Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Taipei City, a high-end café.
"Lindy Cafe" is located in a bustling street area, a high-end café that combines modern atmosphere and artistic style.
Its interior design is mainly composed of wood and metal, with contemporary artworks hanging on the walls. Behind the long wooden bar, baristas are carefully crafting each cup of pour-over coffee. Sunlight streams through the tall glass windows, creating an elegant and tranquil atmosphere with the embellishment of exquisite wooden furniture and golden lighting. Specially designed hand-painted wallpapers exude an artistic vibe, while a variety of plants infuse the entire space with vitality.
Evan sat in the window seat, with a steaming cup of mocha coffee in front of him. He had always admired this coffee shop, especially its quiet and elegant atmosphere.
"Evan, how did you find this amazing coffee shop?" Michelle asked, her eyes filled with curiosity.
"Um, this place has always been a good place for me to think and work," Evan replied, shifting his gaze from the window back to Michelle.
"This is the pearl milk tea and coffee macchiato that you ordered," the server said with a smile as they placed the drinks on the table and then stepped back.
"Thank you," Michelle said softly to Evan, with a hint of worry in her eyes. "But it seems like now is not the time to be drinking, right?"
She continued to smile and added, "Since we've decided to be together, I want to know why you're so insistent on not getting married. I think it's important for our future relationship."
Evan took a deep breath and looked directly at Michelle, "Okay, I'll tell you. But it might be a bit heavy."
Michelle responded encouragingly, "I also have my own story, and I believe that having this kind of conversation will help us understand each other better."
Evan smiled gently, seeming to find comfort in Michelle's words. He took a deep breath and began to speak, "My parents divorced when my sister and I were young. Honestly, they never should have gotten married in the first place."
"My father is a busy businessman who often neglects the family. My mother, on the other hand, is a perfectionist Virgo, and her perfectionism has almost reached the level of obsession. Their personalities are like oil and water, completely unable to blend."
When Evan was young, he and his sister stood at the top of the stairs, quietly eavesdropping on the argument in the living room. Their parents were facing off, creating an extremely tense atmosphere.
"You only ever think about work! What does family mean to you?!" The mother's voice shattered the silence of the night.
"Isn't my work for the sake of this family? Why don't you understand and empathize with me?" Father's response was filled with disappointment.
Hearing this, young Evan felt a sense of powerlessness and confusion, as if a gray mist had enveloped his soul.
The older sister immediately hugged him, trying to cover his ears so that he wouldn't hear these heartbreaking words.
Evan shook his head gently, as if trying to shake off those sad memories. His voice carried a heavy emotion as he began to speak: "After their divorce, they each found new partners. Dad married his secretary, and Mom married a man over ten years younger than her. Neither marriage was happy. My sister and I never saw them truly happy, and in the end, we were sent to live with our grandparents."
"That must have been very lonely and difficult," Michelle tried to find the right words to express sympathy.
"Yes, very lonely. But what makes me even sadder is that my sister and I seem to have become superfluous in their love story," Evan's gaze drifted into the distance, as if reminiscing about the past. "They are so caught up in their new life that they are indifferent to our feelings."
Michelle deeply felt Evan's inner pain, which made her understand even more why he chose not to marry.
She held Evan's hand and comforted him, saying, "That's truly a heartbreaking experience. Have you tried to communicate with your parents as you grew up? Let them know how much their actions have affected you?"
"Hah, communicate? They never understood what 'communication' means. For the sake of their selfish love, they were willing to sacrifice everything, even their own children."
Michelle listened quietly, understanding that this was the fundamental reason for Evan's disappointment in marriage. "So you've always been skeptical about marriage because you're afraid of repeating the same mistakes and subjecting your children to the same experiences?"
"You could say that," Evan picked up his cappuccino, took a sip, "Marriage isn't all about love, but it could be the beginning of pain and confinement. I don't want to subject another innocent life to what I've been through."
Michelle silently drank a sip of bubble tea, but the sweet taste seemed unable to soothe the heaviness in her heart.
"I'm telling you this just to make you understand that marriage is not the inevitable result of love for me, nor is it what I pursue. I care more about making love last than using a piece of paper to bind someone," Evan continued. "I watched my parents suffer in their marriage and lost faith in it. I don't want to walk the same path as my parents, driven by societal expectations or false security."
He also talked about his past relationship: "Michelle, I'll be honest with you, I thought I would marry my college girlfriend Sophia, but her betrayal shattered my beautiful illusions about love."
Michelle listened, filled with empathy: "Experiences like this indeed make people more cautious in approaching marriage."
"Not just cautious, but also a choice and freedom," Evan said. "My pursuit is a love that is not bound by traditional concepts."
Michelle responded gratefully, "Thank you for your honesty, Evan. It helps me understand our potential situation better and allows us to avoid these issues."
Evan changed the subject, "Michelle, my story is over. Honestly, I've always wanted to know, why would a girl like you choose not to marry?" His question was direct but delivered in a light-hearted tone.
Michelle fell silent for a moment, as if considering how to tell her story.
"In fact, I grew up in a single-parent family," Michelle began, "My father had an affair, and even had a child with that woman. What's ridiculous is that he refused to divorce my mother, saying it was for the sake of the family, for me. But in reality, I always felt that my mother wasted her life because of this, which is very unfair."
Evan listened, his expression becoming more serious. He knew it wasn't easy for Michelle to talk about these past experiences.
"This is why I deeply resent the institution of marriage. From what I've seen, marriage is nothing but misunderstanding and compromise, becoming the iron chains that bind women," Michelle continued, as if every word was a cry from the depths of her heart.
Evan nodded, "I know, sometimes marriage is like an overly romanticized dream, but when you wake up in the morning, you find yourself trapped in an inescapable reality."
"Yes, that feeling is really terrifying," Michelle said, her face showing a suppressed sadness that made her eyes slightly moist.
In that moment, it seemed like the environment of the coffee shop had paused, leaving only Evan and Michelle, colliding in a profound but unspoken emotional space. The popular jazz music in the shop also seemed to fade into the distance, as their conversation was too serious to be compared to the casual chats in a coffee shop.
"My mother is a very traditional woman," Michelle continued, "She believes that marriage is the end point for women, so even though she knew my father was having an affair, she decided to stay, saying that it was her destiny. Every time I see her like this, I feel very heartbroken. She has so much talent and dreams, but they have all been wasted because of this so-called 'end point' of marriage."
Evan listened carefully, seeing the hidden pain and disappointment in Michelle's eyes, these emotions seemed like years of accumulated heavy stones, long oppressed in her heart.
"Once, I discovered my mom secretly painting, which was her dream when she was young. She thought I was out, but I actually saw everything clearly. She was so engrossed in her painting, as if in that moment, she had rediscovered her younger self. But when she noticed me standing at the door, a deep sense of disappointment and shame immediately appeared on her face, as if she had done something wrong."
Evan didn't know how to respond. In that moment, Michelle revealed her most genuine and vulnerable side. He could only nod slightly to show his understanding.
"This is why I am so averse to marriage. At least in my opinion, it is nothing but a shackle that makes people lose themselves and their dreams," Michelle restrained her emotions and regained her composure. "This is also why I respect your perspective, because I feel that you understand the difference between love and marriage, as well as the desire for freedom and individuality."
"I completely understand," Evan responded. "Everyone has their own reasons and stories, which makes us more determined in our choices. But because of this, I hope even more that we can find our own path, free from external constraints."
Michelle looked at Evan, her eyes revealing a hint of deep affection. This in-depth conversation took their relationship to a new level. Perhaps, in this society full of pressure and prejudice, finding someone who is unwilling to take the traditional path but is full of understanding and support is already the greatest fortune.
"Thank you, Evan. This conversation is very important to me. I never had the courage to talk so openly about these things with anyone before."
Evan smiled and responded, "Actually, I can relate to that as well. Most of the time, people are unwilling to listen or understand our perspectives. I'm grateful that we have the opportunity to truly understand each other."
They sat side by side, gazing through the window at the colorful neon lights and bustling pedestrians outside, feeling an indescribable sense of comfort. It was a spiritual connection, a feeling that only arises when one meets someone truly like-minded.
Comment 0 Comment Count