Part 9: An End and a Beginning
Chapter 103: Thank You for Everything
He booked a plane ticket for me to return home, while he went back to France to prepare our home. That was just one reason—deep down, he wanted to give me time to say goodbye to him. Even though he didn’t want to, I was still the one at fault between the two of them.
I stood waiting at Nội Bài Airport, my eyes heavy with sorrow. Hanoi had entered summer, with warm sunlight filling the space. Yet, everywhere I looked, I only felt a sense of desolate melancholy.
He appeared before me. I tried to smile—a sorrowful smile, like a tree battered by a storm.
He was silent for a moment before stepping closer and pulling me into an embrace. I hesitated, unsure whether I should push him away. I had accepted his proposal, and I needed to be faithful. Sensing my hesitation, he let go and drove me home.
Sitting in the car, I quietly watched his silhouette from behind, my heart filled with a bitter ache. I owed him—so much that I had no way to repay it.
I was no longer the girl who could bring him happiness. All I could do was wish for him to find someone who would. After all, he was once the heartthrob of our high school. He still had his whole future ahead of him—a future that would no longer include me.
Halfway through the drive, he stopped the car. I looked at him, puzzled. But when I saw the vast, green rice fields swaying in the wind, I understood.
The endless expanse of land made my heart feel calm.
Peaceful.
It was a space filled with golden sunlight—vast and boundless. I lay on the grass, taking deep breaths, letting my body relax and melt into nature.
He stood there, gazing at the endless sky ahead, his white dress shirt collar fluttering in the breeze.
I didn’t know how much time had passed. My body had absorbed the energy of the earth, my senses drunk on the scent of wildflowers and the lingering fragrance of Comfort fabric softener on his shirt.
Rejuvenated, I felt strong enough to say goodbye. I opened my eyes to the sky above.
"I'm sorry. But Vân stole his first kiss. I have to take responsibility."
He remained turned away from me, but I heard his signature laugh—the one I would never forget for the rest of my life.
"You stole my first kiss too."
I sat up, startled, unsure of how to respond. Silence was my only answer.
Then, something hit my face—tiny, glistening droplets that sparkled under the sunlight before being carried away by the wind.
It wasn’t rain.
I pulled my legs in, hugging my knees, staring at the endless sky tinged with the soft fragrance of young rice plants.
The vast expanse of land before me felt like a lonely field at the end of autumn. The fading sunlight left pale golden streaks on the withering grass. Time and space edged closer to dusk.
And suddenly, I felt like I had lost something truly important...
… something eternal, something lost in the void.
As the last light of day cast its dying glow on the sky painted in shades of red and orange, he stepped toward me and sat down gently.
He softly kissed my forehead.
"Promise me you’ll be happy."
I felt paralyzed by an emotion I couldn't name.
He would always be my endless blue sky, carrying the scent of wildflowers, forever the most peaceful place in my heart.
I nodded and smiled.
"Thank you for everything..."
Goodbye…
 
I returned to my hometown to talk to my parents. After listening to my explanation, they didn’t object. They simply said that I was old enough to choose my own path and that as long as I visited them occasionally, they would be content. However, I could still see a hint of sadness in their eyes.
Yet, just a few days later, when he and his mother came to formally discuss the wedding, my parents were overjoyed. That night, my mom even pulled me aside and asked, “How did you manage to trick him into this?” I had no idea how to answer.
Meanwhile, my younger brother—who was still in high school—clung to his soon-to-be brother-in-law. Didn’t he realize how cold and distant my fiancé appeared? Or maybe not. My fiancé only had a cold expression; his personality had softened quite a bit.
As the wedding preparations began, I went to IT to submit my resignation letter and then made my way to W to personally deliver a wedding invitation to the CEO.