I was in the same situation with Cameron many years back. She had wanted to pay me to leave Anthony so Rachel could be with him. It was ironic how I had become the person I hated the most.
Yvonne’s lips curled into a smirk, tears welling up in her eyes. “Is that what people like you think of me? That I’m only with John because of money?”
If she was trying to look for sympathy, I had none for her. After having seen Hannah at her lowest point and knowing that John had no love for Yvonne, I couldn’t bring myself to sympathize with her at all. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re with John for money or not. What matters is that you leave him. You know very well that he doesn’t love you and that he’s only using you. Marrying you was never his intention. As his sister, I shouldn’t be interfering in his affairs. But, I’m a Stanhope after all, and I know that my family would never accept someone like you. We’re offering you money so you can leave with your dignity intact. You wouldn’t want this to turn ugly when the media gets wind of it.”
She suddenly laughed. However, the next moment, tears started streaming down her face as she said, “So what? It has been so many years. I’ve already let go of my dignity in order to be with him. It doesn’t matter whether he has any feelings for me, as long as I love him. Since he had already promised to marry me, he will not go back on his words. How can you blame me for what went wrong between John and Hannah? Sometimes, fate just works in funny ways. Regardless of whether they still love each other, the time has already come for them to part ways. Some people are just meant to be passerby in our lives. I’ll be the one who will be walking this journey with John from now onward.”
I merely looked at her and didn’t know what to make of that. As such, I shrugged and replied, “I’ve already said my piece. It’s up to you whatever you want to do!”
Just as I was about to go outside and wait for Hannah, Yvonne stopped me and said, “I just don’t understand. Why is it that you can accept Hannah but not me? We’re both tainted, but why is it that I’m the one despised by everyone instead?”
I wasn’t going to say anything, but since she had asked, I had no choice but to tell her. After a moment of silence, I spoke, “Please don’t compare yourself to Hannah. Honestly, you are not even on the same level. We don’t just assess someone based on looks or status, character also comes into play. You should know very well that Hannah is way prettier than you but talking about looks is too superficial. So let’s examine your characters instead. Hannah knows her boundaries. She would never get involved with a married man with kids. She’s also not a hypocritical woman who would shamelessly covet something that belongs to someone else and achieve her aims through despicable means. Yvonne, if you are an honorable person, you would not have schemed to sleep with John. You would also not have threatened Hannah multiple times. That is the difference between the both of you.”
Yvonne’s face turned purple as I spoke. She must be trying really hard to suppress her rage. After a while, she looked at me and asked, “Did you hear all of those from Hannah?”
I let out a faint smile and shook my head, before replying, “You’re thinking too much. I’m just too familiar with such unscrupulous methods as they have been used countless times by women who tried to seduce Anthony.”
Just then, Hannah and Chandler came out. Hannah had changed back into her own clothes. When she saw the pale look on Yvonne’s face, she was stunned for a moment before looking at me and said, “It’s quite late already. Are you hungry? Let’s go get something to eat!”
I nodded and left the bridal shop with Hannah and Chandler. After Chandler went to get the car, Hannah tugged at my arm and asked, “Did you agitate her just now?”
I shrugged and replied, “Not really. I merely stated facts. Anyway, I’m not against John getting married. I’m just thinking that if he wants to settle down seriously, he should find someone who is decent and would make a good partner to him. He can be really irritating sometimes, but he’s still my brother after all. I know that he’s insecure and fears loneliness. Perhaps he desires to have a stable family of his own more than anyone else. I had thought that you would be the one for him but he did not cherish you. Yvonne is definitely not the woman for him, neither will she make a good addition to the Stanhope family. As such, I played the role of a bad guy.”
Hannah tilted her head up slightly and took a deep breath. With a smile, she replied, “Maybe compatibility is never the most important factor when it comes to relationships. If John truly loves Yvonne, even if everyone else is against her, he will still feel blissful to be with her. Sienna, I know you want the best for your brother, but sometimes, only the two people involved in a relationship know it best.”
I was stunned by her reply as I had expected her to agree with me. I looked at her with a slightly shocked expression on my face and paused for a moment before asking, “So, Hannah, are you really over John?”
Letting out a bitter smile, she looked at me and replied, “It’s not that easy to get over a man I loved for so many years. Rather than that, maybe I’ve just become more rational. After meeting Chandler, I finally know what I want. I’ve been too stubborn all along. Even though all the signs were there, I was still not willing to let go. John and I have argued and fought multiple times. We’ve also driven each other to the brink of insanity, but after much thinking, I feel like I can finally let go now. There’s still a long journey ahead of me and I wouldn’t be fair to myself if I continue to trap myself in darkness. Life’s too short to ill-treat ourselves. We should live every moment to the fullest.”
She paused and looked at me before continuing with a faint smile, “Actually, I really envy you and Anthony. After going through trials and tribulations, the two of you still ended up together. Moving forward, the both of you will have each other to depend on and will be building a future together. That’s so wonderful. Everyone’s experiences are not the same and some have better luck than the rest. You and Anthony are really fortunate to have each other and it’s something you should cherish.”
Just then, Chandler drove over and Hannah and I got into the car. However, I was still thinking about what she just said. Many of us could spend our whole lives figuring out what we really wanted and what was most important to us, but still unable to get an answer.
Suddenly, my palms felt warm. To my surprise, Hannah had shoved a hand warmer into my hand without me realizing it. She chuckled and said, “Chandler was worried that we would be cold, so he got these for us. It’s cold outside so it’s better to keep warm!”
I nodded and looked at Chandler, who was at the driver’s seat. “Thank you!” I said to him.
Chandler smiled candidly and replied, “You’re welcome. Hannah has cold hands and feet all the time. You girls seem to have colder body temperatures than men, so it’s better to pay more attention to keeping warm.”
Feeling amused, Hannah said, “Chandler, how many girlfriends have you had in order for you to come to such a conclusion? Am I supposed to be thankful to all your ex-girlfriends?”
Upon hearing that, Chandler immediately parked his car at the roadside and turned around to look at Hannah. With a serious expression on his face, he said, “Hannah, I swear that you’re my first girlfriend. I know that you’re afraid of the cold because it was April when we met. Even though the weather was already getting warmer, you always carried a hand warmer with you. You would also keep a blanket and mittens in your car. I know that you are capable of taking care of yourself, but I still hope that I can take care of you in my own ways. I want you to know that you can always rely on me. I pay attention to every detail of your life because I’m constantly learning to be a better partner to you. I didn’t acquire all these knowledges because of other women!”
What a way to confess. Hannah was momentarily stunned by the man’s speech. A moment later, she burst out laughing while hugging her hand warmer. Fixing her gaze on Chandler, she replied, “Chandler, what was that all about? Can’t you see that my friend is here too? You should have controlled yourself and told me in private.”
Feeling embarrassed, Chandler scratched his head. With his face flushed red, he said, “I just didn’t want you to misunderstand so I was in a rush to clarify!”
Controlling her urge to laugh, Hannah looked at him and replied, “Just drive. We’re so hungry!”
Observing the lovey-dovey interaction between those two, I suddenly realized that it was true that to care about someone meant giving her enough affection and reassurance such that she would have a sense of security, just like how Chandler treated Hannah. If a man loved a woman, he would do anything for her and protect her from any harm. No excuses.
After we arrived at a restaurant in town, Hannah looked at me and said, “It’s almost time for Anthony to knock off. Do you want to give him a call to ask if he wants to join us for dinner?”
I had almost forgotten that my phone was kept in my bag and in silent mode all these whiles. When I took it out, I saw a few messages from Hailey. But first, I rang Anthony.
The call went through after a few rings, but it was Stella who picked up. In a polite tone, she said, “Mrs. Featherstone, Mr. Featherstone is in a meeting right now. It will be ending soon. I’ll let him know that you called. Or would you prefer me to pass on a message for you?”
“It’s OK. Just ask him to call me back!” I said simply and hung up.
Hannah looked at me with a quizzical look and asked, “Is he still occupied with work?”
With a faint smile, I nodded and replied, “He’s still in a meeting.”
I only opened the messages from Hailey after we found a seat and sat down in the restaurant.
I’m busy handling the company’s matters!
After this busy period, let’s find a time to catch up.
A while after she sent those two messages, she texted me again.
Is your daughter still looking for a suitable kidney?
How old is your daughter?
Are you guys intending to seek Armond’s help?
After I finished reading all her messages, I replied: Do you know something about Armond?
Hannah passed me the menu and said cheerfully, “Just order anything you like! It’s Chandler’s treat. You don’t have to feel bad for him!”
I smiled and put down my phone. I wasn’t very familiar with Koandria cuisine. As such, I just chose a random dish. When I was passing the menu back to Hannah, I noticed that she was staring at the direction of the entrance. “Sienna, isn’t that Anthony’s aunt, Sally?” She asked.
I followed the direction of her gaze and froze for a moment. It was Sally indeed. Perhaps it had been such a long time since I last saw her that she seemed to have changed so much. She was dressed in a pink coat and had tied her hair into a ponytail, looking extremely youthful.
Hannah looked at me and asked curiously, “Do you know the man she’s with?”
I shook my head. That man looked around fifty years old and was donned in branded clothing. He was tall and skinny. That, together with the black-framed glasses he was wearing, he looked like someone who dabbled in the arts.
“I think I know who he is!” Chandler, who was looking at the menu a moment ago, suddenly spoke. “He’s Jim, a professor from K University. He’s also an author and had written several books. He was even nominated for the No*el Prize when I was in school. However, he was also known for being a nerd and not interested in romance. He was never married and the word was it that he’s quite rich. If I’m not wrong, gardening is his only hobby.”
I was actually quite surprised. I remembered Cameron telling me that she had previously bumped into Sally at the hospital and saw her with a man. I thought she had seen wrongly at that time. But judging by the way the both of them were behaving, they did seem quite intimate.
When they entered the restaurant, Hannah asked, “Did they just get into a relationship at this age?”
I smiled and shook my head. “I’m not sure but let’s stop gossiping about them. At her age, if Aunt Sally manages to find someone suitable for her and have a partner for her remaining years, that’s a good thing.”
“That’s right!” Hannah nodded and continued seriously, “I suddenly believe that destiny really exists. We all have our own predetermined paths to walk. Some people get to enjoy a smooth life with fame and riches but die young. There are others who have it rougher but remain in good health until they die of old age. There are also some who have a difficult start in life but work hard and ultimately get to enjoy the fruits of their labor. It’s the same when it comes to relationships. True love might only come to some at a later stage after experiencing trials and tribulations.”
I nodded, agreeing with her views. Chandler ordered a few of Hannah’s favorite dishes and said, “What about us? It was also not easy for us to be together, right?”
Hannah looked at the man and replied, “We just met each other at the right time.”
Seeing that they are showing off their love again, I looked down at my phone. Hailey texted again. It’s difficult to explain over the phone. Let’s find some time to meet up!
She was right. That issue was too complicated to be properly communicated over the phone.
Just then, I saw an incoming call from Anthony and answered it at once. “Has your meeting ended?”
He replied in a hoarse voice, “Yup, just ended. Where are you now?”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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