Chapter 7
“You….”
Before I could finish, Seth shifted slightly, stepping in front of me like a barrier. His voice was calm, steady, yet sharp enough to slice through the tense atmosphere.
“There may be some misunderstandings between you two,” he said, his words measured but firm. “But Mr. Gonzalez, this is my home now. Sylvia and I are already legally married and tonight happens to be our wedding night.”
With a dismissive wave of his hand, he added, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll have to ask you to leave. Goodbye.”
His words were not just a dismissal; they were a declaration. Even though
composed, his tone carried a quiet
protectiveness that left Darrel visibly embarrassed.
Seth was not merely ending the
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conversation, he was standing by my side.
Darrel‘ s face twisted with dissatisfaction, his pride wounded. He straightened his posture, adopting the air of someone accustomed to authority. His tone dripped with resentment.
“All this is because of you,” he spat. “If I hadn’t wanted to help Ashley break off your engagement, why would I have gotten engaged to her first?
“And now, you dare to force Sylvia to marry you? How can someone from the richest family stoop to such dirty tactics?”
Each word was harsher than the last, his rudeness cutting through the room. Though his tirade was not directed at me, I could not help but bristle with anger.
“How dare you!” I finally snapped. “It was you who betrayed me….”
Before I could finish, Seth’s hand
clenched and his phone hit the ground
with a thunderous crash. The noise echoed
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sharply, silencing the room.
His eyes locked on Darrel as he spoke, his tone icy and resolute. “Please understand, Mr. Gonzalez, you and my wife only shared a casual relationship for a few years. Why should I care?
“Even if you had been engaged before, it wouldn’t matter. Sylvia and I are a legal couple now. It is not your place to interfere or point fingers here.”
He turned to his staff, his command short and decisive. “Escort him out.”
Darrel’s fury flared as he resisted, clutching my arm with desperation. “Sylvia, say something! This is all a misunderstanding. You married him on impulse. I’m here now, to pick you up.
“Come with me and we’ll continue the wedding we’ve been planning for eight years. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?”
His words hit me like a gust of cold wind.
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He knew exactly where to strike, using my deepest hopes and the years I had spent waiting for him.
But the sting of his betrayal still echoed in my mind. Once he said, “Since you can wait eight years, you can wait a little
longer,” I had already drawn the final line between us.
I met his gaze with calm indifference, my voice soft but resolute. “I don‘ t want to.”
I stepped back, standing behind Seth and silently watched as the bodyguards moved toward Darrel.
“No, Sylvia!” Darrel suddenly lunged forward, his face contorted with disbelief.
His voice cracked with desperation. “Why, Sylvia? Why are you doing this to me? Is it because I got engaged to Ashley? Are you really throwing away our eight years for something so trivial?”
At his words, I could not help but laugh,
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It was not a joyful laugh but one of disbelief, a release of all the bitterness I had kept bottled up. My lips curled into a wry smile.
“Trivial? Darrel, you‘ re truly cruel.” My voice trembled slightly, but my eyes didn’t waver. “Do you even realize how many years I spent waiting for you to get engaged to me? Eight years of my youth, standing by you as you went from nothing to being hailed as Mr. Gonzalez.”
“But what about Ashley? She only stayed by your side for a year and somehow, she replaced me. She surpassed me in your heart. How can I let that go?”
I stepped closer, each word cutting deeper.
“And now, with just one sentence, you think I’ll go with you? On what basis, Darrel?”
His face crumbled with guilt, his voice hoarse. “I was wrong. I ignored your feelings. But I never wanted to lose you, Sylvia. You’ll always be my wife.”
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His words faltered as he reached for me one last time. “You can’t forgive me?
Please, Sylvia. I know I was wrong.
