The Misplaced Crown

No girl in my village ever married, unless someone was willing to give her a silver crown with 999 gemstones. On the day the girl put on the crown, she would be engaged. I had been dating John Frank for eight years, and he finally completed the crown. On the day of the engagement, the village assembly hall was full of villagers. Everyone was waiting for me to be married gloriously. However, I had heard a conversation between John and Blake, his friend. “Are you really going to bring Ms. Blaire to the stage? If you do, you’ll humiliate the Lane family!” John smiled and said airily, “That doesn’t matter. Katherine has been teaching in the village as a volunteer teacher for three years. She donated books to the children and gave medicine to the elderly. “Her greatest wish is to experience a village engagement, and I’m just fulfilling her dream.” Blake remained silent for a few seconds. “What about Willow?” John was completely nonchalant about that. “She has loved me for eight years. She can’t leave my side. At most, she’ll cry for a few days and wait for me to calm her down. Then, she’ll still ask her father to let her marry me. “Besides, I might be giving Katherine an engagement, but Willow will still be my wife. No matter what, I can’t let a kind person have any regrets.” Apparently, Katherine’s wish had to be fulfilled with my engagement. I wiped my tears away and called the number I had not contacted for a long time. “Samuel, marry me tomorrow.” Chapter 1 Not only was the entire village going to attend the engagement ceremony, but it was also going to be broadcast to promote the culture of our village. The elder stood on the stage and announced with a smile, “Willow, please come on stage to receive your silver crown and become John’s fiancee.” All eyes landed on me. Luke Lane, my brother, jabbed me with his elbow and teased me, “You’ve been dating John for eight years, Willow, and you’re finally tying the knot. Look at Dad. He’s grinning so hard.” At that moment, John walked past me. Since he was so close by, I could even smell the fragrance on his clothes. However, he did not look at me. He did not even stop as he said coldly, “Don’t go on stage.” I was stunned and had not registered what he said when he held Katherine’s hand. As if she were reluctant to do so, Katherine took two steps forward. “This… isn’t right, John.” “Don’t be scared.” John turned to her with a gentle gaze. “You’ve always wanted to experience an engagement here, right? We both wish for this.” He went up the stage and picked up the silver crown with 999 gemstones. “Katherine, you’ve been teaching here as a volunteer for three years, and you’ve helped plenty of people. You’re kind and worthy of the silver crown.” My father’s expression changed, and the elders stood up as well. The assembly hall descended into chaos. “Have you lost your mind, John?!” Luke rushed on stage and grabbed John’s collar. “This is my sister’s engagement, and you’re letting someone else wear the silver crown?! Who do you take my sister for?!” John scoffed and snapped, “Sincerity is the most important thing about the engagement. Katherine has done plenty of good things for the village. There’s nothing wrong with me giving her an engagement.” Then, he put the silver crown on Katherine’s head without hesitation. The villagers burst into a ruckus, and the chat went wild. Everyone turned to me, as if they were waiting for me, the feisty one, to throw a tantrum. They wanted me to break down, go berserk, and create chaos. Yet I did not move. Instead, it was John who lost his patience and turned to me. “Do you really have to do this? It’s just a ceremony. Don’t blow things out of proportion.” Katherine’s fans started desperately defending her in the chat. [These villagers are so ungrateful!] [The bride-to-be is so petty. She won’t even let the Volunteer Queen have her wish? It’s so off-putting.] Katherine took a look at the angry villagers and the chat. Then, she teared up. “Willow, I just wanted to experience it. I’ll remove the crown and return it to you…” “You don’t have to.” John grabbed her hand. “I gave it to you. It’s yours now. Willow, you need to be generous. Katherine is pure of heart. Don’t project your pettiness on her.” I stared at the man I had loved for eight years. “John, do you have any idea what you’re saying?” He was taken aback for a moment, and unease flashed in his eyes, but he soon regained his smug attitude. “Of course. It’s been eight years. You can wait a little longer. I’ll give you another silver crown that’s just like this one in the future.” I smiled bitterly. Katherine was not just a volunteer teacher from the city who came to our village to teach the children and give medicine to the elderly. She had also used the hype of charity and being a volunteer teacher to gain a good reputation and tons of money online. A few years ago, she had also saved John from a car accident. Hence, all of her kindness became a pass for her to do whatever she wanted. My eight-year relationship became the backdrop for a kind teacher to get her wish. I avoided John’s outstretched hand and smiled calmly. “You’re right. We can’t let a kind person have any regrets.” Chapter 2 John’s hand was suspended in the air. He gulped and stared at me. “I owe you, Willow. As long as you listen to me, we can still have our wedding tomorrow. As for the silver crown, I’ll get as many as you want made after our wedding.” Suddenly, I felt exhausted. The last bit of hope I had for him was completely extinguished. The most important part of the engagement ceremony was not the silver crown, but being chosen. I did not want to wait anymore. Luke teared up from rage. “John, how could you—” I grabbed his arm and shook my head. The chat went wild. [The engagement ceremony in the village is so grand! I really want to see Miss Blaire go through with the entire engagement…] Katherine stood on stage with teary eyes, and as if she had summoned her courage, she said, “Willow, since you don’t mind, will you let me go through with the rest of the engagement ceremony? “This can also be used to promote the village and let the others learn more about the culture here.” The moment she finished speaking, John laughed. “Sure.” He did not even hesitate, nor did he look at me. It was as if this engagement ceremony was always for them. Katherine ducked her head and chuckled, even though I could see the blatant smugness in her eyes when she looked at me earlier. When the other villagers turned to me, I saw pity, compassion, and glee at my misfortune. Suddenly, I found the entire thing meaningless. I wanted to leave, but John suddenly called out to me. “Willow,” he said. I stopped. He frowned and said, “Don’t read too much into this. This is for the village’s sake. Katherine has plenty of fans and tons of influence. If the promotion goes well, it’ll be helpful to the village’s development.” Then, he softened his tone. “Head back first. I’ll bring your wedding dress over later. We’ll still have our wedding tomorrow.” I stared at him. Suddenly, I wanted to laugh. Eight years ago, he said that he would protect me forever. Eight years later, he asked me to go back and wait while he hosted my engagement ceremony with another woman. When I returned to the house I was supposed to share with John in the future, the sun was starting to set. The wedding decorations inside looked like they were mocking me. My phone vibrated. Katherine had sent a broadcast link to me. [Willow, thanks for fulfilling my wish. The promotion went well this time.] I clicked on the link and saw John smoothing out the crown for Katherine. The chat was full of comments like how they were a match made in heaven and how they should just get married. John took a look at the chat and did not retort. At that moment, I recalled the eight years we had spent together. During every anniversary, he would hold my hand and say, “Once the silver crown is ready, I’ll make you the most radiant bride in the village.” Hence, over the past eight years, he learned blacksmithing, carving, and polishing gemstones. Bit by bit, he crafted the silver crown. At last, it was ready, but it was on somebody else’s head. I found it quite regrettable. John finally came back when it was midnight. He was wearing the wedding suit of the village. I had begged him plenty of times before to try it on, but he would always frown and say, “It’s too flashy. It doesn’t suit me.” Today, I learned that he determined whether it suited him based on who he was wearing it for. Then, Katherine stepped out from behind him. An awkward look appeared on John’s face. “Katherine will be staying here tonight.” I could not even be bothered to look at her. I just stared at John’s empty hands. “Where’s the wedding dress?” Silence descended in the house. Gently, Katherine unzipped her jacket. She was wearing the wedding dress my mother had sewn for me. John’s expression changed, and he wanted to hug me. “Calm down. I can explain—” I took a step back and avoided his arms. He stiffened up, as if he was not expecting me to avoid him. Even so, he continued explaining with a gentle voice, “The effects of the broadcast were really good today, and more than one million people watched it. Many of the people in the chat wanted to see tomorrow’s wedding as well. “So, I spoke with Katherine, and she’ll also be experiencing the wedding tomorrow. The promotion results will be even better, and it’ll be good for the village’s development.” That again. For the village and for the sake of development. Over the past three years, whenever he sided with Katherine, he would say that. I stared at the man I had loved for eight years and suddenly found that when I had stopped loving a person, even the pain in my heart dulled. I exhaled and suppressed the last bit of hurt in my heart. Then, I said calmly, “John, let’s break up.” Chapter 3 “This again, Willow?” John leaned against the door frame with annoyance in his voice. “There are around two thousand villagers here, and all of them know you’ve been my girlfriend for eight years. “You want to break up? You can’t. Aside from me, no one will want a woman who has dated someone else before.” Katherine stood by the side and teared up. “Willow, if it really bothers you, I won’t have my broadcast tomorrow… In any case, I’ve already gone through the engagement ceremony. I have no regrets now.” “You don’t have to apologize. You did nothing wrong.” He turned to me. “Willow, listen to Katherine, and look at yourself. Aside from threatening me with a breakup, there’s nothing else you know how to do. “Katherine is being considerate, but what about you? You’re petty and fussy about everything. You won’t even let someone else have your wedding.” Suddenly, I laughed. “Yeah. I’m petty. So, I don’t want you anymore. I’ll marry someone else.” John was stunned for a short moment before he snickered and said, “You’re marrying someone else? Who? No one will dare marry you in this village.” He shook his head and said with a mocking tone, “Willow, do you even believe yourself?” I said nothing else. Perhaps thinking that he had crossed the line, John immediately tried to appease me with a gentle voice. “Enough. Stop throwing a tantrum. It’s just a wedding dress. You can wear it for tomorrow’s wedding, and Katherine will wear something else—” Before he finished speaking, we heard a loud rip. Perhaps accidentally, Katherine tore the wedding dress apart. That was the last memento my mother left for me. She sewed that dress for me herself. John was taken aback. “Um… It’s fine. I’ll have someone repair it tomorrow. I promise you, it’ll be as good as new.” “Repair it?” My voice turned so shrill that not even I could recognize it. “How could you possibly repair it? That’s the wedding dress my mother made for me! Don’t you know that this is the last thing she left for me?!” I charged at Katherine and slapped her. “Willow!” John shoved me aside. My back crashed into the tea table, and it hurt so much that I sucked in a sharp breath. However, he did not even look at me and just squatted down to help Katherine up. “Are you okay?” “John!” I tried to clutch my back and said with a quivering voice, “She ruined my wedding dress—” “Enough!” He whipped his head around. “You already hit her. What else do you want? What’s the point of continuing to argue here? You want a breakup? Fine. Leave.” He bent down and picked up the ripped wedding dress, along with the snapped golden threads and crooked silver jewelry. With all of them bundled up in a mess, he shoved them into my hands and pushed me outside. “Aren’t you very tough? You’re going to marry someone else, aren’t you? Go! Marry him right now! I’d like to see who’d marry you!” The door slammed shut in front of my face. I hugged the torn wedding dress and stood outside. Behind the door, I could hear Katherine’s sobs. “John, don’t do that… Willow was just acting rashly. No matter what, she’s your fiancee…” Then came John’s voice. “She’s been spoiled and has become ungrateful. Ignore her and let her think about this properly. Once she has reflected on this, she’ll come to apologize.” As I continued standing outside, my phone vibrated. I wiped away my tears and looked down. It was a simple message from Luke. [Willow, Samuel made a silver crown for you, and it’s a hundred times better than the one John made for you.] I shut my eyes and prepared to cut ties completely. Then, I removed the pendant from my neck. It was a love token between us in the past. I was going to return it to him. The door soon opened, and John raised an eyebrow at me in amusement. “Nine minutes… I thought that you’d at least last until tomorrow morning—” Before he finished speaking, Katherine came out, wrapped only in a towel. John then opened his mouth to explain, “Willow, Katherine was only taking a bath—” “You don’t need to say anything else.” I took a step back and handed the pendant to him. “I’m giving this back to you. From this moment on, we have nothing to do with each other anymore.” John’s expression changed, and he grabbed my hand. “Are you serious, Willow?” “It’s over, John.” I broke free from his grasp. “Fine. You sure are ruthless, Willow.” He sneered and put the pendant around Katherine’s neck. “If you don’t want it, someone else does.” A subtle, smug look flashed in Katherine’s eyes, but she put on a shocked expression and waved her hands in refusal. “John, this is too precious…” “Wear it.” John stared at me coldly. “Since she doesn’t want it anymore, it’s now yours.” When I turned around to leave, I suddenly felt as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. John’s shouts rang out from behind me. “Willow, if you leave now, don’t ever come back! I’d like to see who else you can marry after leaving my side!” At some point, it started raining outside. The rain got heavier, but an umbrella soon went over my head. Samuel tilted the umbrella to my side, and the rain fell on his shoulders, but he did not even frown. “Come on. I’ll take you home.” Chapter 4 The next morning, the village drummers started playing the drums, and the paths were all covered in wedding decorations. Everyone thought that they were going to see a live broadcast of John and Katherine’s wedding today. The broadcast began on stage. Katherine went on stage in a wedding dress, and the chat went wild. [The wedding’s finally here! The Volunteer Queen is so pretty today!] In the next second, Katherine suddenly saw me wearing a wedding dress as well. “John…” John looked in the direction of her gaze, and he was stunned for a moment before he snickered. “Willow, you really came.” I headed to the stage. John crossed his arms with mockery in his eyes. “Didn’t you say that you’re marrying someone else? What now? Are you just wearing the wedding dress to come here and cause trouble?” I looked at him. “Who told you that I’m here to cause trouble? I am indeed here to marry someone else today.” A laugh slipped out of John’s mouth again. “Who do you think you’re fooling, Willow? The entire village is decorated in wedding decorations today, and you showed up in a wedding dress? What else are you doing aside from forcing me to marry you?” At that moment, Katherine walked down the stage. “Willow, don’t do this. We’re just broadcasting the wedding. Once it ends, John will still be yours. I won’t fight you for him.” Then, she tried to hold my hand, but she suddenly fell back. “Ah!” Katherine crashed to the floor. The crowd burst into a ruckus. “Willow shoved Katherine!” John’s expression turned dark, and he rushed over to shove me. “Willow!” Caught off guard, I fell back. My elbow grazed the stone stairs, quickly causing a bloody mess. Yet John did not even look at me. He immediately went to help Katherine up. Then, he looked down at me. “Apologize to her.” Slowly, I pushed myself up. Blood trickled down my arm until it fell from my fingertips. “I didn’t push her.” “You’re still being stubborn?” John laughed in exasperation. “Everyone saw it! When did you become like this, Willow? Apologize to Katherine! Now!” I stared at him and suddenly found the situation hilarious. In the past, if I even got a scratch, he would be so anxious that he would be beside himself. At this moment, even when my entire arm was covered in blood, he was only worried about whether Katherine was crying. I shook my head. “I did nothing wrong.” That last bit of patience in John’s eyes vanished. “Fine.” He gritted his teeth and stormed toward me. “Looks like I’ve spoiled you rotten over the years.” Then, he brought his hand up. Luke’s expression changed. “John, you wouldn’t dare!” It was too late. He was already swinging his arm at me. Yet in the next second, someone punched John hard in the face. Everyone was caught off guard, and John staggered backward. Blood immediately trickled down the corner of his mouth. “Who in the world…” In his rage, he looked up. Someone tall was standing in front of me. He looked down at my bleeding arm, and his gaze turned dark. His voice was cold. “John, what are you doing to my wife?!”