Chapter 4

Julian dragged me into the car.

He drove fast, and from the moment we got in, he never once looked at me.

I, too, stared out the window, not uttering a single word.

The car pulled over in a deserted suburban area and finally stopped.

I thought I would finally get an explanation from him, even if it was a lie.

But Julian simply said:

"Clara, Briar is a good girl. I won't let this wedding happen, but not by destroying her reputation like this."

With that, Julian turned his head uncomfortably, rolled down the window, and lit a cigarette.

Having been with Julian for years, I knew his every move.

So, he was capable of guilt, after all.

What should I say?

Should I curse him, hit him, and then team up with him to stop Alex's wedding?

If none of this had happened,

maybe I would have swallowed my pride, doing everything I could to protect Alex first.

But now, I wasn't so willing.

"Julian, we're over."

I would stop this wedding, but I would do it my way.

The hand holding the cigarette trembled slightly.

The unfinished cigarette fell onto his white shirt, instantly burning a hole.

I rarely saw Julian so disheveled.

He turned, a look of helplessness on his face.

"So, what do I have to do for you to forgive me?"

Not everything can be forgiven.

At least for me, emotional betrayal is something I can never accept.

I gave him a sarcastic look for a long, long time.

Julian lowered his head and, feigning remorse, confessed everything.

"Briar was someone I met during our first cold war. Her gentle kindness always made me relax; she was like a drug that slowly got me addicted.

"But Clara, I never loved her. This time, I was forced to break up with her because she kept pressuring me to leave you."

My broken nails dug into my palm.

Yet, I felt no pain.

He meant that if Briar had been willing to remain a secret mistress forever,

Julian would have hidden her from me for a lifetime?

That thought.

It made all our beautiful moments together seem ridiculous.

I opened the car door.

"Julian, I won't forgive you, and I won't let Briar off the hook."

Since she was prepared to be the other woman, she should be prepared to face the consequences.

Julian narrowed his eyes, his face gradually hardening.

"So, you're still going after her?"

So, he was still going to protect her.

That day, Julian abandoned me and drove off alone.

In the middle of nowhere, as dusk began to fall,

he never came back for me.