Chapter 3

Misty was about to say something, but my face went pale.

I told her, “Please, stop talking...”

She rolled her eyes, turned around, and walked off.

In the end, I did not have the courage to see Beatrice again.

All I could see in my head was that image of me being crippled and dying alone in a filthy bed.

So, I went straight to Taylor and put in my resignation.

My position did not really require much of a handover, anyway.

In just an hour, I had packed up my things, walked out of that building, and never looked back.

I had to change my number again.

I felt like I was running for my life.

I moved from Caldon to Dantrell.

This time, I was smarter about it.

I asked Aldric to keep me posted on Beatrice’s whereabouts. Whenever she came to my city, I would flee.

She would always arrive right after I left.

I kept that up until I got recruited by a company overseas. That was when I finally stopped running.

I worked abroad for six years. I started with nothing and built a good life for myself.

I only returned home because Aldric got sick.

He treated me to dinner to welcome me back.

Beatrice and Misty were there too.

Six years had passed, and Beatrice seemed more level-headed. Time had not aged her much. If anything, she looked more elegant.

“Conan, you must be tired from the trip.”

She did not look surprised to see me.

It was almost like time really did heal everything.

It turned out she and Aldric never actually got married. My meddling must have done some damage to their relationship after all.

Around the table, some of us already had children of our own. Others were still casually dating.

Aldric had climbed the ranks in the government and made it to division chief.

Beatrice was the real success story. She had invested in shares over time, and she eventually ran the whole company.

Word was she had a few houses in Caldon.

A few rounds in, most people were pretty drunk. Beatrice, however, had not touched a drop.

“Beatrice, you’re not marrying anytime soon, so what’s with all the houses? Tell you what, just give one to me. I’ll help you take care of it.”

Misty teased her.

Beatrice smiled and glanced my way as she spoke.

“Well, Conan isn’t married either, is he? He bought a place overseas, too. Why don’t you go help him out?”

Her words caught me off guard. My chest tightened.

That’s when her friends circled me.

“Speaking of which, Conan, I heard you’ve had a crush on Beatrice since you were a kid.

“You’d even insisted on being her husband when you played house. So, do you still have feelings for her now?

Everyone fixed their gaze on me.

I shot a quick look at Beatrice.

She just kept smiling, calmly pouring drinks for everyone, acting like the conversation had nothing to do with her.

I was young and clueless back then. I had probably caused Beatrice a lot of headaches. Honestly, those feelings had faded a long time ago.

I twisted the ring on my finger as I continued, “Besides, I’m actually getting married soon. When the time comes, I’ll save you all a seat at the wedding.”

Just then, I heard the sound of a glass breaking.

Beatrice stared at her high heels stained with spilled wine. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes, and she remained dazed for a long time.

“Sorry about that. I lost my grip. Let me clean this up.”

She got up and left the dining table.

Aldric asked me when I had started dating someone.

I was, after all, the villain of the story. I could lie without batting an eye, so I said, “I dated a blonde from Ashford about six months ago.”

When Beatrice returned, she, who never drank, downed glass after glass.

After everyone left, she stood in front of me and said with teary eyes, “Conan, aren’t you going to walk me home?”

She was obviously drunk, and it would be unsafe for her to go back alone.

With that thought, I agreed.

Even after I had walked her all the way to her door, she did not say a single word.

As I watched her unlock the door and open it, I said hesitantly, “Beatrice... I’m not going to come in. I really should get going.”

To my surprise, she grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the house.

I lost my balance and grabbed onto her instinctively.

The second the door clicked shut behind us, she had me pressed against it.

The room was dark. Every sensation felt amplified.

I could feel her breath, thick with alcohol.

My heart pounded as I said, “Beatrice, don’t—”

Before I could finish speaking, her lips crashed into mine.

She kissed me fiercely, not giving me room to back off.

“Conan, why did you lie about having a girlfriend? You were the one who flirted with me first. So, how come I’m always the one chasing after you?”

“Beatrice, stop. I have to leave.”

She held me down firmly.

Her voice was bitter and choked with tears as she said, “Conan, you are so cold-hearted.

“You can’t just abandon me. You owe it to me to make things right after what you did to me eight years ago.”