Christopher glanced at me, his smile calm and unshaken.
“If there’s no one else,” he said lightly, “then let’s drop this subject altogether.”
“Everyone needs a legally recognized partner in life. If I have to choose, I want it to be you–now and forever.”
I sighed deeply. There was no reasoning with him.
“You’re toying with Evelyn’s feelings,” I said bluntly, unable to hide
my
frustration.
“When have I ever toyed with anyone’s feelings?” Christopher’s tone remained even. “She came from nothing, and I gave her wealth, security, and everything she could ever dream
of.”
“I even created the kind of romance she wanted.”
“In this relationship, I’ve given my time, my energy, and my sincerity.”
“Every time, I’ve been serious.””
“As for the rest, if she’s smart, she’ll understand.”
I understood. But that didn’t mean everyone else would.
My childhood was spent abroad, watching my father surrounded by countless lovers- both men and women.
It became normal for me to see relationships angled and messy.
I hated it.
Love Load about
14:28 Wed, Feb 5 tie.
BK9 68%
*
I longed for the kind of love I read about in books: two people, committed to each other for life, growing old hand in hand.
But I knew that wasn’t realistic.
My older brother had once jokingly said something crude: “If a rich man isn’t cheating, it’s because he’s either ugly or broke.”
In elite families like ours, the idea of staying loyal to one person forever was laughable.
I met Christopher Gray when I was seventeen. By eighteen, my family had arranged for us to marry, signing a contract that tied our fates together.
I didn’t object.
After all, if I had to marry for the sake of family alliances, wasn’t it a blessing that my match happened to be someone as devastatingly handsome as Christopher?
Later, I returned to this city to attend college and started living a quiet, almost reclusive life.
I avoided parties, social events, and all the performative aspects of being a public figure.
I hated being in the spotlight, hated the empty conversations of charity galas and the superficial smiles that came with them.
Instead, I spent my time watching TV shows, reading novels, and working on my art.
Christopher would visit me occasionally.
We’d cook together, share meals, and talk about mundane things. Sometimes, he’d stay overnight, but he always slept in the guest room while I stayed in the master bedroom.
It was a peaceful, uneventful existence.
But tonight’s dinner didn’t go the way it usually did.
Just as we set the food on the table, a loud knock echoed through the apartment.
14
2x 681
I thought it might be the building manager, but when I opened the door, Evelyn stood there, her face pale and stormy.
The woman who had become the envy of everyone–rumored to have it all, both love and money–looked anything but glamorous now.
The moment she saw me, she raised her hand to slap me.
I caught her wrist mid–air.
I’d trained in self–defense and taekwondo; dealing with someone like her was hardly a challenge.
“Are you here to see Christopher?” I asked calmly.
Her eyes immediately filled with tears, and her voice trembled as she pointed at me, shouting:
“Hannah, do you have no shame? Stealing someone else’s boyfriend?”
Her anger was so intense she could barely form a coherent sentence.
I reached into the shoe cabinet, pulling out a pair of spare slippers.
“If you’re here, you might as well join us for dinner,” I said with a small smile. “Christopher’s braised pork is pretty good.”
Before she could respond, Christopher grabbed the slippers from my hand and tossed them back into the cabinet.
Instantly, his expression hardened, his charming demeanor vanishing.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded coldly, his voice sharp and unyielding.
“Go home,” he ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Don’t make me say it again.”
Evelyn’s beautiful eyes brimmed with tears, glistening so heartbreakingly that even I felt a pang of discomfort just looking at her.
14:28 Wed, Feb 5
<
Christopher would never love me. He couldn’t
All his grand displays of affection were for Evelyn–or perhaps shared among others.
Maybe that’s why I never let myself fall for him.
Because when I looked at Christopher and Evelyn, I could stay detached, calm, and unaffected.
Like watching a TV drama:
No matter how gripping the plot was, I was just an outsider.
Christopher’s expression darkened slightly.
I guessed he hadn’t expected Evelyn, the naive girl he’d pampered for over a year, to storm in like this, catching him off guard.
If anything, I should’ve felt awkward, embarrassed, maybe even ashamed. After all, I was the one caught in the middle of this mess.
But Evelyn wasn’t ready to leave.
For the past year and a half, Christopher had chased her relentlessly, making her believe she was his one and only.
To Evelyn, she wasn’t just his priority–she was irreplaceable, the center of his world.
And now, discovering that the man who worshipped her might care about someone else? It shattered everything.
“Chris,” Evelyn choked out, pointing at me in anger. “Tell me, who is she to you?”
“Do you think I don’t know?”
“She’s just your little pet, isn’t she? A goldfinch you keep in a cage.”
Her voice cracked as she continued, “You said you loved me. Your sald I was the only one for you.”
14:28 Wed, Feb 5 tim
<
Christopher grabbed her arm and dragged her out into the hallway, his face cold.
I quietly shut the door.
68%
I didn’t pay for VIP access to this drama, so I had no interest in hearing or seeing what
came next.
I assumed Christopher would leave with Evelyn.
After all, everyone said he loved her desperately, passionately, with the kind of devotion
that could move mountains.
But about thirty minutes later, Christopher returned.
He walked in to find me sitting cross–legged on the couch, eating dinner and laughing at
some sitcom on TV.
His expression darkened as he scolded, “Hannah, can’t you be a little more careful?”
I blinked at him, confused. “Careful about what?”
He ignored me, grabbed a bottle of red wine, and poured himself a glass.
I shook my head.
