Who's Crying Now, Ex-Husband?

Chapter 325 She never understood why her parents didn't love her. She couldn't help it.

So she endured. Again, and again.

Until her senior year of high school, when they tried to marry her off to an older man just for a dowry. That was the final straw. She couldn't take it anymore, and found a way to climb over the wall and escape.

She ran. And kept running for four years.

But the nightmare still found her.

Her parents had always resented her. She'd long since becnumb to their feelings; now, she could face them with cold detachment. But the person standing in front of her-the one who had brought so much pain into her life-she couldn't remain calm around him.

When they were young, she'd loved him like a little brother.

He'd looked up to her as an older sister-when classmates bullied him, he'd crunning, crying for her help, begging, "Sis, please help me." He'd sneak her extra food, hide sweets in her pockets, share his allowance with her... In the end, he even helped her escape.

But as they grew older, as the truth becclear, she couldn't stop herself from resenting this brother. She couldn't help but hate him.

Hugo bent down and picked up the dirty, fallen candy apple from the ground. He stood there, dazed, his eyes rimmed red.

"Sis, I'm sorry." He knew everything. But there was nothing he could do.

At that moment, all he could muster was an apology. Nothing else.

Mila's eyes were red, too. She glared at him, silent for a long time, then brushed past him and walked away.

She'd only gone a few steps when she heard his voice behind her husky, rough with emotion.

"Sis... You should find someone to marry. Someone who'll treat you well, someone who'll protect you... Once you're married, they won't be able to hurt you anymore." Once she had a marriage certificate, her parents would be powerless.

Bigamy was illegal.

Mila stared straight ahead, step after step, leaving the boy clutching a candy apple-and that restaurant-far behind.

She kept walking, but felt completely lost.

The world was vast, but not a single light waited to welcher home. There was nowhere she could find shelter from the storm... What was she supposed to do? What could she do? A bitter winter night, snowflakes drifted from the dark sky, settling in her hair, making her look prematurely gray. And just then- Someone pushed through the swirling snow, striding straight towards her. He drew her into his arms, his voice already trembling with emotion.

"Mimi." She blinked, and the tears she'd been holding back spilled over.

It was her big brother.

Outside Northpoint University, at the apartment.

"Doesn't it hurt?" Forrest gently dabbed ointment on the bruises on her cheek. The cuts on her hands were worse-those had already been treated at the hospital.

The whole time, Mila barely made a sound, as if she didn't feel any pain at all.

When Forrest asked, she just stared at him, then slowly shook her head. After a moment, she nodded.

"It hurts." Forrest finished tending to her injuries, then unwrapped a piece of candy and popped it into her mouth, grinning at her.

Strawberry flavor. Deliciously sweet.

Mila's eyes stung.

She blinked hard, refusing to let herself cry again. She was done with tears.

She watched quietly as Forrest cleared away the medicine, listened to his gentle instructions, and then heard him call from the kitchen that he was making her shearty soup...

The apartment was bathed in warm, golden lamplight. Suddenly, Mila was seized by a reckless urge, almost blurting out the words: Will you marry me? But as the words reached her lips, she swallowed them back. Wasn't that too fast, too blunt? They weren't even dating.

Though she could sense Forrest's feelings for her, she still wasn't sure.

She remembered for all his kindness, Forrest's parents had gone through a divorce so messy they barely spoke of it. They'd talked about marriage once, in passing, and she knew he wasn't exactly enthusiastic about it. If anything, he seemed wary.

Would he ever want to marry her? But what choice did she have?

Her parents were obsessed with controlling her, with wringing every last drop of value from her. As long as she stayed single, the they'd never give up. They'd even once tried to lock her up with a strange man, hoping to force something to happen. Thank God she managed to get away. But she couldn't spend her whole life looking over her shoulder. She needed a permanent solution.

Marriage.

With a marriage certificate, her parents would finally have to let go, and she could start cleaning up the mess at her own pace-without it E wrecking her future. Just marrying any stranger wouldn't work. Most people couldn't handle that kind of pressure.

But Forrest was different. He was gentle and kind, but she'd seen another side of him while they'd m worked together on the sproject.

Forrest was no pushover. When it really mattered, he stood his ground.

If she married him, maybe they could stand together against whatever came. But would he even want that? Her family was a swamp-once you were in, you were stuck.

Forrest had always treated her with such warmth, such care. Did she really have the right to drag this one good man into the mess that was her life? She couldn't decide.

But what other option did she have? Mila wrestled with her thoughts for a long time.

Not until the aroma of the soup filled the whole apartment did she snap out of her daze. Forrest set the bowl in front of her and smiled, urging her to eat.

Bathed in the soft, golden light, watching him fuss over her, Mila suddenly found her courage.

Just this once, she wanted to be selfish.

Just this once.

"Forry... would you... marry me?"