Chapter 430 April Fool's Day Wedding
Michael opened the message and saw it was from Elizabeth. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
He deliberately ignored the money transfer and replied: [No big deal, really. You don't have to thank me.]
He thought mischievously, as long as he didn't accept the money, she would keep pestering him. That way, they could keep chatting.
Sure enough, Elizabeth replied: [Come on, just accept the money already.]
Michael's smile widened, and he intentionally didn't accept it: [Sorry, I only take cash.]
Elizabeth was exasperated. She raised her hand to her chest, closed her eyes, and exhaled, saying to herself, "Don't get angry, don't get angry."
Sarah noticed her actions and couldn't help but laugh. "Elizabeth, what's up?"
Elizabeth replied irritably, "He won't accept my transfer and wants me to give him cash!"
She stomped out the door in her high heels.
Sarah followed her. "Elizabeth, it's obvious he just wants to see you!"
Elizabeth opened her car door. "Who wants to see him? He's the one who insisted on paying our bill; we didn't ask him to. If he's got money to burn, let him pay. Who has a problem with money?"
Sarah looked at her in surprise. "Elizabeth, you've changed! In the past, you would have chased him down to return the money."
Elizabeth leaned back comfortably in her seat. "That was then, this is now. I'm not that foolish anymore."
Sarah gave her a thumbs up. "Progress!"
They drove towards Whispering Pines Estates.
In his Rolls-Royce, Michael kept opening his phone to check for new messages. But there were no new messages from Elizabeth.
Michael checked his phone settings and saw full signal bars. He called his driver.
The driver, who was driving, looked confused. "Mr. Thomas, did you dial the wrong number? I'm right here."
Michael's expression didn't change. "Oh, I just wanted to check if my phone was working."
The driver remained silent and didn't say anything further.
Soon, it was the day of David's wedding.
The night before, Elizabeth and Sarah were on the phone.
"Elizabeth, I can't sleep tonight."
"Sarah, I'll come over and stay with you."
"No need. I'm at my parents' place. I haven't told them about David's wedding tomorrow."
"Sarah, are you feeling overwhelmed? I know that feeling. I just went through it. Let me come and be with you."
"Really, it's okay, Elizabeth. Just come pick me up in the morning. I don't want to drive."
Elizabeth immediately agreed. "Sure! No problem. I'll be there first thing in the morning."
"Okay."
The next morning, Elizabeth drove to Sarah's house. Wren greeted her warmly.
"Elizabeth, you're here for Sarah, right? She left early this morning. Didn't she call you?"
Elizabeth was startled but kept her composure. "Oh, Wren, my memory is getting worse! I know where she went. I'll go find her."
She quickly left the Martinez Villa and drove straight to David's wedding venue.
It was still early, and there weren't many people on the lawn where David's wedding was to be held.
Elizabeth didn't see Sarah. She called her multiple times, but Sarah didn't answer.
Elizabeth was getting anxious. She searched every corner of the hotel in her high heels.
Finally, she found Sarah in the stairwell on the second floor. Sarah was curled up, hugging her knees, looking like she was about to break.
Elizabeth's heart ached. She rushed over and hugged her. "Sarah!"
Sarah looked up, her face streaked with tears. "Elizabeth, I'm sorry, I didn't wait for you."
Elizabeth shook her head. "It's okay, I left too late. Sarah, the floor is cold. Let's go somewhere else. Wait here for a moment."
She quickly went downstairs, got a room key from the front desk, and hurried back to help Sarah into the room.
Sarah's makeup was ruined. Elizabeth grabbed a towel, dampened it with warm water, and gently wiped her face.
Sarah lay on the bed, still sobbing softly.
"Elizabeth, I thought I didn't care anymore. I thought I could handle David getting married, even if I didn't want to see it."
"But I overestimated my tolerance. Seeing the wedding setup felt like being stabbed by a thousand needles."
She clutched her chest, tears streaming down her face.
Elizabeth tenderly wiped her tears.
"Sarah, if it hurts this much, let's not go to the wedding. Let's stay in the room and rest. You probably haven't had breakfast, right? I'll order some for you. Eating something will make you feel better."
Sarah shook her head. "Elizabeth, I can't eat. I haven't been able to eat for days. I didn't tell my mom. Every time she asked, I said I ate out, but I didn't eat anything. It's been days."
Elizabeth knew she was experiencing temporary anorexia due to severe emotional stress.
She helped Sarah sit up. "Sarah, let's drink some water. You must be freezing. I don't want you to catch a cold."
Sarah obediently drank the water Elizabeth handed her.
"Elizabeth, I'm in so much pain. I don't want David to get married. I told him to move on, but I didn't mean it. The thought of him spending his life with someone else is unbearable. I can't eat, I can't sleep."
"I pretend everything is fine in front of my parents. Today is David's wedding day. I can't pretend anymore. I came here early and watched them set up the wedding arch and balloons, and place the flowers. I could hardly breathe."
Elizabeth hugged her tightly. "Sarah, I'm sorry. I should have noticed you were struggling. What do you want to do now? I'll be with you."
Sarah's eyes suddenly brightened.
Elizabeth, seeing her up close, noticed how much weight she had lost.
She felt guilty for not noticing her best friend's suffering.
She looked at Sarah encouragingly. "Sarah, why do you think David chose April Fool's Day for his wedding? Wouldn't his bride mind? It makes the whole thing seem like a joke."
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