Chapter 8

That Saturday, Cindy went to a class reunion. She wanted to see everyone one last time to close the chapter on her younger years. She hadn't expected Arthur to show up. He was never one for social gatherings. Back in the day, it had always been Cindy and Winter dragging him along. But today, not only had he come, but he had even brought Annette along. The group drank, sang, and chatted. It wasn't long before everyone was insisting on playing games. "Come on! Spin the wheel! Whoever it lands on has to do the truth or dare written on it!" Arthur had stepped out to take a work call, leaving him absent for the moment, while Cindy—who was never much of a game person—had been roped into playing against her will. The wheel spun and, in the first round, landed on Cindy. The dare written on it was to kiss the next person who walked through the door for ten minutes. She clutched the slip of paper, remaining silent. Annette shot her a smug grin. "Cindy, I know you're all pure and virtuous. If you can't handle it, why don't you drop to your knees and shine my shoes instead? That'll get you out of it." Cindy's hands curled into fists as she met Annette's taunting gaze. She was already dying. What difference would it make if she kissed anyone? "I'll take the dare," she said calmly. Annette wasn't surprised. If anything, her smile deepened, and a sharp, calculating glint flickered in her eyes. Meanwhile, Arthur had just finished his phone call in the hallway. As he turned, he caught sight of a scruffy vagrant approaching, looking downright eager. The man was on the phone, bragging to a friend. "I just landed a sweet gig. Somebody wants to set up this gorgeous lady, and they hired me just to kiss her." After hanging up, he strode toward the door of the private room. With a sleazy grin, he wiped his mouth and reached for the handle. But just as he was about to step inside, a firm grip closed around his arm. "Excuse me." Arthur's expression was ice-cold as he spoke, brushing past the man and stepping into the room first. The second everyone realized it was him, silence took over. Annette's face went pale as she struggled to grasp how things had come to this. Cindy, too, fixed Arthur with a look of shock. Arthur, however, seemed oblivious to what was going on. Why is everyone looking at me like that?" he asked coolly. Someone spoke up hesitantly. "Cindy drew a dare. She has to kiss the first person who walks through the door for ten minutes." Arthur lowered himself into a seat, his disinterest obvious. "That's absurd." Annette jumped in quickly, "Yeah, yeah, let's just skip this round." Everyone knew Arthur was engaged, so the game moved on without another word. After the gathering ended, Annette scolded the vagrant in a secluded spot. "Didn't I tell you to come inside right away?" Looking genuinely innocent, the vagrant protested, "I swear, it wasn't my fault… That guy yanked me away. I even suspect he did it on purpose." Annette's expression darkened at the thought of Arthur still looking out for Cindy. She and Arthur had been engaged for two years now, yet he hadn't once brought up setting a wedding date. The more she dwelt on it, the more it infuriated her. After sending the vagrant on his way, she made a phone call. The next day, Monica and Stephen called Arthur home. "What's this about?" Arthur asked. With a hint of displeasure, Monica asked, "When are you planning to marry Annette? You've been engaged forever, and she's been complaining. The Sommers are pushing for you two to set a date soon." Arthur's face stayed impassive. "The company's swamped at the moment." "That's just an excuse!" Monica shot back. "Do you take me for a fool? You're dragging this out with Annette because you can't let go of Cindy!" Arthur froze with his coffee cup halfway to his lips, his expression icing over. Monica saw the shift and knew she'd hit the nail on the head. Her irritation flared. "You and Cindy are never going to happen!" With that, she took Arthur's hand and led him over to Winter's memorial photo. "Are you really planning to bring the person responsible for Winter's death into our home? I know Cindy didn't kill her with her own hands, but she's still at fault for what happened! Winter died protecting her. If Cindy hadn't run away, Winter might not have died such a tragic death. "There could have been a chance, however small. But given everything, our family will never be able to move on from this. No matter what, Cindy will never set foot in this house—not unless I'm dead, too!" Monica's voice broke as she shouted through her tears. By the end, she was clutching Winter's memorial photo, her sobs overtaking her until she couldn't say another word. Arthur stared at the photograph of Winter's delicate, youthful face, then at Monica, who was crying her heart out. A crushing weight settled on his chest, making it hard to breathe. His voice was thick with emotion as he finally forced out the truth he'd carried for so long. "I'm not going to marry Cindy." But that wasn't enough for Monica. "Then promise me—right here, in front of Winter—that you'll marry Annette," she said. Arthur fell silent. One second passed. Then two. Then three. At last, he spoke, his words slow and deliberate. "I'll marry Annette."