Chapter 45
Selene’s petty tricks were ruthlessly exposed by my words. Her face turned sour, but she still tried to maintain her superior demeanor. “Are you convinced that Logan and I have something going on?”
Did she really need anyone else’s confirmation? Didn’t she know full well what she had done?
Still, my good upbringing held me back from saying anything too harsh.
Selene’s eyes reddened as she spoke again. “I didn’t expect people to have such filthy and sordid
thoughts these days.”
Look at her, trying to paint herself as noble.
“Elaine, Logan is a good man. If you can’t even trust him, you don’t deserve him,” she said, making her intentions crystal clear. She wasn’t being subtle–she was asserting that I didn’t deserve Logan.
I remained silent, watching her ridiculous performance.
Sure enough, she wiped away her nonexistent tears and asked, “Elaine, are you really not going to cherish Logan anymore?”
I
This woman was setting a trap for me, but did she really think I was that naive?
I sneered. “If I say I’m giving him up, will you conveniently say that you happen to want him?”
Selene’s expression stiffened. Her lips pressed tightly together, her face perfectly portraying fragility and beauty.
But I wasn’t a man. Otherwise, her delicate act might have worked.
“Logan deserves to be cherished,” she finally said, revealing her true intentions.
I lowered my gaze, glancing at her still–flat belly and then at the flat shoes she was wearing. “It seems you really want to cherish him. But do you think you deserve him?”
Selene’s face turned pale, and her hands clenched the hem of her shirt tightly.
“Selene, let me remind you,” I continued, my voice calm but firm. “Even if Logan and I don’t end up together, it won’t be easy for you to enter the Mercer family. You should know why.”
I wasn’t trying to strike her down, just wake her up to reality.
Tessa and Ethan might accept that Logan wouldn’t marry me, but they would never allow a woman pregnant with another man’s child to join their family. Unless, of course, the child wasn’t someone else’s.
Selene was silent, her plans unraveling with my words. Seeing her stunned expression, I picked up my bag and left.
I didn’t go to the Mercer estate right away. Instead, I went to Nora’s place.
Since getting off the plane, I hadn’t even had time to change my clothes. I didn’t want to appear in a disheveled state and give Logan‘ parents the impression that I was living miserably–it would only make leaving the Mercers harder.
Nora, who worked night shifts, was asleep when I arrived. She was surprised to see me.
“Why are you back so suddenly? You didn’t even say a word,” she said, rubbing her eyes groggily.
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I knew she had been busy. It was a peak period for childbirth.
Manu
With advanced technology, people now planned their babies. It was said that children born in spring or summer, when everything was thriving, were smarter and more beautiful.
“I arrived yesterday,” I explained as I took off my shoes and walked barefoot into her living room. “I had to handle some issues at the amusement park, so I didn’t tell you.”
“Workaholic,” Nora teased, though she was just as much of one herself.
I sat down on the couch, picked up a fresh orange from the table, and began peeling it. I handed half to Nora and popped the other half into my mouth.
Staying up late wasn’t unusual for me, but no matter how much water I drank, it always left me feeling parched.
“Did you come back alone?” Nora asked, her tone hinting at something unspoken.
I smiled knowingly. “Of course.”
“What about your romantic encounter?” Nora asked, handing me a glass of water.
I drank more than half the glass of water before answering. “He left early.”
“What?” Nora, sitting cross–legged across from me, leaned forward curiously.
“I rejected him, so he left. Apparently, he went back to work. That’s all,” I said flatly, making Nora
pause.
“He left? Didn’t he try a little harder?” she asked, shaking her head in disbelief..
“This guy’s determination isn’t strong enough,” she commented.
I smiled faintly. “He knows when to advance and retreat. He’s not the clingy type.” My mind drifted briefly to Ashton’s calm yet rugged demeanor.
Nora tilted her head, studying me. “If he had tried harder to pursue you, would you have…”
“No,” I interrupted firmly. “I wouldn’t use one person to heal the wounds inflicted by another.”
Nora sighed knowingly. “As expected, no one can easily replace Logan.”
I smiled faintly but didn’t respond immediately. Instead, I said, “Logan agreed to break up with me.”
Nora froze, her expression stunned.
I set the glass down and continued, “I’m here to take a shower, change clothes, and then go to the Mercer estate. I need to explain things to Logan‘ parents. After that, we’re done for good.”
As I spoke, I lowered my head. It wasn’t relief or reluctance that I felt–it was an indescribable mix of e
motions.
Ten years. What I was giving up wasn’t just my love for Logan but also a decade of my youth, along with all the hopes and dreams I had tied to that love.
Nora seemed to sense my mood. She stretched her legs out and nudged my foot lightly. “Break up and move on. Out with the old, in with the new.”
I laughed softly. “Yes. Out with the old, in with the new.”
With that, I stood up. I’m going to take a shower.”
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As I turned on the shower, water sprayed down, and I closed my eyes. The steady stream flowed down my hair, across my forehead, and over my cheeks, washing away the heaviness clinging to me
