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I frowned. “I haven’t.”
But Julian wasn’t letting me off the hook. His gaze was sharp as a knife, scrutinizing my evasive expression.“Oh, really? You’ve been go out early and come back late every day, and when you see me, you don’t even say hello before you leave. Isn’t that just avoiding me?”
He paused, pressing on, “Why? Is it because I’m with Olivia
now?”
I shook my head vehemently.“No! Uncle, you can be with the
person you like, and as your junior, I’m genuinely happy for you. I sincerely wish you both a happy ending.”
“I used to be young and naive, unable to distinguish between familial love and romantic love. But now that I’ve grown up, I know the difference. Don’t worry, I won’t cling to you
anymore.”
My tone was calm, factual, but Julian’s expression darkened. The idea that I didn’t like him was probably the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard.
His voice rose a notch.“So, you’re trying a new tactic to get my
attention?”
As he spoke, he studied my face, and when he saw my momentary shock, he became even more convinced of his truth. He stepped closer, and upon noticing the box in my arms, his
tone turned even colder.
“You say you don’t love me anymore, yet you wrote me all these love letters, and you take pictures of me every day? After all these years of relentless pursuit, you think saying you don’t like
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me is enough to make it true?”
“Jane, don’t you find what you’re saying laughable?”
I silently gazed at the man in front of me. How could I not know how absurd those words sounded? After all, the story of the boy who cried wolf had been told so many times that no one would believe it anymore. But those absurd words were the truth.
My voice carried a hint of determination, “Uncle, I’m telling the truth. I’ve let go of my feelings for you.”
With that, I tossed the box of letters and photos into the fire pit right in front of Julian and set them ablaze. As the ashes swirled, Julian’s expression didn’t soften; it only grew darker.
Just when I began to doubt my own perception, Julian’s icy voice pierced my ears, “Keep pretending, Jane. Remember, no matter what you do, Olivia is the only one I want.”
After that day, Julian and I didn’t speak again. I had nothing to say, and he thought I was just playing hard to get, ignoring me completely. The tension lasted until the family banquet at the Parker household.
In the past, I’d been the one who received the most affection from the Parker family, always surrounded by their warmth and concern. Now, all their affection had shifted to Olivia. In just one morning, I saw how much the Parker family adored her.
As soon as Olivia walked in, Julian’s mother, Eleanor eagerly draped the family heirloom, a jade pendant, around her neck. A pendant I’d never even seen in my previous life.
Once the banquet began, the Parker family enthusiastically discussed the wedding date for the couple, and the event concluded with the date being set. Just as I was about to leave with Julian, Eleanor suddenly called me over, saying she needed
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to discuss something private. I followed her into the study, and as soon as the door closed, she got straight to the point.“Jane, leave Julian.”
“He and Olivia are about to get married. What are you still doing here? All you’re doing is causing trouble for Julian and humiliating yourself.”
Eleanor’s voice was as cold as ice, showing no hint of fondness for me. A pang of bitterness struck me. Eleanor used to like me a lot, but that affection vanished the day I confessed my feelings for Julian. Everyone said I was ridiculous, scolding me for my shameful actions…
I clenched my fists, my skin, bringing waves of pain.
“Don’t worry, I’ll leave.”
After saying that, I pulled out the immigration documents from my bag and handed them to Julian’s mother.“I’m leaving for Europe soon. My aunt found me a fiancee. I’ll stay far away from Julian, and I won’t bother him again.”
Eleanor took the immigration documents from my hands, scrutinizing them before her expression softened slightly, though her tone remained harsh, “You better mean what you
say.”
It wasn’t until she left that I finally relaxed my tense nerves, feeling utterly drained as I slumped into the chair.
After putting the documents back in my bag, I stood up to leave, only to find myself locking eyes with Julian, who was standing
at the door.
“Who are you trying to stay away from?”
My mind went blank in an instant. I didn’t know how much he’d
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overheard, but I instinctively hid the fact I was leaving the
country.
So I took a deep breath and shook my head.“Nothing. You must have misheard.”
With that, I turned to leave, but Julian’s voice suddenly reached
my ears.
“I know you don’t want to go abroad. Once Olivia and I are
married, you don’t have to move out. Your father and I were
friends. I can support you for the rest of your life.”
The moment those words left his mouth, my eyes widened in shock, disbelief flooding my expression. Olivia, who had come looking for Julian, froze in place, her face turning pale. It wasn’t until her resentful gaze fell on me that I snapped back to reality and hurriedly left.
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