The Runaway Groom

Lulu asked, "Why do you insist on taking me away?"

"Or what, am I supposed to not care while you get yourself killed?" Irene snapped, not abiding with her self-destructive tendencies just then. "Has anyone lived their lives without facing setbacks and rough patches? Is that worth getting killed for? There wouldn't be that many people alive if that were the case."

"Did they suffer like I do?" Lulu countered.

Irene was stumped, but there definitely had not been many who suffered like Lulu did.

Even so, Irene pushed on. "It's always darkest before the dawn.”

“I'm tired,” Lulu replied, shaking her head and reluctant to speak further.

Irene knew that Lulu was refusing to see reason and pressed, "If you're not going to do it for anyone, do it for Jean. Just think about it—what if Zachary marries someone and Jean has to live with a stepmother? You should know very well that the stepmother would definitely abuse Jean and put her through all the pain in the world. In fact, you weren't allowed to stay in your own house when your father remarried and when you're an adult! How miserable would it be for Jean to live without a mother, even as a child?"

Despite what she said, Irene knew very well that Zachary loved Jean and would never remarry on a whim, let alone allow Jean to suffer in any way.

She just needed a reason to persuade Lulu to keep living—even if it hurt.

And to no surprise, Lulu's expression changed ever so slightly. Mothers are strong, as the saying goes, and Irene was convinced that Lulu would find the will to live for Jean.

on. "If you're alive, you could at least take Jean back if Zachary remarries and Jean's stepmother mistreats her. At the very least, she won't be

it." Lulu

makes you a selfish

reluctance to hear more—she insisted on hurting Lulu so Lulu would feel the will

not as if

face herself—not because she was disfigured, since she was

think about was how she was defiled, even though

that she was told to keep on

Irene?" Lulu asked—she would not have to feel

if I

which only made Irene anxious and fearful—it had been days,

"Lulu..."

go with you, but I don’t want anyone to know about me, including Isaac,” Lulu

and

"Okay, got it. I