No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

I was at the Silent Wisdom Temple, soaking up a session on mindfulness, when Conrad's call pulled me from my trance.

"Felicia, it's nearly 11 o'clock. Where are you?" Conrad's voice crackled with urgency through the phone.

“I'm almost there. Give me a minute," I lied, a hint of mischief tinting my voice.

I had loved him for a decade and waited on him more times than I could count. It was his turn, considering a small tribute to the ten years of love I had given.

"Hurry up. Don't miss the time slot the master said would be perfect," Conrad pressed on.

Right then, I was sitting across from Master Mathew, who hadn't breathed a word about any marriage. He had no clue about me and Conrad planning to tie the knot, let alone calculate any auspicious time.

I hummed a soft acknowledgment and hung up, then turned off my phone, allowing Master Mathew's words to wash over me again.

Conrad's faith was born from a miracle. After surviving a severe illness in his childhood, thanks to his mother, Jacqueline, who had prayed tirelessly for three days and nights, both found solace in faith. Jacqueline became a devout believer, and in turn, Conrad became a lay disciple, taking Master Mathew as his spiritual guide.

As Conrad's partner, I naturally got roped into this world, too, with Master Mathew even blessing our union with prayer cords. Sadly, our bond wasn't as unbreakable as those cords.

I left the Silent Wisdom Temple at three in the afternoon, but my phone was still off. When I drove to the town hall, Conrad was long gone. I wasn't surprised, though. I had no idea how long he waited, but it wasn't as long as I had waited for him over the years.

As I parked, I turned my phone back on, only to be bombarded with a flurry of missed calls and messages, most of which were from Conrad.

[Felicia, did you get here yet? Why's your phone off?]

[Felicia, it's time. We're going to miss the perfect hour.]

[Felicia, what's going on?]

[Felicia, answer your texts and your calls.]

[Felicia, we've got 20 minutes before town hall closes. We won't make it for the license.]

[Felicia, are you playing games with me?]

[Felicia?]

I could almost watch Conrad shift from anxious, to furious, to totally exasperated.

The last text was sent at 11:55, which meant his patience lasted less than an hour.

Seeing the fifty-three missed calls, called him back, only for him to hang up after a single ring. He was angry and upset that I stood him up and wasn't taking my calls.

I didn't try again. Instead, I

messaged Fanny, knowing Conrad must've called her in his search for

me, and she was also asking where I was.

én.swnovels

Instead of typing, I sent her a voice message, [Don't worry about me. I'm fine. I went to pray. That's all.]

Fanny's video call came through instantly. Her first words were, "What happened?"

I bit my lip. "It's a long story."

Ever pragmatic, Fanny said, "Cut the long story short."

I was about to speak when Conrad's call came through again. But I had no intention. of answering. My heart, once brimming with hope, felt dead. Gone were the days when I'd drop everything to answer his calls, no matter who I was with or what I was doing. Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Hearing my phone ring, Fanny guessed, "Conrad?"

I hummed. "Yeah."

Fanny said, "Take his call. He's been going mad looking for you."

Really? Did Conrad know what it was to be driven mad by worry for me?