Novel Update
Chapter 497
Lucas's eyes dropped as he confessed, "I've been keeping something from you. I didn't go through with the abortion, but I had my reasons, reasons I couldn't avoid."
Chloe's expression stayed steady. "You don't need to explain about the child. After all, the child is innocent. I don't want to make things worse; I just hope that once the child is born, you both can step up as responsible parents."
A flicker of surprise flashed across Lucas's eyes. "So, does this mean you've forgiven me about the child?"
Chloe couldn't help but chuckle. "Lucas, given the mess we're in right now, is forgiveness even on the table?"
"Chloe, are you saying we can't even be friends anymore?"
Chloe looked at him with a hint of sarcasm. "Of course not. If I were to be friends with someone who lies as easily as breathing and has betrayed me over and over, then all the tears I've shed and the struggles I've faced would be for nothing."
Lucas's face fell, slowly losing its brightness.
"It's fine if you can't forgive me, Chloe. I just want you to know that marrying Linda wasn't out of love; I was pressured into it. I don't have any feelings for her. You're the only one who matters to me."
Chloe looked at him, amused. "Lucas, are you out of your mind? Weren't you the one who once said Linda was the only one for you? If you'd stuck to your guns, I might have still respected you as someone with principles. But now, with Linda expecting your child in just a couple of months, you show up with this? Even calling it shameless feels like an understatement."
Lucas felt the sting of Chloe's words, his humiliation complete.
The contempt and disdain in Chloe's eyes cut deep.
But he didn't blow up like he might have in the past.
He looked utterly defeated, like a wilted plant. "I know you look down on me, you always did, and even more so now."
He raised his eyes to Chloe, looking lost. "But Chloe, everything I've said today is from the heart."
Lucas went on, "For years, I've felt like I'm living in your shadow. You've always been brilliant, like a shining star, drawing everyone's attention. You might not believe it, but I've always felt overshadowed by you, like I'm not good enough."
"Even when we dated in college, I was terrified of losing you. I was constantly scared you'd meet someone better. Linda managed to drive a wedge between us with just some diary entries, and I didn't even have the guts to talk to you about it." Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
Lucas's eyes were filled with regret. "That's the biggest mistake of my life."
Chloe stayed unfazed. "Why are you telling me all this now?"
Lucas clutched Chloe's hand, desperate. "That's why I want to be brave for once, to be honest with you. Chloe, we've known each other since we were kids, twenty years together. How many chances do we get like that in life?"
"I can't believe you feel nothing for me now. Give me a year, no, just three months. Three months is all I need. I'll divorce Linda and sever all ties with her."
Lucas dropped to his knees.
His forehead rested on the hand he held. "Please, don't be mad at me anymore. Come back to me, please. I love you, Chloe. Only now do I realize just how much. You've been in my thoughts day and night."