At this point, he paused briefly before continuing, "It was that tiny bit of hope that kept me holding on. I always felt that because she had never loved anyone or married anyone else, I still had a chance."
"Now I realize that this was a complete fool's thought. All that silent guarding, it's like making wedding clothes for others at my expense. I should have pursued her persistently, maybe then I would have had a chance, instead of now, having lost before even making a move."
As he spoke, his tone became increasingly irritated.
"When my grandfather wanted to acknowledge her as his granddaughter, I stopped him. I told him to let me win her first. If I succeeded, she wouldn't be his granddaughter but his granddaughter-in-law instead. My grandfather agreed readily."
"That's why all these years, he only said that he had a granddaughter to outsiders, but you all never saw her."
