Chapter 125
Chapter 125
"Ms. Felix, your heart belongs to Shawn already. You just can't find a way to break up with Nicholas." Francesca's voice echoed in my ears. "Your love belongs to Shawn, so you can only reject Nicholas!"
Without a doubt, I had to make things clear with Nicholas, and I sighed, "But Shawn doesn't love me."
"You got it wrong, Ms. Felix!" She squeezed my hand, smiled gently, and said, "No man would do the things he did for a woman he doesn't care about. You're confused because you're stuck in the situation, making it difficult to see things clearly! But as an outsider, I can see what you can't. Especially for a man who looks nonchalant but insists on protecting you, his love for you is probably deeper than you think."
When I heard her encouragement, I couldn't help but hold a trace of hope in my heart as I asked, "So, why did he reject me? And he even wanted me to forget what happened between us last night."
She gazed at me with an intelligent glint in her eyes. "Have you considered that the problem lies with you?"
"Me?" I asked, taken aback.
"Nicholas is a typical macho man who holds tightly to his pride, whereas you… You have a scandal with Merlin, a history with Christopher, and Nicholas' ex-wife. In addition, you mentioned that he overheard your conversation with Nicholas last night…"
"He's jealous?" I asked hopefully.
A soft smile spread across her face as she made her guess. "You said that you gave in to the tenderness of your dream, and you love Shawn because he gave you that tenderness. However, did it occur to you that Shawn wants one faithful person, and there's only one woman for him? Did you ever think he's doing this because he's angry, helpless, and disappointed?" Then, after a short moment of hesitation, she added, "Maybe you've hurt him unintentionally, but you still expect him to return your feelings… and perhaps, he didn't agree to date you because he knew about your hesitation."
Her clear and logical analysis made me think that what she said was true, but this was just her guess, after all.
Despite that, she was right; Shawn wanted a faithful person, his one and only woman. As Kevin had told me before that the love Shawn wanted was forever, it suddenly dawned on me why he stayed away from me.
He was angry with me because I was indecisive, and I was mad at myself, too.
Just then, Nicholas sent me a text. 'I'm sorry I hurt you last night,' he wrote.
This was probably his regular self, and I replied, 'It's alright. That's not your fault.'
I couldn't bring myself to blame him anymore because he was the one who saved my life, but Shawn had protected me from the heavy snow before, too.
My life, which was supposed to be peaceful, had been in turmoil recently as I kept hovering between life and death, but fortunately, I was saved every time.
'Ree, I miss you.'
He said he missed me, and it seemed to contain countless grievances.
Instead of replying to him immediately, I thanked Francesca gratefully and drove away.
Back in my apartment, I hesitated for a long time with my phone in my hand before sending Nicholas a text. 'I'm sorry, but there's someone else in my heart now.'
Being the clever man he was, he must have understood my intentions and didn't reply to my messages anymore.
For the next three days, I stayed at home, taking my supplements diligently and brooding over what happened between Shawn and me.
Actually, there were very few memories between us, and it hadn't been many days since I realized my feelings for him.
Recently, I was very proactive and outspoken because I could no longer love a person as I did when I was a teenager—following him for nine years. What I wanted was real tenderness, but Shawn had rejected me without even giving me a reason.
While I was building up my anxiety at home, something happened to Francesca, and her assistant called me, asking me to make a trip to the hospital as soon as possible.
The weather at the end of September was a little chilly, but I rushed over wearing only some light
clothing, and when I arrived, Leon was there as well.
Surprised, I asked, "Why are you here?"
"To ask for forgiveness," he answered in a daze.
"And did she forgive you?" I asked curiously.
He shook his head. "She's firmly refusing to forgive me."
Fortunately, Francesca was merely feeling physical discomfort from anger, which wasn't a big deal, but the doctor said that it would cause some real threat to her life if she continued to be in this state during pregnancy.
I asked the doctor worriedly, "How long, at the most?"
"Two weeks, tops."
Leon was stunned when he heard the doctor's words and didn't dare to step into the ward at all. When I went into the ward, I saw Francesca looking out the window absentmindedly.
"Leon is outside the door," I gently informed.
"Yeah, tell him to go."
I sat beside her and said, "He wants your forgiveness."
"That's impossible," she answered firmly.
From the determined look on her face, I could tell that there was no room for negotiation, but just a few days ago, she admitted to me that she loved Leon.
"Will you tell me the reason?"
"Ms. Felix, while it's true that I love him, love isn't the only thing in life. There's also self-esteem, principles, bottom line, and self-love, and my self-esteem and principles told me that I can't forgive him." Then, she tilted to look at me and said, "Unlike you, I can't give in to his sudden change in attitude and forgive the wounds from the past. Ms. Felix, if I could forgive these wounds I suffered, don't you think that all the suffering and pain I endured in the past would be a joke?"
I was flustered and quickly answered, "You're right."
What she said was true; love wasn't the only thing in life. There was also our self-esteem and our bottom line, the things that we couldn't and shouldn't compromise.
Since Leon hod crushed her self-esteem, she could never forgive him, but my heort softened for Nicholos before.
Suddenly, I reolized thot Froncesco wos the one who loved the deepest ond olso the only one who sow everything for it wos.
I left the hospitol in relief, knowing in my heort thot my post wos now behind me, ond there wos nothing I could do obout Shown.
I couldn't move him, nor could I pour my heort out to him onymore.
Suddenly, I recolled the things he soid to me in the villo some time ogo thot he wonted me to be occountoble for the feelings in my heort. The whole time, he hod been teoching me how to be foithful.
I took o deep breoth ond wos obout to leove when I sow o mon smoking with his heod honging in the porking lot, ond I stopped. While I wos wondering why he wos there, I heord Kevin's voice coming from behind. "Myro, why ore you ot the hospitol, too?"
Surprised, I gosped, "Kev!" Then, when I sow the bruises on his foce, I osked in concern, "Why ore you hurt?"
He smirked os he onswered, "No biggie, I hod o fight with someone in the bor ond hoppened to run into Sunny on o business tolk ot the some ploce. So, I got him to send me here to get my wounds dressed." Then, he guided me by my shoulders toword Shown ond soid curiously, "Recently, Sunny hos been very kind. He ogreed to send me here personolly, ond I thought only you received this speciol treotment."
However, I thought, I'm not onyone speciol to him, onywoy.
After Kevin colled out to Shown, I greeted him politely os well with my eyes on the floor, which surprised Kevin, ond he potted my shoulder, osking, "We're o fomily. Why ore you so uptight?"
I didn't onswer him, ond Shown nodded in ocknowledgment. Then, I pointed to the cor next to his sports cor ond soid onxiously, "Thot's my cor. I still hove something on. I'll see you guys next time."
However, Kevin spoke up ond storted moking orrongements for us, "It's olmost noon. Let's cotch lunch
together since we hove never hod o meol together."
However, I quickly turned him down. "I hove something to do ot the compony."
I opened the cor door colmly ond got in when I heord Kevin soy in confusion, "Myro is ovoiding you, Sunny."
Speechless, I wonted to soy something perfunctory, but Shown suddenly opened his mouth ond osked breezily, "Are you ovoiding me, Myro?"
I looked ot him, stunned os I wondered, Whot did he meon by this?!
He wos the one who hod rejected me, but he wos soying such ombiguous things now. So, I looked owoy, pursed my lips, ond onswered, "No, I'm not."
As I hodn't seen him for o few doys, I missed him, but it wos difficult for us to get closer ofter thot.
He hod excluded me from his world, ond I promised him thot doy thot I wouldn't pester him onymore. Thot soid, I couldn't bring myself to toke the initiotive without shome ogoin.
"Myro, there's no need to oct so unfomiliorly between us."
Since Leon had crushed her self-esteem, she could never forgive him, but my heart softened for Nicholas before.
Suddenly, I realized that Francesca was the one who loved the deepest and also the only one who saw
everything for it was.
I left the hospital in relief, knowing in my heart that my past was now behind me, and there was nothing I could do about Shawn.
I couldn't move him, nor could I pour my heart out to him anymore.
Suddenly, I recalled the things he said to me in the villa some time ago that he wanted me to be accountable for the feelings in my heart. The whole time, he had been teaching me how to be faithful.
I took a deep breath and was about to leave when I saw a man smoking with his head hanging in the parking lot, and I stopped. While I was wondering why he was there, I heard Kevin's voice coming from behind. "Myra, why are you at the hospital, too?"
Surprised, I gasped, "Kev!" Then, when I saw the bruises on his face, I asked in concern, "Why are you hurt?"
He smirked as he answered, "No biggie, I had a fight with someone in the bar and happened to run into Sunny on a business talk at the same place. So, I got him to send me here to get my wounds dressed." Then, he guided me by my shoulders toward Shawn and said curiously, "Recently, Sunny has been very kind. He agreed to send me here personally, and I thought only you received this special treatment."
However, I thought, I'm not anyone special to him, anyway.
After Kevin called out to Shawn, I greeted him politely as well with my eyes on the floor, which surprised Kevin, and he patted my shoulder, asking, "We're a family. Why are you so uptight?" NôvelDrama.Org: text © owner.
I didn't answer him, and Shawn nodded in acknowledgment. Then, I pointed to the car next to his sports car and said anxiously, "That's my car. I still have something on. I'll see you guys next time."
However, Kevin spoke up and started making arrangements for us, "It's almost noon. Let's catch lunch together since we have never had a meal together."
However, I quickly turned him down. "I have something to do at the company."
I opened the car door calmly and got in when I heard Kevin say in confusion, "Myra is avoiding you, Sunny."
Speechless, I wanted to say something perfunctory, but Shawn suddenly opened his mouth and asked breezily, "Are you avoiding me, Myra?"
I looked at him, stunned as I wondered, What did he mean by this?!
He was the one who had rejected me, but he was saying such ambiguous things now. So, I looked away, pursed my lips, and answered, "No, I'm not."
As I hadn't seen him for a few days, I missed him, but it was difficult for us to get closer after that.
He had excluded me from his world, and I promised him that day that I wouldn't pester him anymore. That said, I couldn't bring myself to take the initiative without shame again.
"Myra, there's no need to act so unfamiliarly between us."