hapter 5
Chapter 5
James’s mind reeled with memories–the countless moments when I had humbled myself before him, begging for his love.
He refused to believe I had left so suddenly, so decisively.
But the businessman seemed determined to crush his last shred of hope.
“A man like you–one who humiliates his lover in front of everyone, then walks away with another
woman.”
“If you ask me, that lady left far too late.”
“When you were with someone else, did you ever think about what she was going through? If I really had ill intentions tonight, do you think you’d even get news of her now?”
James’s anger momentarily gave way to shock.
He knew the man in front of him had no reason to lie in front of so many people.
And more importantly–I had still been in contact with him not long ago.
A chilling fear gripped him.
He regretted taking Lily to the hospital.
He had known she was faking it, yet he still went along with her act.
And as for me…
If he had known I would leave him like this, he would never have turned away, not for anyone.
The businessman watched James’s departing figure and suddenly thought of his own long–lost daughter.
If she were still alive, he would never let her suffer like this, never allow her to be with such a man.
But years ago, after his divorce, his ex–wife had taken their daughter and disappeared.
When he finally achieved success and wanted to find them-
All he received was the news of his daughter’s death.
He had never been able to accept it.
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So he ran from his past, burying himself in work, afraid to face the truth.
James rushed home, clinging to a final sliver of hope.
But when he arrived and saw that all of my belongings were gone-
Panic finally set in.
The canary he had kept in a gilded cage for two years had suddenly broken free.
And compared to a freed bird, the master’s withdrawal was far more unbearable.
He stared blankly at the bed.
Only then did he realize what he had done to me.
To make a point, I had laid out every expensive item he had ever bought me on the bed.
By the time I could face it all so calmly, it meant I had finally mustered the courage to leave.
I had not been ignorant of everything he had done.
I had simply refused to believe it.
I couldn’t believe that the man who had once saved me from my darkest days could be such a wretched
person.
I couldn’t believe that his feelings for me were driven more by lust than love.
I had known for a long time that James had only confessed to me because his friends had egged him on.
Back in my freshman year, I had been the department’s famed beauty and top student.
But due to my personality and family background, I had always kept a low profile, caring about nothing but my studies.
James’s friends had been curious–what kind of man could make someone like me fall?
And even more so-
Under James’s “guidance,” how far could my innocence be tainted?
He claimed he liked Lily because she was a blank slate.
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But he forgot-
Before him, 1, too, had been pure and unblemished.
I never minded why he had pursued me.
But that didn’t mean I didn’t care.
I left because I was disappointed.
And that night at the banquet?
That was merely the final straw.
James turned the entire house upside down, searching every corner, but there was no trace of me.
It finally hit him–I had truly left.
He collapsed onto the bed, running through every possible place I might have gone. Then, a flicker of light returned to his eyes–he suddenly remembered I had once mentioned wanting to stay at the school dorm
for a while.
At the university, James disregarded the strange looks from onlookers and stood beneath the girls‘ dormitory, shouting like a madman.
“Laura, I was wrong! Please, forgive me!”
“Laura, everything in the past was my fault! Come downstairs and let me explain!”
“Laura… Laura…”
Everyone at school knew we were together, but most saw me as nothing more than a pathetic, ever–available doormat.
His public outburst naturally attracted attention–especially from my best friend, Emily Lee.
She had seen everything between James and me from the very beginning. She knew exactly what kind of
man he was.
Watching him grovel now, Emily felt no sympathy–only pure disgust.
