Rebirth: Love me Again-Chapter 324: A Ring, A Runaway, A Ruined Night

[ESTELLE]

"After today, everything will change."

A shiver ran down my spine.

I frowned, my mind racing to decipher what he meant, but before I could ask, he turned away. My breath caught as he strode toward the grand podium at the center of the room.

And then—he picked up the microphone.

The soft hum of conversation around us faded, replaced by the sharp clinking of glasses as people turned their attention to him. My heart slammed against my ribs as a terrible realization settled in.

He was going to make an announcement.

And somehow, deep in my bones, I knew—I just knew—that whatever he was about to say would change everything.

Damien's gaze swept across the room before finally landing on Kelsey. His expression softened.

The soft clinking of glasses came to a halt. A hushed silence fell over the grand hall as Damien took the stage, standing under the glow of the chandelier.

My heart pounded, my breath uneven as I stared at him, at the way his fingers curled tightly around the microphone. There was an intensity in his expression, one I couldn't quite place—but it was powerful enough to root me to the spot.

What was he going to say?

I swallowed hard, my palms slightly clammy as my mind raced with possibilities. This was it. The moment I had been waiting for. Surely, after everything I'd done, after all my relentless efforts tonight—this had to be about me, right?

Damien's gaze swept across the room, lingering just a second too long on me before shifting toward the crowd. Then, with a deep breath, he spoke.

"There's something important I need to say tonight."

The entire room seemed to collectively lean in. A few hushed murmurs spread through the audience, but they quickly faded under the weight of his words.

His lips pressed together for a brief moment before he continued, his voice steady.

"I've known her for a long time. She's been by my side through everything—through the good, the bad, and everything in between."

A soft smile, almost wistful, played at the corner of his lips.

"She challenges me. She frustrates me. She makes me want to be better. And I can't imagine my future without her."

I felt lightheaded. The world around me blurred as realization slowly began to settle in my bones.

This was it. This was it.

I held my breath, my fingers clenching around the stem of my champagne glass. Was this really happening? Was he really about to—

Damien turned slightly, his gaze locking onto one person.

Not me.

Kelsey.

My stomach dropped. The blood drained from my face.

No. No, no, no. This wasn't right. This wasn't supposed to be happening.

I watched in slow motion as Damien pulled something out of his pocket—a small velvet box.

The kind of box that could shatter dreams and rewrite fates.

My dream. My fate.

A collective gasp rippled through the audience, followed by an eruption of excited whispers. Damien's announcement struck like a lightning bolt, leaving me frozen in place.

This was a proposal.

Damien Frizkiel was about to propose to Kelsey.

And I was about to be sick.

Every fiber of my being screamed at me to move, to do something, to say something, but my body refused to obey. I could only watch, helpless, as he dropped to one knee.

The crowd erupted into cheers. Applause rang through the hall. I heard someone squeal in excitement, and it felt like nails on a chalkboard.

But through it all, my world crumbled, piece by agonizing piece.

"Kelsey," Damien said, his voice softer now, filled with something raw, something vulnerable. "I love you."

I swayed slightly, my vision blurring at the edges.

This couldn't be real. This had to be some kind of twisted nightmare.

"You mean everything to me," he continued. "And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

A perfect, beautiful proposal.

And a perfectly shattered heart—mine.

For a few agonizing seconds, there was nothing but silence.

Then, Kelsey inhaled sharply.

And burst into tears.

But not the joyful, overwhelmed kind.

No. These were messy, oh-god-this-is-happening-and-I-don't-want-it-to kind of tears. The runaway train of emotions that cannot be stopped kind of tears.

Her hands flew to her mouth, shaking as she took a step back.

Damien's confident smile faltered. His brows knitted together in confusion. "Kelsey?"

Kelsey hiccuped. Shook her head. And then—

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I can't."

The air in the room shifted. Excitement turned to confusion, then to stunned silence.

Damien's face fell, his knee still on the floor. "What? Why?"

Kelsey took another shaky step back. "I . . . I'm not ready. I didn't— I didn't know you felt this way. I thought— I thought we were just . . ." She trailed off, her throat bobbing as she swallowed back sobs. "I can't do this. I'm so sorry."

Then, before anyone could stop her, before Damien could even process what had happened, Kelsey turned—

And ran.

Straight out of the ballroom.

A hush fell over the crowd. The kind of silence that pressed against your ears, deafening and heavy.

Damien didn't move. He just knelt there, still holding the ring, his hand slightly trembling.

I had never seen him look so lost.

One by one, people started whispering. Someone awkwardly cleared their throat. A waiter, caught in the chaos, tripped over his own feet, spilling champagne onto a rich-looking man who was definitely going to sue.

And there I stood, in the midst of it all, my heart still a broken, splattered mess on the floor.

I should have felt triumphant.

I should have been smug.

I had wanted Kelsey out of the picture, hadn't I?

But as I watched Damien slowly rise to his feet, as I saw the flicker of heartbreak cross his features before he masked it with a blank expression—

I realized something.

This wasn't a win.

This was a disaster.

For him.

And, worst of all . . . for me.