Love is Deep and Shallow, But My Marriage's Love is A Fantasy

They used to say Yvonne had no heart.

I helped stabilize the company, defended it against the Gunn Family's suppression.

And when they pushed me onto David’s bed, I knew full well that marrying into the Gunn Family would be like stepping into a pit of fire.

But in the face of their desperate pleas, I still walked in.

After Yvonne left, David fell apart. He drowned himself in alcohol, shut himself away from the world.

I stayed by his side, holding Tyler, never leaving for a second. I helped him through the worst of it, helped him climb out of his misery.

He swore to me—so earnestly—that from now on, we would live a good life together to the future.

And Tyler… When he finally understood that Yvonne had abandoned him, he was devastated. He cried day and night, inconsolable.

It was only after I promised him, over and over, that I would never leave him—that I would always be there—that he finally learned to smile again.

But ten years of devotion meant nothing in the face of Yvonne’s return.

The sound of my wheelchair rolling through the doorway caught their attention.

My parents’ faces stiffened in embarrassment.

"Nadine, you’re back. Why didn’t you tell us beforehand?"

Their expressions made it clear—I had interrupted their perfect family reunion.

I withdrew my gaze and motioned for the caretaker to push me upstairs.

"I couldn’t reach you. How was I supposed to?"

During my hospital stay, there were forms that required a family member’s signature.

I called them hundreds of times.

Not one was answered.

There was also the issue of living arrangements for Tyler and David after I left.

No one ever responded.

But now? Now, they had the nerve to blame me for not giving them a heads-up.

David’s expression darkened slightly.

"Alright, it was just a slip-up. That’s all."

Then David talk to me, "You should go rest. You just got back, don’t overexert yourself."

When had he ever cared about me resting?

This was nothing but a polite way of telling me to get lost—so I wouldn’t ruin his time with Yvonne.

But none of this concerned me anymore.

Behind me, Tyler’s voice was full of mockery.

"Just get lost! My mom is back now! You are just a gisgudting woman! You’re nothing compared to her—not even worth a single finger!"

Yvonne stood nearby, looking glamorous, her makeup flawless down to every strand of hair. Her nails were long, polished to perfection.

Compared to me—bare-faced, dressed in a simple hoodie—she was stunning.

Of course, I hadn’t always been this way.

But after taking care of Tyler for so many years, I had stopped dressing up.

Not just because I didn’t have time.

But because I worried that long hair might tangle around his tiny fingers.

That manicured nails might scratch his delicate face.

That perfume and makeup might be too harsh for him to breathe in.

But none of that mattered to him now.

I ignored him and went straight upstairs.

My phone rang—it was my professor, checking in about my previous plans.

And then, hesitating, he asked, "Nadine… Are you really sure about this? After all, you raised that child for ten years."

"And David Gunn, your chilldhood friens. You two grew up together. Ten years past will only deepen with time."

But so what?

The moment Yvonne appeared, there was no place left for me here.

I answered firmly, "Professor Zane, I’ve made up my mind. I don’t belong here."

After I hung up, I sat in silence for a long time.

And when I turned around—I saw him.

David Gunn.

I didn’t know how long he had been standing there.

He must have seen my startled expression because he let out a derisive laugh.

"Enough. Drop the act already."

"You think I wouldn’t notice how loudly you came upstairs? And then sitting there, pretending to be deep in some dramatic phone call?"

"You saw Yvonne was back and decided to throw a tantrum, huh? Playing the I’m-running-away-from-home game?"

His eyes were full of the same disdain as always.

A complicated feeling stirred inside me.

Maybe because I was leaving.

Maybe because I couldn’t help but think about the past.

David wasn’t always like this.

Back then, he had trusted me without hesitation. He had followed me around everywhere.

Even when our parents sent me away to a boarding school a thousand kilometers from home—so they could keep Yvonne close.

Even then, he never let me go.