?Chapter 1404:


    Jessica paused, her hands still. Her facecked the usual spark he hade to recognize. “What do you want to talk about?”<fn114c> Latest content published on FindN0vel</fn114c>


    Melvin gestured toward the living room.


    Jessica followed him out.


    He handed her a ss of freshly made juice before taking the seat across from her. His voice was soft but earnest. “I know you’re mad at me, but even if you’re furious, you shouldn’t rush into marrying Jack.”


    “This has nothing to do with you,” Jessica said, irritation brimming beneath her words.


    “It does. We’re friends,” Melvin responded, trying to appeal to her logic. “I can’t just sit back and watch you make a mistake.”


    Her eyes flickered, a storm of emotions hidden behind them. Then, colder than before, she replied, “Friends are thest thing I need.”


    “You know Jack better than I do. He’s with a different woman every other week,” Melvin said, his voice tight with concern. “If you marry him, you won’t be happy.”


    Jessica gave a bitter shrug. “The man I love will never love me back. What’s the point of chasing happiness?”


    Melvin said nothing. The words clung to the silence like a weight.


    “Yes, Jack’s a flirt, and I know full well he won’t love me even after we’re married,” Jessica said, her voice shaking with emotion. “But it doesn’t matter, because I won’t love him either.”


    “If there’s no love, then why be together? Marriage should be about joy, not regrets,” Melvin said, trying to make her see reason.


    Jessica clenched her fists, fighting the urge to scream. She took a breath and said, “I’ve already made up my mind.”


    “There are so many incredible people in the world. You don’t have to settle. Someone who truly loves you will show up,” Melvin offered gently.


    “Myst crushsted ten years, and in the end, he still didn’t love me,” Jessica said, locking eyes with him, the pain in her voice impossible to miss. “I’m not waiting another decade for the next one.”


    With that, she stood and went back into the room to continue packing. Her words felt like a hammer mming straight into Melvin’s chest.


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    Ten years…


    “By the way,” Jessica said, suddenly reappearing in the doorway.


    Melvin looked up at her.


    Her eyesnded on his phone resting on the table. Her expression was a confusing mix of calm and sadness. “Please block my contacts. It’s the only way I’ll be able to move on.”


    “Why?” Melvin asked, clearly taken aback.


    “If you don’t block me, I’ll keep believing you have feelings for me,” Jessica said, her voiceced with a forced lightness that didn’t quite mask the ache. “Every time I hear a notification, I’ll keep hoping it’s you.”


    Melvin’s hands stiffened at his sides.


    “I don’t need that kind of hope,” Jessica continued, her voice steady but heavy with finality.


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