The Proposal Before the Grave

I caressed the diamond ring on my ring finger; the scene of Raymond Luke proposing before his parents' graves three years ago remains as vivid as if it happened yesterday. Back then, the wind carried the scent of grass from the grave; he said he would love me well for his parents' sake, so that I would never be alone again. For three years, I was shrouded by the shadow of my parents' sudden passing, until this spring when I finally dared to confront my hopes for the future. Raymond Luke noticed my change and immediately booked that luxurious hotel known as the 'Palace in the Clouds,' saying he wanted to give me a wedding unlike any other. He was as excited as a child, rushing me through the night to see the hotel's banquet hall, where the light from the crystal chandeliers shimmered in his eyes, brighter than diamonds. "Wendy, this place will be filled with your favorite white roses, and behind the stage we'll create a photo wall, filled with memories from these past three years." I leaned on his shoulder and smiled, the shadows in my heart gradually lifting as I began to carefully select my wedding gown and jewelry. Raymond Luke handled everything personally, even going so far as to contact an overseas auction house to procure a rare red ruby ring for me. The accident happened at the airport. That day, we went to pick up the roses shipped by air—my favorite flowers—and Raymond Luke had ordered a full thousand stems. From afar, I saw Jennifer Luke standing amid a pile of shattered petals, her high heels sinking into the deep red flower mud, a provocative smile playing on her lips. "So many roses—what a waste." She shrugged with an air of disdain. "Wendy, do you really think you deserve all that Raymond has given you?" Raymond Luke's expression darkened instantly. He pulled me behind him protectively, his eyes cold as ice. "Jennifer, don't go too far." This wasn't Jennifer Luke's first time causing trouble—ever since Raymond and I got engaged, this so-called sister has never shown me a kind face. She always says my family background is ordinary and that I don't match Raymond Luke's status, yet she forgets that when Raymond struggled in his early ventures, it was my parents who reached out to help. The fiasco at the Auction House embarrassed me even more. The red ruby ring Raymond had his eye on was about to be hammered down when Jennifer suddenly raised a paddle and shouted out a doubled price. She looked at me with a bright smile. "Wendy, if you like it, then bid—but unfortunately, you don't have what it takes." Raymond Luke had endured too much; that day, after leaving the Auction House, he cornered Jennifer Luke inside the villa. When my assistant dragged me rushing into the room, my mind went blank—I saw only Raymond Luke's gun pressed against Jennifer Luke's forehead, both of them disheveled. Jennifer Luke's hair was messy, clinging to her cheeks, her collar torn open, yet her eyes shone with triumph. "Wendy, look, Raymond still can't bring himself to harm me." She deliberately pushed out her chest. "You're the one who stood between us." I looked at Raymond Luke; he opened his mouth as if to say something, panic filling his eyes, but in the end, he stayed silent. In that moment, all my trust shattered, and three years of deep affection felt like a cruel joke. Raymond Luke suddenly dropped the gun and reached for my hand: "Wendy, it's not what you think. She did this deliberately." I shook off his hand as tears poured down uncontrollably: "Raymond Luke, you disgust me." The assistant took me back to my apartment. I turned off my phone and curled up on the sofa, crying through the entire night. Early the next morning, Jennifer Luke came to my door, wounded and sobbing as she knelt before me. "Wendy, I was wrong. I just love Raymond too much." She grabbed the leg of my pants. "We grew up together. I thought he was always meant to be mine." I looked at her coldly, my heart heavy with exhaustion. "Just because you love him, does that give you the right to destroy someone else's happiness?" Raymond Luke arrived shortly after, and seeing Jennifer kneeling on the ground, instinctively helped her up, his voice carrying a faint tenderness: "Don't kneel, the floor is cold."