Serena asked, “Y–you… kissed Camryn?”
She was wondering how far Callum and Camryn had gone in their relationship. It turned out that they had kissed. Serena was impressed by how fast they were progressing.
Back then, Serena and Zack had gotten their marriage license first to become legally married. They only became intimate after a long time.
The time Callum and Camryn spent together was not long, so Serena felt that her brother–in–law was rather quick to have developed their relationship thus far. At least, he knew about relationships better than Zack.
“Your face is swollen, and your lip also looks swollen as if you got injured. Did you kiss Camryn without her consent? She slapped you, didn’t she?”
Serena’s eyes flashed with interest.
She was not stupid. She had experienced it before.
Her guess was right on the money once she saw Callum’s appearance–Callum forcefully kissed Camryn.
His handsome face fell and reddened, but he said nothing.
It was an admission by silence.
Serena stood up and walked away.
“Serena, Serena, you said that you’d help me.”
Callum said nervously, thinking that Serena did not want to help him.
Serena said without looking back, “I’m going to get a glass of water. You scared the hell out of me.”
Callum was speechless.
After pouring herself a cup of warm water, she came over while drinking it and sat across Callum again. Then, she looked at him.
The Yorks were a good family. Everyone was educated and cultured.
That was Serena’s evaluation of her in–laws.
Callum was different from Zack, who was cold and arrogant. Although he was not exactly warm, he was much gentler than Zack.
She did not expect him to force himself on others.
“Serena…”
“Callum, you really didn’t strike me as a pervert.”
Callum’s ears flushed red.
“I–I was impulsive. I got angry. Camryn refused to answer my calls and see me, but I saw her very close to another man. I saw that man poking her forehead.”
Callum knew he was at fault for being indecent toward Camryn. He really just acted on impulse.
He was jealous.
He was jealous of that stranger.
The man was not as handsome as he was, but his mien was not inferior to Callum’s. He must have been a man with a successful career.
“After all you did, I’d be surprised if Camryn answered your calls. Was she very intimate with other men? She doesn’t have a boyfriend, right? How could she be that intimate with a man? Who was the man you saw? Do you know him? Could he be a relative of hers?”
Callum was stunned.
Could that man be Camryn’s relative?
“I asked Camryn, but she refused to tell me. She even said that it was none of my business who that man was and how he was related to her. She said that we’re just friends, so I have no right to question her about who she’s close to.”
Callum added very softly, “I just did something impulsive because I got angry.”
After all, forcing himself on someone was not something to be proud of. He could not announce it to the whole world.
“Is she ignoring your calls and chasing you away because you forced yourself on her?” Serena asked.
Callum shook his head. “I told her the truth yesterday. I told her I approached her because she’s the wife Nana had chosen for me. That’s why I treat her as my wife and help her unconditionally.” Serena was speechless.
Callum looked at his sister-in-law’s speechless face and asked carefully, “Should I not have told her the truth? Should I have kept lying to her? Maybe I shouldn’t have let her know that Nana chose her to be my wife.”
Before Serena could respond, he continued, “I just didn’t want to be like Zack. I was afraid she’d be angrier if I kept the truth from her for a long time till she finally finds out about it, so I was honest with her. I didn’t want to lie to her.”
After what happened to Zack, Callum tried his best not to deceive Camryn.
Was telling the truth also the wrong move?
Serena paused before sharing her thoughts, “No, but the way you phrased it will make Camryn think that you’re not sincere. You’re just finishing the task assigned by Nana. Put yourself in her shoes. Would you be happy if you were her?
“In addition to her sensing that you’re regarding her as a task, and that you don’t really like her, she’ll feel that she’s not worthy of you. It’s true that she’s the eldest daughter of the Newman family, but her status is non-existent in her family. The other noble ladies who try to matchmake their sons automatically exclude her from the list of candidates.
“Camryn can’t see, so she feels inferior to others. You two haven’t known each other enough, and she can’t see you either. Even if she has a good impression of you, there’s a threshold to it. It’s normal for her to avoid you after you tell her the truth.”
Callum said bitterly, “But it’s the truth. I had no choice but to approach her because that was the task Nana gave me. Nana has her reasons for choosing Camryn. I haven’t figured out those reasons yet, but I did it because I felt that there was no way out of this anyway.
“I don’t have a woman I like, so I’ll just marry whoever Nana tells me to marry.”
Serena glared at him. “You took advantage of her despite having that mindset?”
“She said we have nothing to do with each other, so I proved to her that we do have something to do with each other.”
Callum’s conviction became increasingly outlandish under his sister-in-law’s glare.
“You like Camryn. You acted like that because you got jealous. Callum, you first need to figure out why you did what you did. Look into your heart and figure out if you have feelings for Camryn.
“Don’t treat her as your task. You have to treat her as your lifelong companion. You need to be sincere. Camryn already feels unworthy of you because she can’t see, but you’re still treating her as a task. It’s no wonder she ran away.”
Calium fell silent.
“Your attitude was wrong from the very beginning. Go and apologize to Camryn now. From today onward, you have to be sincere and genuine in everything you do for her. Do you think that if you don’t put in your feelings and sincerity, she’ll have to marry you regardless just because she’s the wife Nana picked for you? You’re not universally liked.”
Callum paused and then uttered, “She doesn’t want to see me. She told me to leave.
“Serena, help put in a good word for me, please? I still don’t know if I love her since I’ve never experienced love before, but yeah, I like her more each day. I promise that in the future, I won’t treat her like I did today. I’ll get her consent first.”
“You made the mistake, so you must deal with it yourself. I can’t help you with this.”
Serena refused immediately.
Callum said, “Serena, you said that you’d help me as long as it was something you could do. Just help put in a word for me. It’s just paying lip service. Are you unwilling to do that much?”
“If you lost a brawl with someone, I’d be more than happy to round up some guys and help you fight, but I won’t help you in this situation. Go to Camryn yourself to make amends and apologize. Show her your sincerity.
“Callum, whether it’s a man pursuing a woman or a woman pursuing a man, I think it’s all down to sincerity.”
Callum fell silent again.
His sister-in-law’s words were similar to Zack’s.
Zack also said it was all about sincerity.
After a long time, he asked, “What if she doesn’t want to see me?”
“Will you not see her if she doesn’t want to see you?”
“Of course not. I still have to marry her. How can I not go to see her?”
Serena said, “Exactly. Bring out your shamelessness and go to Spring Blossoms now to apologize properly. Don’t say stuff like you’re only pursuing Camryn because she’s the wife that Nana chose for you. Just pursue her and let her feel your true feelings for her.
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.