SWNOVELS Chapter 186
Jocelyn returned to her apartment and double-locked the door behind her.
She flopped onto the couch, her gaze unfocused, her mind a jumble. After a while, she started fiddling with the ring on her finger, a bitter smirk curling her lips-a mix of mockery and scorn.
Melvin had played his cards with a cruel hand. He had lifted her up with hope, only to shatter it without a second thought - not the slightest shred of sentiment for their shared past. Was it really necessary to embarrass her like this?
Jocelyn slid the ring off, rolling it between her fingers as her eyes wandered to the trash can beside her. With a flick of her wrist, the ring tumbled into the bin.
She lay back, stretching out on the couch, feeling a dryness in her eyes and a tightness in her throat that hinted at a dull ache.
It felt as if there was a boulder pressing down on her chest-how was she ever going to push it away?
She felt suffocated, as if wrapped from head to toe in airtight clothing that wouldn't let her breathe.
After a spell, she got up, retrieved the ring from the trash, and tossed it into a drawer instead.
She washed her face, applied a heavier layer of makeup to conceal the exhaustion on her features, and hailed a cab to school. She was supposed to have taken the day off.
She hadn't mentioned why, but Ursula had her suspicions.
When Jocelyn showed up at the office, Ursula was taken aback. "Was I wrong? Weren't you supposed to be getting hitched today?" "Guess not," Jocelyn replied with a forced smile. "Just some errands I thought would take all day, but they were done in a jiffy." Ursula's brows knitted together. "Something's off with you."
"What's off?" Jocelyn asked, returning to her desk and pulling out her textbooks.
"You're wearing makeup today, and it's thick."
The makeup wasn't really heavy; it just seemed so compared to Jocelyn's usual bare-faced look.
Jocelyn laughed, arching an eyebrow playfully. "Isn't it beautiful?"
Seeing her so upbeat, Ursula started to doubt her own instincts.
"Absolutely, like a siren," Ursula teased, with a suggestive waggle of her eyebrow. "The kind that enchants souls."
Jocelyn's smile held a tinge of bitterness. She hadn't enchanted Melvin's soul, after all.
That afternoon, Jocelyn went about her lectures and chats with colleagues as if nothing was amiss.
It was as though the day's events had never happened.
She didn't have her phone with her the whole time, and she had it on silent.
After evening study, she returned to the office to find thirteen missed calls on her phone.
Three were from Daisy, two from Calvin, and the rest from Yasmine.
The sight of Yasmine's number made Jocelyn's breath catch.
They hadn't been in touch for so long, and a call today of all days was almost certainly about Melvin.
Had Melvin told Yasmine he stood her up?
Jocelyn didn't return the call, opting to call Daisy back first.
The phone was answered after just one ring.
"Why aren't you picking up? I tried Melvin's number, and it's off. What are you two up to? Did you get married and decide to ditch your parents?" Daisy's voice was laced with concern.
Jocelyn felt a pang of hurt but tried to sound calm. "Mom, I was in class and didn't have my phone on me, had it on silent."
"In class? You went back to school? But didn't you take the day off?" Daisy fired off questions before adding, "Your dad thought you two were off enjoying some alone time as newlyweds, but you could at least pick up the phone so we wouldn't worry."
"I'm sorry, Mom." Jocelyn knew she couldn't keep up the pretense. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Melvin and I didn't go through with the marriage certificate."
"What?" Daisy's voice pitched higher.
Jocelyn looked down. "I thought about it, and it seemed too hasty. We decided it was best not to rush into marriage."
There was a pause on the other end.
Then Calvin's voice came through. "Jocelyn, is something wrong?"
"No," Jocelyn's voice broke as tears threatened to spill.
She tilted her head back, fighting to hold back the tears, her fingers digging into the edge of the desk. "Marriage is serious; you can't just stamp that seal without thinking it through. I'm sorry for disappointing you again."
"You silly girl, it's your life, your decision. If you think it's right, then it is; if not, then it isn't. We're here to support you, no matter what. If you're not ready, then take your time to decide. Don't worry about us; we might nag, but we want you to live life your way."
Calvin's words were too much for her to bear.
She quickly ended the call, "Dad, I've got something to take care of, gotta go."
"Alright, alright, you do what you need to do. Bye."
As soon as she hung up, Jocelyn sank to the floor. She curled up under her desk, hugging her knees as she wept silently.
Though she was alone in the office, she still bit down on her sleeve to muffle the sobs, her tears soaking the fabric, burning her heart.
...
Holding the phone, Calvin's expression wasn't as relaxed as he had sounded on the call.
"Something's definitely wrong," he said to Daisy. "But if she doesn't want to talk about it, we shouldn't pry."
Daisy's breathing was quick; she looked pale and upset. "It must be Melvin who backed out. I could tell he wasn't fully committed to marrying Jocelyn. A boyfriend of that long, and not a single visit to our house never bringing up marriage-how could he suddenly be ready to tie the knot? I always said we didn't know enough about his family background to give our blessing. Now look, she's left holding her birth certificate at registry, and he's a no-show!" Daisy's frustration was palpable. "It's a good thing I didn't boast about their wedding outside; if I had, we'd be the neighborhood joke."
Calvin tried to soothe his wife, "Yes, yes, you're the thoughtful one."
"I'm telling you, no matter how wealthy or influential Melvin may be, no matter how pleasant he's been in the past, I'm through with him," declared Daisy.
"Don't speak in anger. They just didn't get the certificate; it shows they're both being sensible. It's not like they've broken up," Calvin said, gently rubbing her back to soothe her.
Daisy snorted. "People who are about to get a marriage certificate are out the door early in the morning. Suddenly not getting one? Tell me, if that's not breaking up, what is? Jocelyn was so chipper this morning; there wasn't a single hint of not wanting to get married. She was clearly excited about it. So, that just means Melvin's a no-show! What's that supposed to mean? It's crystal clear he's dumping my girl. Daisy fumed, beyond the point of calming down.
Calvin tried to soothe her, "Maybe something came up last minute. That's all."
"Something came up? Ha! We had the time set. Short of the sky falling, nothing should've kept him away. I'm telling you, chances are they've split up." Daisy's hands trembled with anger. "I always said Harrison was the better match, but Jocelyn wouldn't listen. Now she's taken such a huge fall, let's see if she's still so stubborn."
"Come on, don't be mad. She's an adult; she can handle whatever comes her way, solve her own problems," Calvin said, concerned for his wife's well-being. "Don't worry too much. They didn't get the marriage certificate; maybe it's not such a bad thing."
Daisy shrugged off Calvin's hand, glaring at him. "This is all your meddling. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have given her the birth certificate. Now look, Jocelyn must be heartbroken."
"Yeah, yeah, it's my fault," Calvin conceded with a humble nod, reaching for her hand again. "If it's over, it's over. Our daughter is a catch; she won't have trouble finding someone else."
Daisy, still steaming, shook off his hand, "I've had enough!"
She stormed off into the bedroom.