Semua Bab False Romantic: Bab 11 - Bab 20

Joseph dreamt of Stacy all night. Her smiles, her tears, her delicate waist, and her moans.In his dreams, she was still in his arms, just like before, allowing him to take whatever he wanted and losing himself in her. Her presence enveloped him, and it was as if she had never left.When he woke up, there was no one next to him.He unconsciously tried to reach out, but all he touched were the cold, empty sheets next to him. There was a pang in his heart, as if something important had been torn away from his very being.Suddenly, his phone rang, stopping his train of thought. Picking up, the voice of his friend came from the other end, "Joseph, the party's ready, and we've already notified Charlotte, so when are you coming?"Joseph rubbed his temples, his voice hoarse, "I'll be there soon."After hanging up, he headed to the bathroom.Cold water poured over his head, trying to wash away the lingering images in his mind, but no matter how much he scrubbed, Stacy's shadow continued

Charlotte's tears stopped immediately, and a hint of joy appeared on her face.However, Jeanne let out a laugh, her voice filled with unveiled mockery, "Joseph, have you gone mad? How can you believe her when you're looking at the truth?"Joseph turned around, protecting Charlotte behind him, his tone firm, "I believe in her, Jeanne. She wouldn't do something like that. She's been bullied overseas, so these pictures must have been forged or done to frame her."Jeanne was in disbelief, so frustrated and angry that she almost couldn't reply. "You… Did you sacrifice your brains in order to be born with such a handsome face? If you don't trust me, I'll take you overseas and show you what she's like!"As she spoke, she grabbed Joseph's wrist, only to be shaken away."Enough, Jeanne. You're welcome here, but if you're going to act like a child and cause trouble, then get out. I'm not a kid anymore, and I can decide who I want to be with."Jeanne was livid with anger, pointing at his fac

Charlotte took a step back, startled by the look in his eyes. Her tears welled up instantly, threatening to fall. "Joseph, I can explain, I… I was forced to do all those things by my parents! They forced me to get close to those men, and I had no other choice… The only one I love is you!"Joseph looked at her, his eyes filled with disappointment and disgust. "Charlotte, you make me sick." After that, he turned to leave, but Charlotte practically pounced on him, grabbing tightly onto his arm. "If you like me, then you should love everything about me! Even if you can't, you should at least be angry! Why is your first reaction to walk away? What, are you going to go find Stacy? Have you fallen for her?"Joseph froze midstep, his mind plunged into chaos, yet there was a strange sense of relief as well.Yes, why was his immediate reaction to leave?Why was it that once he heard the truth, he was relieved instead? Why was his mind filled with nothing but Stacy's figure?At that point,

The moment the message was sent, the entire group exploded.[Damn, took you long enough! You don't like Charlotte anymore, right?][Someone like her wasn't worth your time of day!][But… Would Stacy forgive you after you hurt her so badly?]Joseph stared at the messages in the group chat, his fingers tapping the screen quickly. [I've already fallen out of love for her in the first place, and all I had left was just an obsession. In the days I spent with her, Stacy was the only one I could think about, so that made me realize how I really felt.]The group chat was quiet for a few seconds, before messages burst again.[Yeah, good for you! Charlotte really wasn't worth it! Oh right, once her pictures got exposed to the public, her family's stocks plummeted, and they've already gone bankrupt! She's getting scolded and beaten by her parents every day, and they're even planning on leaving Balmora!]Joseph frowned slightly, but not even a ripple appeared in his heart. He'd lost all in

Joseph was dragged out of the wedding venue by security. The heavy doors slammed shut behind him with a loud bang, cutting off the lively merriment that was inside. However, standing outside the door, it was still as if he could hear everything that was happening.The emcee announcing the exchange of rings, the guests' laughter and teasing, and the sound of a soft kiss, as light as a feather, yet was enough to break his heart.It felt like an invisible hand had seized his heart in a crushing grip, the pain making it almost impossible to breathe. He lunged at the door, pounding on it with all his strength, his voice hoarse as he cried out, "Open the door! Please, open the door! Stacy, please don't marry him, I'm begging you! I'm begging you…"However, no one inside the venue seemed to hear him… Or perhaps, didn't want to hear him. The wedding continued, laughter, applause and cheers resounding the halls. Each blessing-filled cheer was like a stab to the heart, cold knives burying deep