I Told Him I Had Cancer—He Told Me He Wanted a Divorce

I returned to my hometown at the age of 28, carrying little savings and a heart full of sorrow.

My mother was utterly worried sick and busily trying to find me a suitor. "Fiona, today's match is really good. You should seize the opportunity," she nagged.

I rubbed my forehead in exasperation. "Mom, I know."

She gave me a look and sighed. "Don't be impatient. Nathan Morgan is the best option we've seen. He runs a small company, he's 32, honest, and it's his first marriage. You should be grateful."

I mumbled, "At his age and still unmarried? Maybe there's something wrong with him."

"Nonsense! He's just been delayed because of work. I’ve asked around; Nathan is genuinely honest. With him, you might not be wealthy, but you’ll never worry about food and clothes."

"Fine, I got it. Mom, I'm heading out," I said, grabbing my bag and heading for the door.

"Wait, wait! Aren't you going to put on some makeup?" she called out after me.

I pouted. Knowing my plain looks, I decided not to bother.

When I met Nathan, I was surprised. He was tall, at least 6'1", and had an earnest face. Not particularly handsome, but not unattractive either. Probably due to his profession, he had an indescribable air about him.

He was indeed the best match I'd seen so far.

Over dinner, we chatted pleasantly and exchanged our contact information.

The next day, the matchmaker came over, saying it was a match, but Nathan had a condition: the wife must stay home and manage household chores after marriage.

My mom was thrilled. "No problem! Isn't that what all women do?" she exclaimed.

I wasn't happy. The idea of revolving my life around my husband, kids, and in-laws didn't appeal to me. I had plans to open a dessert shop near a high school. The location was settled, and I was halfway through negotiations with the landlord. Now, everything seemed ruined.

I was visibly upset, but my mom cheerfully told the matchmaker, "It's settled then, please handle it."

I gave my mom a tug and told the matchmaker, "I need more time to think about it."

The matchmaker glanced at both of us and smiled. "Take your time, but don't delay too long. We need to give them an answer soon."

"Thank you."

In the afternoon, I messaged Nathan, asking to meet again. He quickly agreed, and we planned to meet at 6:30 PM at the seafood restaurant on Zania Road.

When we met, I got straight to the point. "I have a good impression of you, and my family is pushing for marriage. From what the matchmaker says, your family agrees too. This is a good thing, but I can’t accept staying home after marriage. I want to open a dessert shop."

Nathan smiled warmly. "That's my mom's idea, not mine. She worries about me. I also think highly of you. Marriage is imminent, and I believe you'd be a good partner. I'll talk to my parents. Opening a shop is great; you don't need to face the outside world's hardships."

I was satisfied.

Nathan seemed sincere, but he had excellent social skills. He kept serving me food and soup, attentive and considerate.

I teased, "With such charm, how did you end up single?"

He laughed self-deprecatingly. "I dated a few before, but they didn’t work out. It's not the right time yet."

I didn't ask further.