Divorced the Cheat Married the Fleet (Camilla and Lance) novel Chapter 268

The moment the reporters realized they had backup, whatever restraint they still had vanished. Their cameras flashed nonstop, the room filled with the sound of shutters as they closed in on Pamela.

Pamela tried in vain to stop them. When that failed, all she could do was look over at Magee with watery, hurt eyes. “Magee, you can’t just do this to me. Our families decided our engagement when we were kids. Everyone knows I’m supposed to be your wife someday. How could you just throw me away for… for her?” Her voice shook with anger and disbelief. “This isn’t real. Tell me it’s not real! It has to be her—she must have seduced you. Magee, tell me it’s all her fault. Please.”

She reached out, trying to grip his sleeve, only for Magee to pull away, his face twisted with impatience. When he spoke, his voice was icy, completely flat. “I used to think like that, too. Even five years ago, when you hurt Dahlia so badly, I just felt guilty for her and never thought about breaking things off with you. But after being apart for so long, I realized I can’t get Dahlia out of my head. She’s the one I care about. The pain she went through… I share the blame, and I knew she’d never forgive me. Still, I hesitated, but then you went too far. You never even thought to apologize.”

His honesty was merciless, exposing all the ugliness at once. Pamela just stared at him, stunned, completely at a loss for words.

Camilla, who had been watching nearby, frowned, her gaze filled with disgust at Magee. All that pain Dahlia suffered from being involved with him, and this was all he had to say for himself? His so-called love was nothing but guilt, and all the while, he kept himself chained to another woman. Even after coming back into Dahlia’s life, asking Camilla about her, acting like he cared, he never ended things with Pamela. And now, finally ending the engagement, he wanted to blame everything on Pamela rather than take responsibility himself. The selfishness was almost overwhelming.

No wonder he was Barnard’s best friend. In some ways, he was even worse, shamelessly admitting every bit of his own selfishness.

Camilla looked at Dahlia and could see the tension running through her. After everything that had been said, she hoped Dahlia finally saw Magee for who he really was and would be able to let go for good.

With one arm still around Dahlia, Camilla spoke up. “Pamela, I told you before. Dahlia was never your enemy. When she first met Magee, he lied to her, pretended he was single. Do you really not get what kind of man you’re engaged to?”

Standing there, Magee reminded her so much of Barnard that Camilla couldn’t keep the bitterness out of her voice.

Magee hesitated for a moment, his dark eyes landing on Dahlia before answering. “I’m not picking anyone. This is all my own mess, because I couldn’t make up my mind. I need to deal with the consequences. Pamela, it’s over. We’re nothing to each other now. Move on. Find someone who actually treats you right. Don’t hold on to this anymore.”

Pamela was shaking now, eyes alight with rage. “Liar! You still care more about Dahlia, admit it. Magee, we might not have been married yet, but we were engaged. You kept going back to her, that’s cheating, isn’t it? So what exactly did I do wrong? Why am I the one who’s always at fault? Why do you get to just walk away from our engagement?”

“You’re right. You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m the problem here,” Magee said, voice quiet but resolved. “I failed you, and I failed Dahlia. But I can’t keep letting Dahlia get hurt because of me, so you’re the one I have to let down.”

That blunt honesty left Pamela speechless. Wrathful tears glittered in her eyes as she looked from Magee to Dahlia. “Wow, Magee, what’s the point of protecting her now? She’s lost her mind already. She’s a mess—a mental patient. Do you actually think dumping me means you get to be with her? That’s just ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.” Her laugh was bitter. “I spent all this time hating her, and in the end, you were the cruelest one all along.”