It was the first time Christopher proposed to me in such a serious manner. No romantic dinner, no bouquet of fresh flowers. He was staring at me genuinely as if he already made his decision long before he opened his mouth.
Tears welled in my eyes as I held my mouth, trying my best not to cry.
âEve, I know thereâs a lot going on beneath your cheerful facade, and I want you to know that Iâm willing to bear your burden and protect you until death do us part. If you marry me, Iâll make you the happiest woman in the entire world.â
I was absolutely ecstatic, and I almost reached my hand out to let Christopher put the ring on me. However, I hesitated. It was not because I didnât want to marry him, but there was one more thing I needed to ask before I made my decision.
âChristopher!â I choked as I gazed upon his handsome face, âDo you really mean it?â
âOf course I mean it. You got two choices, Eve. One, you kiss me and I help you put the ring on you. Two, you wear the ring yourself, kiss me, and say that Iâm your man and no one can steal me from you.â
Even when Christopher was proposing, he was still a sweet-talker. I was feeling all emotional, but that made me chuckled a little. I whispered, âIs there a third option?â
âOf course. You take the ring, kneel down, hold my hand, and ask me if Iâm willing to marry you. Then, Iâll say I do until death do us part, and Iâll tell you how much I love you and Iâll never let you go.â Christopher spoke softly as if he was afraid that his loud voice would scare me.
âBut⦠Butâ¦â I know Iâm being silly right now because even though I love Christopher very much, I still canât give him a straight answer after he proposed to me. If Sabrina were here, sheâll probably just put the ring on me herself and scold me for being so pathetic.
âNo buts! I donât accept any other options. Now, Darling, whatâs your choice?â He stared at me deeply.
I took over the red box and examined the ring inside. It had an 18-carat diamond embedded in it. I didnât wear it immediately; instead, I whispered to Christopher, âI really want to say yes, but I feel like Iâm being unfair to you.â
Christopher opened his mouth, but I closed it with my hand. âWhen I needed help the most, you were there for me. You are my dream, and I was so addicted to you that I chose to rely on you and hang on to you. Youâre like a shining star hanging in the night sky, lighting up the path in my darkest hours.
Not only did my own family refused to help me when I was at my lowest point, but they also kicked me aside. Do you really want to be with someone like me? I only chose to rely on you because I didnât have anyone else to turn to. What if you realized that my love for you isnât as deep as your love for me? If thatâs the case, Iâm only being unfair to you. Youâve been so nice to me that I donât know if I couldâ¦â
âShush!â He pulled my hand away and pressed his finger on my lips. âDonât say that. I chose to help you. Youâre not being unfair to me. If this is really what you have just said, as in your love for me is incomparable to my love for you; then Iâm willing to wait for you to close the gap, even if it takes a lifetime for you to do it. Relying on me isnât inherently a bad thing. After all, it means you trust and love me enough to do that. You just need to accept me slowly and steadily. If you canât catch up to me, then Iâll just walk toward you.â