Be Your Own Spring novel Chapter 7

Lucas Henderson could no longer hide his emotions.

In front of everyone, he broke down in tears.

"Believe me, this wasn't my intention."

"As the heir to the Henderson family, I have a lot of pressure on me."

"I was careless, but I never meant to hurt you."

"Rozella Mogane, don't you remember?"

"The day you first came to the Mogane family, when Olivia Mogane pushed you into the pool, it was me who saved you."

"I liked you from that moment. How could I bear to hurt you?"

As Lucas Henderson spoke, I was swept back to those painful memories.

When I first arrived at the Mogane family, full of hope,

my parents looked at me with disgust.

"Stay away. You're filthy and stinky. You don't even look like a young lady."

I was pale and skinny from the abuse I'd suffered at the hands of the nanny, and I wore only that one faded set of clothes.

Instead of feeling sorry for me, they just felt embarrassed by me, barely even sparing me a glance.

Olivia Mogane pretended to be kind and said she'd take me to take a bath.

Then, she turned and shoved me into the pool, knowing full well I couldn't swim.

It was Lucas Henderson, passing by, who pulled me out.

Back then, he also promised he'd protect me for the rest of my life.

Who would've thought that, in the end, all the pain I endured came from him?

He knew how much I craved my family's approval.

Yet, he forged evidence, sent me to prison, and let Olivia Mogane take my spot for the special admission to Harvard.

He knew I was terrified of water.

But still, he watched as my parents tortured me, all while planning his wedding to Olivia Mogane, the one he truly cared about.

That once-pitiful love we shared,

was long gone, buried beneath all the pain and betrayal.

Now, Lucas Henderson was nothing more than a stranger to me.

Someone not worth wasting another ounce of energy on.

I had security escort him out.

But to my surprise, he leaked my whereabouts.

Soon enough, my mom showed up.

As soon as she saw me, she started crying uncontrollably, her makeup running down her face in streaks.

"Rozella, I was wrong. Please, can you forgive me?"

"I promise you, all of Mogane family's assets will be yours."

"As for Olivia Mogane, that little bitch, I won't let her get away with it."

"Everything she's done to you, I'll make sure she pays a thousand times over!"

The woman standing before me, acting all concerned,

was nothing like the one who slapped me by the poolside for Olivia Mogane's sake.