Today I Canceled Proposal No. 99

I've been with Christina Lockwood for nine years now, and she, a wealthy heiress, has just rejected my proposal for the 98th time. The reason she gives this time is as absurd as the first 97. "Liam, if you can accept that our kids will take my last name, then propose to me again three days from now. I'll say yes then," Christina tells me. Then she gets into Daniel Simmons' car and leaves with him, her childhood friend, while I remain down on one knee. In the evening, I receive an audio recording. In between Christina's panting, I hear her say sweetly, "Daniel, what should we name our future child?" "How about Christopher Simmons if it's a boy, and Danielle Simmons if it's a girl?" "Okay. Whatever you say." That night, I sit in the living room, smoking three packs of cigarettes. I end up listening to the audio recording 146 times. Once the sun has risen, I put out my last cigarette and send Christina a text. "There won't be a 99th proposal, Christina. Our relationship ends here." Chapter 1 "Christina, will you marry me?" For the 98th time, I dropped to one knee, waiting expectantly for Christina Lockwood to accept my proposal. Everyone laughed at me for being delusional enough to propose to Christina—that I was a fool for thinking I could be with someone so far out of my league. After all, the way they saw it, the only reason that Christina, the most well-known heiress in Seamarsh, had ever taken a liking to a food delivery guy like me was probably that thing between my thighs. "No. I can't say yes to you." For the 98th time, Christina rejected me, her voice as cold as ice. My eyes flashed with disappointment. After a sigh, I lifted my eyes and said, "Go on, then. Tell me what your reason is this time. What do you need me to do before you'd say yes to me?" After being with Christina for nine years, I had long since grown accustomed to her rejections. To make things more ridiculous, she always had a different reason for rejecting me. The first time, she said she'd marry me if I could earn a 10,000th of her monthly allowance each month. During my 38th proposal, she said she'd marry me if I could afford a five-figure car. And on the 66th time, she said she'd marry me if I could buy a 2,000-square-foot apartment in the city center. As it was, I'd completed all 97 of her previous demands, but she still refused to marry me. Could it be that, in her eyes, I would forever be nothing more than her emotional punching bag and free bed companion? Christina shot me a glance and declared with a hint of arrogance in her voice, "Liam, you know my family's standing in Seamarsh. You and I were never in the same social class, to begin with. If you really want me to accept your proposal, then you have to sign an agreement." She paused for a moment before pulling out a document from her bag and holding it out to me. "You have to promise that after we get married, you won't try to get even a cent of my family's money. And once we have children, they can't take your last name, Ellison. They have to take my last name, Lockwood." Stunned, I stared at Christina in disbelief. "You want me to marry into your family?" I'd thought of countless possible demands she could've made, but I truly never expected her to ask me to reduce myself to some live-in son-in-law. Did she even see me as a man? Christina was about to speak when a sports car suddenly swung around and stopped in front of us. Daniel Simmons rolled down the window. Once again, he'd shown up in the middle of my proposal to Christina. "Chrissy, something urgent came up at the company. I'm afraid you'll have to head back to the office with me." Christina tossed the document over to me and headed toward Daniel's car at once. "I'm leaving. You can propose to me for the 99th time three days from today. As long as you sign the agreement, when you propose again three days later, I'll say yes." After the roar of the engine faded, all that remained at the scene was me, still down on one knee. Throughout these years, Daniel had appeared at our proposal almost every single time, right on schedule. And every time he showed up, Christina would leave with him without the slightest hesitation. After all, no matter how much thought I'd put into preparing the proposal, how could I compare to the happiness of her precious childhood friend, Daniel? I let out a bitter laugh and sighed as I stared at the prenuptial agreement. Perhaps this was Christina's final test for me. After deliberating for some time, I took out a pen and signed my name on the last page. Not once had I ever set my sights on the Lockwood family's money. I didn't mind letting our children take Christina's last name either. Either way, I was still going to be their father, regardless of what their last name was. None of these things mattered, so long as Christina and I loved each other, and as long as I got to marry her. Once I signed the agreement, I went back to the house alone. I was about to call Christina and tell her the news when I received an audio recording. Chapter 2 "Daniel, what should we name our future child?" "How about Christopher Simmons if it's a boy, and Danielle Simmons if it's a girl?" "Okay. Whatever you say." Christine panted as she spoke, her voice sweet. As I listened to their tender exchange, a hard laugh escaped me. She was afraid I would covet the Lockwood family's assets, so our children had to take their mother's last name? That was nothing but a fucking excuse! As it turned out, I was just the idiot who'd been kept in the dark this whole time. I sat on the couch in silence, going through one cigarette after another. I sat there until late into the night, when Christina finally returned home, her face flushed. The moment she stepped through the door, she spotted the signed prenuptial agreement. I couldn't tell whether it was because she felt guilty about rejecting me, or because she had enjoyed herself enough with Daniel. Either way, she made the rare show of sitting down beside me and taking my hand. "You actually signed it, Liam! I thought you wouldn't be able to get past your ego. To be honest, this was just a test. When you propose to me for the 99th time, I'll—" "I've changed my mind." Before Christina could finish, I interrupted her. "What did you say? Liam, are you kidding me? You think you can toy with me?" She shot up from the couch, her usual spoiled, domineering side coming out as her temper flared. I stubbed out my cigarette and calmly met her gaze. "Christina, there's something I've been wondering about. If you married Daniel, would your children still have to take your last name?" Christina's eyes flashed with panic before soon filling with scorn. "Seriously, Liam? So this is why you're acting crazy in the middle of the night. You're still jealous of Daniel. "How many times must I tell you that it's not easy for Daniel to try and make it big in the city all alone? So what if I help him out a little?" "What about me? Has it been easy for me to make it in this big city?" I shot to my feet, anger flashing in my eyes. "He's a high-school dropout, yet he's a manager at Lockwood Corporation. His monthly salary is 8,000 dollars, yet he wears bespoke suits worth five figures each. Even the Ferrari he drives is the one your dad gave you for your 18th birthday! "Meanwhile, what about me, huh?" The more I spoke, the more agitated I became, until my eyes burned red with rage. "To marry you, I lived on convenience store sandwiches for eight years before I could finally trade in my delivery bike for a Maybach! I endured eight years of people looking down on me before I could finally trade my cheap rental for a luxury apartment!" "I'm from the countryside, too! I came to this big city alone, too! So why is it that Daniel is the only one who gets all of your favoritism and special exceptions, huh? "What about you? Right after you demanded that I sign an agreement agreeing to become your family's live-in son-in-law, you turned right around and headed to a hotel to fool around with Daniel. You two have even come up with your children's names already! "Do you even have a heart, Christina? Do you really love me? Do you, even for a second, ever truly think about marrying me?" "Liam, it's not like that. I…" Christina stood frozen for a long time. Just as she was about to explain herself, a sudden phone call interrupted her. The name "Danny Baby" was glaringly conspicuous on the screen. "What? Which hospital? I'm coming right now!" After ending the call, Christina spun around and headed for the door. When she got there, she seemed to remember something. She came back, grabbed the agreement I signed, and handed me a debit card. "Daniel got a knife cut, Liam. I have to check on him. I know you've suffered all these years. I'll find a way to make it up to you. Take this card and buy whatever you want. "I'll destroy this agreement. I won't make any more demands of you from now on. I promise I'll say yes when you propose to me for the 99th time!" The front door slammed shut, and for the umpteenth time, Christina walked out on me, leaving me alone at home. Sure enough, Daniel would always have a special place in her heart. One phone call from him was all it took for her to drop everything and go running to him. I wasn't sure how much time had passed before I stubbed out the last cigarette and called a number I hadn't touched in ages. "I'm calling about that gold mine abroad. I've decided to join you. Send someone over to pick me up tomorrow—but I have a condition. I want to bring my parents with me. I also want you to erase all traces of me in Seamarsh." Chapter 3 Early the next morning, I packed up everything I had in the house. I was ready to leave this place, which held nothing but bad memories for me. But a hurried knock on the door suddenly interrupted my plans. When I saw who was standing outside, I cleared my throat and forced a smile. "Mom! What are you doing here so early in the morning? Did something happen back home?" "You little brat!" Mom exclaimed. "How could you not tell your dad and me that you're getting engaged! What, were you afraid that your countryfolk parents would be an embarrassment to you?" Mom stood on the doorstep, several overstuffed bags in hand, as she berated me. I was getting engaged? What on earth was going on? I quickly reached out to take the bags from her, ushering her inside as I asked what had happened. "Come in first, Mom. Tell me who exactly told you I was getting engaged." "Christina, of course. Look. Here's the message she sent me." Mom swiftly set down the rest of the bags and pulled out her old-fashioned cell phone. The message was only a few lines long. "Mr. and Mrs. Ellison, Liam and I are getting engaged tomorrow. We've decided to hold an engagement ceremony at the Cerulean Hotel in Seamarsh. "Liam doesn't want to waste money on a big celebration, but I think this is an important occasion in our lives, so it deserves a proper celebration. I hope you can make it tomorrow and be a part of our happiness! Best wishes, Christina Lockwood." I was rooted to the spot, my expression doubtful. Why did the tone of the message sound so unlike Christina? But it was her number on the screen. Then, all of a sudden, I remembered what Christina had said the night before. Could this be a surprise she had secretly prepared for me? Was she trying to make up for neglecting me all these years by throwing an engagement party? The walls around my hardened heart came down a little. The engagement party was set for this evening, so I quickly had my parents rest for a bit while I got ready. An hour before the start of the event, I drove my parents to the Cerulean Hotel. However, the moment I stepped into the ballroom, I was thunderstruck. Christina hadn't just invited my parents. She had even invited every last one of my aunts, uncles, and extended relatives. A wave of guilt immediately washed over me. Maybe I really was wrong about her. Maybe I really did matter to her after all. Just then, a man's voice suddenly came from behind me. "So, Liam, what do you think of the surprise I prepared for you? Are you satisfied? If it hadn't been for me, how could your family of country bumpkins even make it through the doors of the Cerulean Hotel?" Daniel slowly approached me with a taunting look in his eyes. My brows immediately furrowed, and a bad feeling rose in my gut. "Daniel, what the hell are you talking about? Christina and I are having our engagement party today. What does this have to do with you? You're not welcome here. Get out!" Daniel ignored my unwelcoming tone. Instead, the corners of his lips curled into a faint smile. "Liam, you really think Christina prepared all this? Allow me to fill you in on the truth—I'm the one who used her phone and sent that message to your mom. I hired people to bring all of your relatives over, too. Since you had the audacity to try and steal Christina from me, I'll see to it that you're completely humiliated right in front of everyone." As soon as Daniel finished speaking, he sprinted onto the stage, a remote control clenched in his hand. The next second, the agreement I signed, the one stipulating that I'd be the Lockwood family's live-in son-in-law, appeared on the giant screen. At the same time, Daniel's voice rang out. "Welcome, everyone. Thank you for joining us on this special occasion. Today is the day Liam Ellison officially agrees to become the Lockwood family's live-in son-in-law!" Chapter 4 The moment those words left Daniel's mouth, a commotion broke out across the entire ballroom. All my relatives turned to look at me, their whispers rising one after another. "I can hardly recognize Liam anymore. He's been living in the big city for so long that he's even willing to disregard his roots and give up his own last name!" "Hah! Here I thought he was actually a capable young man. Turns out he latched onto some rich woman and is living off her. How disgusting!" One by one, my relatives hurled abuse at me as they marched out of the ballroom in fury. They made sure to pass right in front of me and give me a piece of their mind as they did. In less than five minutes, the only people left in the ballroom were my parents. Dad strode up to me, his expression stormy, and punched me in the face. "You ungrateful bastard! Is it so embarrassing for you to have my last name? If that's how you feel, then so be it. From this day onward, you've been disowned! Your mom and I don't need a son like you!" After one final snort, Dad kicked open the door and stormed off. Mom was even more heartbroken, tears streaming down her face. She wouldn't even say a word to me. She merely gave me one long, sorrowful look before following Dad out of the ballroom. As my cheek stung like mad, I lunged forward and grabbed Daniel by the collar. "I don't give a damn whether this was your idea or Christina's. You're going to tell everyone the truth! I can give up Christina. But you don't get to humiliate me like this!" Daniel wasn't the least bit intimidated by my anger. He shoved me away and flashed a triumphant smile. "What truth? All your relatives saw that agreement. You wanted to marry into the Lockwood family and become their live-in son-in-law. That's the truth. Oh, right. I forgot to tell you. I livestreamed everything that just happened. "Now it's not just your poor relatives; everyone in the entire country now knows you were trying to climb up the social ladder by marrying rich. Hahaha!" My head throbbed violently. The veins in my arms bulged as rage surged through me. I shot forward and punched Daniel down, just as Christina arrived. "Liam Ellison! Have I been too nice to you? How dare you attack Daniel like that!" Christina helped Daniel to his feet, then rushed over and slapped me across the face. My eyes were bloodshot. My nails dug into my palms. "He used your phone to send messages to my parents and everyone back in my hometown, telling them to come to our engagement party. Then he livestreamed the whole thing and publicly displayed that agreement in front of everyone, announcing that I was going to marry into your family! "He dragged my dignity through the mud in front of everyone. Am I still even a man if I don't punch the living lights out of him?" Christina, who had been furious moments ago, froze. She pressed her lips together, seemingly lost in thought. But Daniel, who was now standing beside her, tugged on her sleeve and fell back on his usual pity ploy. "Chrissy, I only wanted the whole country to witness how much Liam truly loves you. What's so wrong about that? Not only did he not appreciate my kindness, but he even beat me up! It's clear now that he never intended to marry you." After a long silence, Christina finally snapped back to her senses, her gaze hard. "Daniel's right. If you really loved me, you wouldn't be afraid of everyone knowing you were going to marry into my family. I don't care what your excuse is. If you don't apologize to Daniel today, you can get the hell out of here and never show your face again!" Seeing the way Christina was doing everything she could to defend Daniel, I smirked bitterly and nodded. "Sure. I'll get the hell out right away." With that, I walked out of the hotel without looking back. A Rolls-Royce had already been waiting outside for quite some time. Without hesitation, I opened the door and got inside. "Take me to my parents first. I'm taking them with me." On the way, I sent Christina one final message. "There won't be a 99th proposal, Christina. Our relationship ends here. The poor boy and the wealthy heiress won't be getting their rags-to-riches romance after all."