Chapter 173
Ellie tossed aside her blanket and got out of bed. Her eyes were red, and she spoke with a catch, “When I was little, you gave me a piece of candy. I could be happy for days.”
“You spun me around in the yard and let me hide in your blanket whenever I felt homesick. I thought that was what it meant to care and happiness!” Ellie said.
Alex got up, threw the blanket over Ellie, and said, “If you felt happy, why did you leave the Warren family back then?”
Ellie gave Alex a hard shove. He didn’t move an inch, but she stumbled back two steps. Tears of anger filled her eyes as she shouted, “Because you’re a man who was already engaged, you have someone you need to protect!”
Ellie replied, “I’m not a child who can be comforted by just one piece of candy anymore. I’ll find someone who truly cherishes me!”
Alex stared at Ellie, his frustration boiling over. “If you’re so eager to cut ties with me, why did you return to the Warren family anyway?”
All the bottled–up frustration and grievances exploded at that moment. “If you hadn’t pushed me into a corner because of Haley, I wouldn’t have considered seeking your parents‘ protection and agreeing to this relationship. It’s all your fault!”
Ellie slowly crouched down, burying her head in her hands and sobbing uncontrollably.
Alex slowly squatted down beside Ellie, watching as she suddenly broke down. He just watched her cry, feeling like something was stuck in his chest–heavy, suffocating, and painful.
After an unknown amount of time, Alex finally spoke quietly, “As long as you follow what I say, no one will ever push you again, I promise.”
Ellie looked at Alex with her tear–stained eyes and shook her head firmly. “You’re lying!”
Alex said, “As long as you behave like you used to, I can make it happen!”
“You can’t do it! Ellie exclaimed, standing up abruptly, with Alex getting up as well. They stood by the bed. Ellie threw off the blanket with a mess of hair. Her eyes were red from crying, looking utterly distraught.
Ellie lifted her head, looked into Alex’s eyes, and said with tears, “In your mind, my life is worth less than dirt. I don’t even deserve respect and worse than Haley!”
Ellie said, “You made me watch you take Haley from my brother, and you gave me the snacks that Haley discarded!”
“You kicked me out of the car on a stormy night! In the cinema, you protected Haley and left, not caring about my safety! You knew I couldn’t swim, yet you pushed me into the river to vent for Haley!”
“Do you know what Haley did to me in Ameria?” The thought of those unbearable six months brought Ellie to tears. “Haley hired thugs to beat me up in the street, almost ruining my face!”
Ellie said, “For half a year, I lived with a hat, sunglasses, and mask, only daring to remove the mask to eat in hidden corners while being pointed at and laughed at.
“And you never cared about me for even a moment, yet you force me to clear Haley’s name!
“You look down on me and think I owe the Warren family, so you insult me and oppress me without any restraint, even going so far as to get physical with my dad!”
“Ellie!” Alex’s eyes were bloodshot as he held back his emotions and called Ellie’s name while moving closer. Ellie stood firm but then stepped back to avoid him. The room fell into a sudden silence.
Ellie said, “To you, I’m nothing more than a cheap weed, while Haley is your beloved rose. You cradle Haley in your hands, yet you push me into the mud!
