loved him for a decade and waited on him more times than I could count. It was his turn, considering a small tribute to the ten years of love I had given.

"Hurry up. Don't miss the time slot the master said would be perfect," Conrad pressed on.

Right then, I was sitting across from Master Mathew, who hadn't breathed a word about any marriage. He had no clue about me and Conrad planning to tie the knot, let alone calculate any auspicious time.

I hummed a soft acknowledgment and hung up, then turned off my phone, allowing Master Mathew's words to wash over me again.

Conrad's faith was born from a miracle. After surviving a severe illness in his childhood, thanks to his mother, Jacqueline, who had prayed tirelessly for three days and nights, both found solace in faith. Jacqueline became a devout believer, and in turn, Conrad became a lay disciple, taking Master Mathew as his spiritual guide.

As Conrad's partner, I naturally got roped into this world, too, with Master Mathew even blessing our union with prayer cords. Sadly, our bond wasn't as unbreakable as those cords.

I left the Silent Wisdom Temple at three in the afternoon, but my phone was still off. When I drove to the town hall, Conrad was long gone. I wasn't surprised, though. I had no idea how long he waited, but it wasn't as long as I had waited for him over the years.

As I parked, I turned my phone back on, only to be bombarded with a flurry of missed calls and messages, most of which were from Conrad.

[Felicia, did you get here yet? Why's your phone off?]

[Felicia, it's time. We're going to miss the perfect hour.]

[Felicia, what's going on?]

[Felicia, answer your texts and your calls.]

[Felicia, we've got 20 minutes before town hall closes. We won't make it for the license.]

[Felicia, are you playing games with me?]

[Felicia?]

I could almost watch Conrad shift from anxious, to furious, to totally exasperated.

The last text was sent at 11:55, which meant his patience lasted less than an hour.

Seeing the fifty-three missed calls, called him back, only for him to hang up after a single ring. He was angry and upset that I stood him up and wasn't taking my calls.

I didn't try again. Instead, I

messaged Fanny, knowing Conrad must've called her in his search for

me, and she was also asking where I was.

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Instead of typing, I sent her a voice message, [Don't worry about me. I'm fine. I went to pray. That's all.]

Fanny's video call came through instantly. Her first words were, "What happened?"

I bit my lip. "It's a long story."

Ever pragmatic, Fanny said, "Cut the long story short."

I was about to speak when Conrad's call came through again. But I had no intention. of answering. My heart, once brimming with hope, felt dead. Gone were the days when I'd drop everything to answer his calls, no matter who I was with or what I was doing.

Hearing my phone ring, Fanny guessed, "Conrad?"

I hummed. "Yeah."

Fanny said, "Take his call. He's been going mad looking for you."

Really? Did Conrad know what it was to be driven mad by worry for me?