A Life Debt Repaid

The guests were encouraging, loudly asking, “Why?!”
“Because of a woman,” Sam’s recording replied.
“Who is it?”
“Quinn Summer,” the Sam on the screen said slowly and clearly, leaving the Sam who was in the hall stunned.
What the hell?! That was the proposal video he prepared before!
Why did it show up here? Did Zoe make a mistake?!
He knew it-leave anything to Zoe, and she would mess it up!
He started striding toward the stage, intent on stopping the recording, when John and Bob intercepted him with a look of utter
guilt while the recording continued. “Quinn is my wife, and we’ve been married for years, but I’ve never really loved her-not
because I don’t, but because I’m afraid to. I feel too insignificant in comparison to the one she loves, so I’d always hurt her...
painfully and childishly. I regret that so much now, Quinn. How could I have abandoned you for so long because of my own
jealousy? I’d rather hold you in my sleep every night, but my damned pride denied me that for years.”
It was already a miserable picture, and his words only turned on the waterworks.
What was this, a confession? One could laugh as much as they would cry!
“I love you, Quinn!” Sam suddenly said loudly with a look of determination. “I’ve really loved you ever since I first met you. I tried
to catch your eye with every way you hate because you didn’t like me-because I felt inferior. I was so stupid back then!
“But now, I’ll turn over a new leaf. I probably won’t be a successful man, but I swear to be the man who treats you best.
“I won’t get upset with you, use you like a tool, or hurt you out of jealousy. From now on, what you say goes in our family, and
me, my money, and my life are in your hands.”
It was a cliched speech, but some of the more sentimental guests were actually brought to tears.
Even in the recording, Sam was choking with tears. “So... Will you marry me again? This will be the real start of our marriage-
we’ll sleep together every day, performing our spousal duties...”

The guests laughed again-could he not be serious for a second longer?!
“We’ll do our best to get children. As long as they are mine, I’ll love them with my life.”
“I’ll work hard to be a good husband and a good father, and grow old with you.”
“I love you, Quinn!”
“Will you marry me?!”
The recording ended there-there was a shower of petals planned at that stage, and Sam would go on stage with a diamond ring
and go down on a knee with everyone as their witness.
But now, there was nothing even as the lights turned on.
All Quinn saw was Sam standing there, his knuckles clenched so hard his veins surfaced.
John and Bob let go of him just then, and Bob whispered into Sam’s ear, ’ Don’t falter now.”
Sam pursed his lips.
He understood that his best friends, Zoe and Cordy, had worked hard to seize this opportunity for him.
But it was too late.
It should have stayed as history since the moment Ryan met that accident, because he had no chance with Quinn since then.
Naturally, he did not blame them since he knew they were just trying to help, but he did not want to put Quinn on the spot either.