A stage assistant handed her a velvet envelope.
"The votes are in, and without further ado...this year's Most Romantic Couple of San Antonio is none other than—-"
Charlee-Mae opened the envelope with a flourish.
"Mr. and Mrs. Ryu Harcourt."
Most Romantic Couple
THE LIVE CAM IMMEDIATELYpanned to the recipients of the award, and Charlee-Mae felt like aww-ing with the rest of the audience.
It was only two years ago that Ryu Harcourt had bought a ranch in Evergreen, Texas, and the mystery surrounding his past had only whetted the appetite of every single lady in San Antonio.
Charlee-Mae could still remember how all the women had vied for his attention like crazy. But it was all for naught, with the billionaire taking the city by surprise when he made the incredibly ladylike Summerine his bride.
And if rumors were to be believed, theirs was also a whirlwind romance much like Charlee-Mae and Philippe's, with Ryu supposedly taking one look at the girl and falling head over heels.
How romantique!
Charlee-Mae was not the only one smitten with the young couple. All the other guests looked ready to swoon as they watched Ryu offer his arm to his young wife. Watching the couple smile so gently at each other was reminiscent of a knight and his dainty and delicate princess, with Ryu looking his usual tall, dark, and dashing self, and his twenty-year-old wife just so wonderfully demure...that no one would guess how Summerine was internally struggling with the worst case of impostor's syndrome.
How could she and Ryu win this year's Most Romantic Couple when they were on the brink of divorce?
It was a rather long walk to the stage, made worse by Inner Troll doing what it did best—-
(Are you sure about divorcing him?)
And that was to either taunt or confuse her, whichever was likely to make her feel worse.
(What will you do if he does let you go?)
(Do you even know how to earn a living?)
(Why don't you just pretend you don't know anything?)
Summerine was relieved when they finally made it on stage, and she had a valid reason to shove Inner Troll back into the closet.
