---- With that, he turned and slammed the door shut, locking it with a loud bang. When that night finally ended, Mike slowly woke up. His eyes shifted from dazed confusion to icy coldness in an instant. He looked at me with cold eyes and said, "Shannon, I'll be responsible. I'll marry you." At that moment, my heart swelled with complicated emotions. I was secretly overjoyed by his promise, but also filled with anxiety over how it all began. I thought that maybe I was going to live a happy life, but reality turned out to be far crueler than I had imagined. One encounter at a gathering shattered my fragile hope like a bolt of lightning. Ihad unintentionally overheard him talking with a friend. ---- The friend's voice was tinged with disappointment and frustration. "Mike, man, don't you know how lucky you are? That girl, Shannon, she's got the looks, the figure, the money-and most importantly, she's head over heels for you. Just settle down with her already." Mike took a drag from his cigarette, a cold smile tugging at the corner of his lips. But that smile was sharp as a blade.