One More Chance novel Chapter 80

~~~Too blind to realize I was chasing a fantasy and hurting the one who'd never hurt me. I've been searching for one I've already found. This time I know it's real, God only knows I've been so lonely without you. Give me the chance to heal, oh, please take me back, can't go on living without your love~~~

-Norman Saleet-

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"What the hell are you talking about and where did you get that idea?" I glanced at him, but instead of being afraid of my serious reaction, he did the opposite. His laugh grew louder as he shook his head.

"Haist! I wasn't born yesterday, Luke. You can fool everyone here in the office, but not me. I know who's on your mind lately, boss." He said, emphasizing the last word. "Anyway, how do you feel right now after seeing your ex-wife? Knowing that she has already moved on from you?" He asked, leaning against his seat. His face became serious as he crossed his hands over his chest.

Hearing his last question took me out the stage for a moment. How should I answer that question? How would I hide the truth and lie in front of my assistant and a friend who had known me for almost five years?

"Have you already talked to her?"

"Yes." I nodded and took a deep, frustrated sigh afterwards.

Patrick knew what happened between me and Sam. It's not that he witnessed them all, but I told him everything. Other than Dale, he appeared to be my second best friend as my friendship with Dale seemed to have changed when he found out what I had done.

"She thanked me for everything... for what I did to her."

"What? W-What do you mean by she thanked you? Shouldn't  she hate you for ruining your marriage and family?" He suddenly straightened his seat as he got confused about what I was saying.

"She told me she has to thank me for letting her go as she found David, the person who loved and appreciated her. He showed her the things I should have done before but---" but he interrupted me.

"But you closed your heart and chose to lock the door when she was knocking and begging for you to love her, am I right?"

But instead of answering him, I got up and walked to the glass window where the view of the San Francisco skyline came first before my eyes.

"I wasn't expecting to hear those words from her, Patrick. I mean, I-I wasn't ready to see that look in her eyes while she was talking to me, while she was saying thank you for hurting her and for letting her go. There was a smile that never left her lips, but her eyes showed differently."

"Why? What did you notice in her eyes?"

He followed me and stood next to where I was.

"There was a glimmer of anger and disappointment in them."

"Well..." I heard him sigh before I felt his hand on my shoulder. "Can you blame her?"

And again, I answered his question with a sigh.

"If you put yourself in her situation or if you're the one who experienced the pain she went through, what do you think you would feel if you saw the person who never treated you well, who has caged you in a dark and empty room for four years and now suddenly asking for your forgiveness? Would you feel the same? Would you easily forgive that person?"

A few moments of silence passed as I remembered everything I had done to her.

"Of course, I would feel the same and..." I stopped. I suddenly lost my words.

"And I'm sure you will never forgive her." I glanced at him, frowning, but he gave me a smirk.

"Based on the side of the story you told me, she's a spoiled brat woman who can get anything she wants, but eventually, you've discovered that she's different from the woman you thought you had in your mind. Then what happened? If you already found out she wasn't that kind of woman, why didn't you learn to love her? And the big question is that, why the hell did you cheat?"

"Wait, are you my assistant or are you my conscience?"

"Sorry, I happened to be both." This time, he gave me a throaty laugh that also made me laugh. "But you haven't answered any of my questions yet."

"It's not that I never learned to love her, Patrick." I shook my head and decided to go back to my seat in which, of course, he followed me again.

"Really? So, you mean you loved her, but you cheated on her because you're such a dumbass---cheater---jerk and asshole----"