Chapter 11
If I hadn’t looked it up online and seen that Burnett Group was still thriving, I might’ve believed he’d gone broke out of nowhere.
He rented the room right next to mine at the guesthouse and just wouldn’t give up.
Every morning, he went out and brought back breakfast, leaving it at my door without saying a word.
When I went for walks, he’d follow quietly a few steps behind.
I was writing while he worked on his laptop at the table next to mine.
Each day, he left some surprises–sometimes a new book by my favorite author, other times tickets to shows or con- certs nearby.
The guesthouse doesn’t have good soundproofing, so I often hear him quietly on conference calls late at night.
Other long–term guests would often talk about us, but I stayed calm. Their words were like pebbles thrown into a deep lake–there were no ripples in my heart.
Even Gary was confused as to why I couldn’t let go.
Everyone says a man who makes it right after messing up is worth holding onto–especially one who’s rich, attractive, and seems devoted.
But they don’t know the whole story.
It wasn’t just the infidelity. It was the crushing feeling of being abandoned when I needed him most.
I’ll never forget in my past life when I fell down the stairs, and he had a chance to save me and our baby.
But he was scared of trouble, so he dragged Nelly away and made up a story to make everyone believe I was home alone and just slipped.
I also can’t forget how my family, seeing him so sad at the funeral, took his money and gave up looking into what re- ally happened to me.
Now that I’ve been given a second chance, I won’t let myself mess up the same way again.
When he gave me more expensive gifts and flowers one day, I tossed them in the trash and looked at him straight on.
“Fred, what do you really want? Just be straight with me. We’re both busy–there’s no point wasting time like this.”
His eyes glowed with hope as he said, “Tania, I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness. It was my pride and stubborn- ness that made me misunderstand and I didn’t appreciate you. I know you have your pride, but I’m asking for one more chance.”
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Chapter 11
I simply smiled and said, “The way things ended today? That’s due to the choices you made back then, Fred.”
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“I regret it!” he exclaimed. For the first time, I saw him so thrown off that he didn’t know what to do. He grabbed my hand tightly like he was drifting in zero gravity.
“I ignored my feelings. I never saw how much you meant to me. All this time, I just waited to see if you’d fight or cause trouble. Now, I truly regret it!”
He added, “Nelly and I are done. If you don’t believe me, I’ll have her tell you herself.”
I already knew. The entertainment headlines lately had been all over the scandal–Nelly was attacked by a sponsor’s wife on set and ended up disfigured.
Her clean, innocent image took a huge hit, and the official media labeled her as a problematic actress. It looks like she won’t be able to make a comeback, and she’ll probably have to pay big fines to brands and for the shows that never aired.
When I didn’t respond, his expression shifted. “Tania, what about your family? Your family has always leaned on me. What happens to them without my protection?”
I felt drained. “Why do you always push it this far? We’re divorced. I went through the pain and gave up the baby, so we could cut all ties.
“It’s over between us. Why do we have to drag it out like this? Can’t we just separate peacefully?
“Do you have to see me dead before you’re satisfied?”
Fred stared at me in disbelief. “So you’d rather die than be with me?”
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