Chapter 3Bald Before the Altar

Chelsea pouted, claiming she wanted to apologize to me.

"Lena, I really didn't mean to humiliate you. I'll even cut my own hair as an apology…."

Her eyes were red, her expression sincere.

I chuckled softly. "Alright, then go ahead."

Chelsea's expression froze instantly.

"As long as you don't fight with Roman and hurt your relationship because of me, I'll do anything…"

She looked on the verge of tears.

Yet the scissors in her hand remained still.

Her pitiful demeanor clearly tugged at Roman’s heartstrings.

He immediately shot me a glare, as if I were a mortal enemy. "Lena, whatever your issue is, take it out on me!"

"Chelsea is my sister; we grew up together. Are you, as my partner, deliberately trying to embarrass her?"

I stopped abruptly, a faint pang of pain in my chest.

Sure enough, Chelsea was his eternal favorite, the one he would always protect.

I forced a bitter smile and stood up to leave.

From behind me, Roman’s angry voice cut through the air. "It's just a bit of hair! If you want to storm off, go ahead, no one's putting up with your crappy attitude!"

He’d forgotten, apparently.

Before I met Roman, I’d always kept my hair in a neat, short style.

It was his casual remark, "I want to see you walk down the aisle with long, flowing hair," that changed everything.

I had grown out my hair, meticulously caring for it, wanting to look my absolute best when I married him.

Now, it was all ruined.

Laughter and joyous chatter drifted through the closed door.

I should have been crying in pain, feeling depressed and shattered.

Like countless times before, when Roman’s coldness had left me choking with agony, trembling and unable to breathe.

But now, I felt not a speck of sadness.

I raised a hand to my face, but there was no coldness, no tears.

And in that moment, I was finally freed from this self-made prison of a relationship.

I pulled out my phone, intending to call a cab home.

But then I saw a message from my professor.

Once again, he was trying to persuade me to join the national scientific expedition team.

I'd actually received this invitation last year.

But I'd turned it down.

Because joining meant at least three years of constant travel, and I couldn't bear to be apart from Roman.

When he learned my reason, my professor had been furious. "Men won't be moved by you giving up your career for them, Lena. They'll just think you're easier to manipulate! You'll regret it!"

At the time, I was confident in my choice.

I believed in Roman’s love, and all I wanted was a simple, happy life with him.

Who knew his words would prove prophetic, leaving me utterly humiliated?

So this time, I wouldn't make the wrong choice again.

When my professor on the other end of the line heard I'd agreed to join the expedition team, he immediately sent over the relevant documents.

He even called specifically to remind me to expedite the paperwork. "The expedition team is officially departing in half a month. Will you have enough time for everything?"

I smiled into the phone. "I won't hold up the main group."

That was enough time to cancel a wedding.