He Never Loved Me Until the Day I Finally Left Him novel Chapter 100

Her words sounded incredibly understanding on the surface, but beneath the sweet facade, it was a masterclass in passive-aggressive manipulation, painting Helena as a shameless tyrant.

"Stop overthinking this. Just be good," Sebastian replied softly, trying to soothe her.

She fell silent.

But the truth was, she was absolutely terrified.

The rumors of him dropping to his knees to beg Helena had spread like wildfire. The paparazzi were blowing up her phone relentlessly, demanding statements.

And through it all, Sebastian hadn't even texted her once.

This total radio silence had driven her to the brink of insanity.

"Seb, I'm just so scared," she whispered, a fresh tear slipping down her cheek. "I'm terrified that one day, the whole world is going to turn on me and brand me as a homewrecker. I'm scared that everything I've worked so hard for is just going to vanish overnight." She let out a shaky sigh. "The rumors in Riverton are tearing me apart. The reporters won't stop harassing me. I don't even know what to say to them anymore."

She never directly blamed him, but every perfectly chosen word was a heavy guilt trip.

Sebastian wasn't stupid; he understood exactly what she was doing.

He stared down at her trembling form.

Her eyes were swimming with fresh tears, looking incredibly fragile.

"Listen to me," he said, keeping his voice steady and reassuring. "I'm only humoring her to secure the company shares. She has to safely deliver that baby. If something goes wrong, I'll be tangled up in legal warfare with her for years. How would that benefit us?"

"I'm sorry..." she sniffled, playing the perfect martyr. "I shouldn't have been so aggressive just now. I shouldn't be piling all this stress onto you when I know how hard you're working to secure our future."

"You have nothing to worry about. As long as we're in Riverton, no one will ever dare call you the other woman," he vowed firmly.

Of course, that wasn't nearly enough to satisfy her ambitions.

But she was a brilliant strategist. She knew exactly which battles to pick and when to retreat.

Every single year, he chose to celebrate with her instead of his own wife.

It was the ultimate, humiliating blow to Helena.

"Seb..." Janetta paused, seemingly struck by a sudden, hesitant thought.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I've never asked you for a status," she began delicately. "But I really don't want to end up as the pathetic mistress the media is trying to turn me into. It would completely destroy my career. So... I was wondering if, on that day, when the reporters inevitably ask, you could just publicly deny that you and Helena are married? The rumors right now are just so frightening."

She delivered the devastating request with total serenity.

She even framed it as if she were completely accommodating his needs. "Of course, if you don't want to do it, I won't force you. I know the bigger picture is what matters most. Helena and her baby are the top priority right now. I completely understand."

It was a flawlessly executed trap, wrapping a ruthless demand in velvet understanding, forcing Sebastian into a corner where he absolutely had to make a choice.