Love Can't Be Forced, so I Marry Someone Else

When my grandma is on her deathbed, she tells me hoarsely that her only wish is to see me get married.

I keep crying to the point that I can barely utter a word. That's when my entire family turns to look at my boyfriend, Robert Fuller.

Robert lets out a small sigh before wiping my tears off my face gently. Then, he leads me out of the ward.

But as soon as the door is closed behind us, his expression goes cold.

"Clary, we've been together for seven years. You know I hate getting forced into doing things by others the most.

"Love is something that occurs by nature. It shouldn't be forced to happen just because others have opinions on how it should go."

He strokes my hair comfortingly.

"Let's not rush our marriage, hmm? Why don't we breach this topic again once things in my company go steady after it gets listed. What do you think?

"Anyway, I have a meeting to attend at night. You should deal with your family for the time being. I'll bring you a gift when I visit you tonight."

Before I can respond to Robert, he turns on his heel and leaves with his secretary, Mikayla Glenn.

The moment they enter the elevator, I witness Mikayla standing on her tiptoes so that she can arrange Robert's tie for him skillfully.

Robert never turns her away.

After wiping my tears away, I return to the ward and take Grandma's hand with a smile.

"Don't worry, Grandma. I'll get married in three days. Before I get married, I want you to do my hair for me."

The moment I said that, the tension in the ward finally eased.

Grandma's eyes turned red as she murmured, "That's good."

After I drove Mom and Dad home, Mom asked me to come into the study alone. "Clary, there's something I've been holding back for a while, but I think you should know."

She hesitated, reluctance flickering in her gaze as it lingered on me.

"Last month, on your birthday, Rob stopped by to drop off a gift. He didn't even stay five minutes before saying he needed to leave because of work.

"But half an hour later, a friend of mine saw him at a veterinary clinic on the south side of the city. He was there with a woman in loungewear, taking her dog in. It looked like that secretary of his… Ms. Glenn."

Mom pushed a photo toward me.

In the picture, Mikayla Glenn held a dog wrapped in bandages, looking up as she said something with a smile.

Standing beside her, Robert Fuller was leaning in, listening intently. His gaze was so focused and indulgent that it practically radiated off the glossy paper.

Even without any physical contact, the two of them seemed bound together by an invisible tether, as if they were in their own private world.

I stared at Robert and was briefly dazed.

There was a time when he looked at me the same way—attentive and warm, his emotions mirroring mine.

It was a stark contrast to that day, when I hadn't even finished wiping my tears, and he was already speaking in a low voice, urging me to see the bigger picture, be reasonable, and not make things harder for him.

"Clary, you and Rob have been together for many years. If he really wanted to propose, he's had more than enough chances to do it. Instead, you ended up having to force his hand. I'm just terrified that you'll get hurt. Maybe it's better if—"

"Mom," I cut her off before she could finish speaking. "I'm getting married, but who said it was going to be to Robert?"

By the time I got home from my parents' place, it was already late.

When I pushed the door open, I didn't expect to see Robert still awake. He was sitting on the couch in loungewear, monitoring the stock market.

He closed his laptop when he heard me, took off his glasses, and looked over inquisitively.

"Why are you back so late?"

The corners of my lips curled into a smirk. I almost wanted to say that he had plenty of nights when he came home even later than I did, but it felt pointless to bring it up.

Instead, I settled for a half-hearted excuse.

"It's nothing. I just stayed late to talk with my mom."

He nodded, then picked up a necklace from the jewelry box on the table. The stones caught the light as he stood and walked toward me.