Chapter 68

Falling Into Temptation

"Bella, if I had known, I wouldn't have dared to ruin you!"

His genuine remorse earned a frown from her.

"You cannot ruin me, Matthew. No man can ruin a woman."

She slid down the desk and stood in front of him, looking up to him with a firm, steady gaze.

"I chose you to be my first man, not the other way around."

"What are you saying? Bella, we should be getting married very soon!"

"Never in a million years!"

She spurned the proposal with a chuckle. Stung, he looked at her in disbelief.

"What do you mean?! Bella, I've taken your honor!"

"Nonsense. I don't believe that a woman's honor is in a small layer inside her body. Virginity is a ridiculous concept created by men to degrade women, to deceive women into believing her worth can be measured by a mere bodily part. An useless one, I might add. Jeez, it's not even an organ."

"I don't understand. If you don't want to get married then why- why we..."

"It has nothing to do with marriage. You should know, much as