Wedding Invitation from My Ex

I had dated Davin for seven years. But he went to accompany another woman, his first love, on the day I had a relapse of gastritis.

When he finally came to see me, I handed him a wedding invitation.

He didn't take it. Instead, he asked me to prepare a wedding gift.

I said, "It's my wedding. What gift do you plan to give me?"

1

I had known Alexander Buckley for seven years. When we got married, he followed my wishes, and we had a simple family dinner with just a few close friends invited.

Alexander was nice to me and always considerate. He was worried that I might get tired during the wedding, so he secretly had a friend bring my flat shoes and swap them out for me during the dinner. He even picked out the seafood from the soup for me in advance.

He told me that I could go upstairs and rest for a bit if I was tired and that he would take care of the guests. He let me not worry about a thing."

I nodded and naturally trusted him.

My best friend sat next to me. When she finally had a free moment, she leaned over and teased me with mock jealousy.

"Alexander is like the perfect husband. He is so considerate. Even someone like me, who's sworn off kids and marriage, is starting to believe in love again."

I shot her a glance with a smile.

She suddenly seemed to remember something and her teasing smile faded. She turned to look at Alexander, who was clinking glasses with guests not far away.

"But back then, we all thought you would get married to Davin."

Hearing Davin's name, I lowered my gaze. I had always thought I might never truly give up on him. But at that moment, I found myself calm, like still water.

After all, back then, I had believed it as well.

My best friend asked if Davin knew about my wedding.

I gave a faint, self-deprecating smile. How could he possibly know? His mind was entirely consumed by the woman he longed for but could never have, Lillian Murray.

But it didn't matter to me anymore.

From the moment he abandoned me, he was destined to be nothing more than a fleeting figure in my life.

Seeing me shake my head, my best friend pressed her lips together. Just then, her phone rang. After glancing at the screen, she turned to me with a serious expression.

"Irene, Davin is coming back."

I got the news without giving any response.

He had always been a free spirit. But after he returned this time, he would find that some things had quietly changed.

-

A month ago, I had a relapse of gastritis. The pain was so intense that I developed a high fever. I was so weak that I couldn't even sip warm water. My lips were dry and cracked, and it was painfully difficult for me to speak.

Yet, during that time, Lillian called him, saying she was about to go abroad and hoped he could go and accompany her for a few days.

After all, she wasn't familiar with that foreign country, unlike Davin, who had stayed there for years.

Davin sat by my bedside at that moment. He didn't even spare me a glance of concern. Instead, he quickly booked a plane ticket right in front of me and told me that he'd arrange for someone to take care of me while he was away.

I knew how much Lillian meant to him, but I was unwilling to accept that my seven years with him were defeated by a single phone call from Lillian.

Enduring both physical and emotional pain, I asked him if he could stay and take care of me.

Only then did Davin finally look up at me. He ruffled my hair and told me to be good and wait for him to come back. He promised to bring me my favorite cake.

"Oh, and that purse you like. The sales assistant said it's in stock now. I'll have them deliver it to you."

I pressed my lips tightly together and said nothing more.

I had been with Davin for seven years. He gave me a lot of things, including purses, necklaces, bracelets, and rubies. He was generous when it came to spending money on me, never stingy.

But I knew that all those gifts were chosen by his assistant.

But when it came to Lillian, he always picked out the gifts himself, and each one would cost a lot of money.

He even gave her a ruby ring for her birthday one year.

I told him that I didn't care about that purse and that I wanted him to stay with me.

His expression darkened instantly. Seeing my defiance, his next words were like a bucket of ice water poured over me.

"Irene Edwards, we agreed when we started dating that if Lillian ever needed me, I would always put her in the first place. So don't be unreasonable. You know I don't like overly dramatic women."

His words lodged in my throat, leaving me speechless for a long time.

His words also brought me to a harsh realization that I was the one who fell for Davin first.

I always clung to him like a desperate fool.

Later, he agreed to date me, but only after making it clear that his heart belonged to another woman, Lillian.

If Lillian ever needed him, he would always put her in the first place.

He told me that if I couldn't accept that, he couldn't date me.

I nodded and agreed to his terms.

I knew he had put it delicately. But I was actually nothing more than his backup plan. He could summon or dismiss me at any time and never truly had feelings for me.

Seeing me say nothing more, he nodded in satisfaction. Then he leaned down and gave me a dry kiss on my lips.

"Be good and stay home. If there's anything you want, just tell me. I'll buy it for you."

I asked him when he would be back.

He hesitated and was seemingly unsure. But he still gave me a vague answer to placate me.

"About a week, I guess."

With that, he packed up his things, grabbed his suitcase, and left the apartment.

The moment the door closed behind him, tears streamed uncontrollably down my face.

I should have realized from the start that Davin could give me anything except love.

The pain in my stomach blurred my vision. In my daze, I seemed to hear the apartment door open. A man's figure came closer until he gently lifted me from the bed.

I wanted to open my eyes to see who it was, but I was too exhausted. I could only close my eyes and drift into sleep.

As I inhaled the faint scent of him, I thought I knew who he was.

The person holding me-there was no mistaking who it was.

2

I knew how much Davin loved Lillian.

Once anything related to her happened, he would drop everything and rush to her.

It was because she needed him.

However, despite all his devotion, he never received even a hint of commitment from her that she would date him.

I was well aware of it but still chose to date Davin because he had helped me out of the mire years ago.

I had been timid since I was a little girl and was always bullied by others. The first time I met Davin, I was kneeling on the floor and scrubbing it with a rag.

Three notorious school bullies were standing not far in front of me.

I didn't dare resist and could only do what they asked me to do.

I lowered my head and didn't notice Davin approaching. By accident, the dirty rag in my hand brushed against his expensive shoes.

He clicked his tongue in annoyance, and I thought he would be just like the others, who were cold and cruel. But instead, he tossed aside the schoolbag over his shoulder and punished those bullies.

He said in front of them, "She's with me. You must keep distant from her. Got it?"

From that day on, I followed him everywhere, and no one dared to bully me again.

I began to show my affection for Davin, helping him take attendance, doing his homework, cleaning for him, and even delivering love letters to Lillian for him. I also patched him up whenever Lillian broke his heart.

I had become so intertwined with his life that he finally noticed me.

One day, after he was rejected by Lillian once again, he noticed me behind him.

"Irene, do you like me?"

His tone was as casual as ever, but I couldn't stop myself from nodding.

"Let's date," he said.

When he reached out his hand to me, I felt my heart pounding so hard that it was about to jump out of my chest.

I guessed that maybe Davin was trying to heal the hurt inflicted by Lillian because he was hurt too much by her or because his life was empty.

But anyway, he was dating me at that moment, even though he had always kept our relationship a secret.

And in the seven years we have been seeing each other, I had never asked anything of him.

I remembered he held me close as we drank on the balcony one day. He said with a faint regret, "Irene, do you think I would've fallen for you if I had met you first? You're such a good woman. You are understanding and considerate, and you never quarrel with me. We're like a perfect couple, without a single flaw."

I smiled but didn't say a word.

"And in these seven years, you've never once asked me to make our relationship known to others. Sometimes I wonder whether you really love me or you are just grateful to me because I saved you back then."

I kissed his cheek and told him not to overthink it. Then I hugged him tightly around the waist.

Did it really matter whether I truly loved him or not?

At that time, we had survived what people called the seven-year itch together.

I had healed my wounds with him.

I had changed profoundly in the seven years. I even naively believed that Davin and I would continue like that forever.

But perhaps the sheltered bubble we had created was beautiful so I forgot that there were storms in the world.

For example, Davin could never forget about Lillian.

On countless nights, Davin got out of bed and straightly rushed to Lillian only after she called him. He never missed an opportunity to meet her, even if it was in the dead of winter.

Not the same time happened again. Lillian called Davin, and he left me, who was sick, and went to meet her.

Later, I learned that they had gone on a trip overseas together.

That trip took Davin out of my life for an entire month.

3

A week after Davin went abroad, he came back once.

At that time, I had just been discharged from the hospital. Though my gastritis had improved, I was still very weak.

His face was unsightly that day. He brought back a lot of red wine, paid no attention to how unwell I looked, and silently drank alone in the living room.

I knew it had to be because of Lillian. Only she could affect his mood like that.

He drank quickly, and his face flushed red soon. By the time I finished washing up and got out of the bathroom, he was sitting alone in the living room and muttering something to himself.

I was still recovering. Although I wanted him to sleep in the bed, I had no strength to coax him. I had to bring his pillow and blanket from the bedroom and put them beside him.

Just as I turned to leave, he suddenly grabbed me and pulled me into his arms.

"Irene, you'll always stay with me and love me, right?"

I didn't know why he was suddenly asking me that question, but I meekly answered him.

I didn't know how much time passed before he slumped against my shoulder. As his breathing became steady, I thought he had fallen asleep.

But just as I tried to push him away, his phone suddenly played a woman's voice on the coffee table.

"Davin, is she the girlfriend you were talking about? What did you say when you were chasing me back then?"

At that moment, I felt my blood freeze. My mind felt like it had been shattered by an explosion, and I couldn't even think about anything.

It took me a long time to come back to my senses. So he had been on the line to Lillian.

Now I understood why he had acted so strangely, why he had asked me if I would always love him, and why he had been drinking alone in silence.

Davin pushed me away and casually rested his arms on the back of the sofa.

"That's right. Otherwise, you always believe that I just keep trailing after you like some lovesick fool. Lillian, open your eyes. Another woman loved me. Even without you, I can have a happy life. Oh, by the way, I haven't told you yet that we've been seeing each other for seven years. We've already passed the seven-year itch. We are getting married soon. Make sure to come to our wedding."

Lillian didn't seem to listen any longer on the other end of the line and quickly hung up.

I never expected that Davin would acknowledge me as his girlfriend in front of others like that and that he would say such words to Lillian. But he didn't sound happy at all. He seemed to be only seeking revenge against Lillian.

In their farce, I was nothing more than a clown, a mere prop in their drama.

After hanging up, Davin let out a sigh of relief and then lay down on the floor, paying no attention to me.

He was always so meticulous about cleanliness. It was the first time he had acted so out of character.

As I thought it over, wasn't everything happening that evening abnormal?

He seemed to be putting everything on the line for one last shot at love.

I covered him with the blanket and returned to the bedroom. I didn't close the door, so I could clearly hear his muffled sobs from the living room.

Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, I heard his phone ringing again in the living room. He picked it up without hesitation.

"Okay."

After hanging up, he took a shower and climbed into bed, wrapping his arms tightly around me.

He thought I was asleep and whispered repeatedly in my ear, "I'm sorry. We are meant not to be together."

I stayed awake all night, lying in his arms, fully conscious.

I already knew everything without asking him. It was a call from Lillian again. Her purpose was to make Davin break up with me. As long as he did that, she would agree to date him.

And in that gamble, Davin had indeed won.

But he lost me. Losing me was more insignificant than winning Lillian.

It wasn't the first time he had to choose between me and Lillian, so I already knew what his answer would be.

The next morning, he told me to break up with me.

I nodded calmly and told him I knew it. Then I asked for a little time to pack my things and move out.

He seemed to be holding my hand for the last time. He gently rubbed the back of my hand and was reluctant to let me go.

"You don't have to leave," he said. "I'll give this apartment to you. It is my way of giving you compensation."

With that, he changed his clothes, put the keys on the coffee table, and left without hesitation.

On the same day, I met Alexander, Davin's close friend. He had taken me to the hospital when I fainted and had cared for me for nearly a week.

I cried uncontrollably in his arms, releasing all the pent-up emotions and grievances I had been suppressing.

Every time Davin went to be with Lillian, he would ask Alexander to keep me company. Davin seemed to make up for the hurt he brought me by that. But what he didn't understand was that it could never be compensated for.

And because of that, I had known Alexander for seven years.

I knew he was gentle and kind, and treated me well. He didn't even mind that I had loved Davin for seven years.

So when he asked me out, I didn't refuse him.

He held me tightly and said, "He suffers a lot to lose you. You deserve someone better."

He seemed to see through all the bitterness and heartache I had in my heart. I buried my head in his chest deeply.

It had been exhausting for me to follow Davin in those years.

I was about to stop this time.

4

Half a month after Alexander and I started dating, we got engaged.

Over the past seven years, we had come to understand each other deeply. I knew that Alexander had liked me from the very beginning. But he was Davin's friend, and I had feelings for Davin. So he had kept his feelings hidden.

The day before our engagement, he told me that I could take more time to think it over. He didn't want me to choose someone I didn't love just because of Davin. I was aware that Alexander was worried that I chose to be with him not because of love.

I took his hand and gently kissed his cheek.

I said with a smile, "I've never regretted being with you."

I even felt lucky to have met you, as you are so pure-hearted.

Hearing that, Alexander smiled happily. He was like a kid who just got his favorite candy. His joy was so infectious that it made everyone around him feel happy.

I thought it would be hard for me to forget Davin. After all, we had been together for seven years. I could not just erase the seven years of love easily.

But after being with Alexander, he seemed to have magic. I was happy to be with him every day. Slowly, the wounds Davin had left in my heart began to heal.

We both tacitly avoided mentioning Davin's name. Davin seemed to have never existed in our lives.

But in fact, Davin couldn't simply be ignored, no matter how much I tried to avoid him.

One day, Alexander and I were having dinner at a restaurant in a mall when we ran into one of Davin's old friends.

He was obviously surprised to see us having dinner together.

At first, he thought Davin once again asked Alexander to look after me.

But when he noticed the same rings around our fingers, he asked, "What's going on with you? Did you use the opportunity to take care of Davin's girlfriend and steal her away?"

Everyone knew the rule that one should keep away from their friends' women. As Davin's friend was about to lunge at Alexander, I quickly stood up and stepped between them.

"Calm down," I said. "Davin and I have already broken up. He dumped me. Alexander and I only started to date after the breakup. No one betrayed anyone. I dated Davin for seven years, but I couldn't be more important than the woman he's always held in his heart."

Both Davin's friend and Alexander knew who I was referring to, so no one said another word.

Seeing that, I took Alexander's hand and walked away.

I was worried that the incident might upset him, so I wanted to explain it to Alexander. But he raised his hand to gently cover my mouth.

"I trust you. You don't have to explain. Why do you bring up the past if it only hurts you?"

He held me in his arms tightly and stroked my back gently. He promised me that he would fill my life with endless happiness from then on and that he would make me laugh every day.

I hugged him tightly. I didn't cry much, but after I dated Alexander, his words often brought tears to my eyes.

I thought Davin's friends might tell him about what happened between Alexander and me. So when Davin called me and asked me to open the door, I was a little shocked.

I hadn't expected him to suddenly return without saying anything.

What surprised me more was that he would come to see me.