Chapter 121 Calm And Heartless
Sierra sat frozen in her seat, complex emotions swirling in her eyes.
“Sierra, I can’t marry you.’
It was that sentence again. Each time those words reached her ears, it felt like he had repeatedly thrust a knife into her chest.
She bit her lip, her tears threatening to fall.
Lewis continued, “Take care of yourself.”
Sierra remained silent, finding his words utterly ridiculous. He had actually told her to take care of herself.
It was inconceivable that someone like him would utter such words.
It was clearly an excuse!
“Do you love me, Lewis?” she asked.
“What is love?”
“I should be asking you that. You’ve always treated me well, accommodating my requests, even the ones that required you to drive two hours here just to pick me up and indulge my whims. Tell me then, if this is not love, then what is?” Sierra stared at him, attempting to gauge his reaction.
Unfortunately, it was too dark inside the car. When the passing lights briefly illuminated his profile, all she could discern was his usual coldness.
It was the type of coldness that seeped through, even when he wore a smile.
The closer one approached him, the more they sensed the suffocating and desolate chill he undeniably emitted.
Lewis did not answer her. Instead, he focused on the road ahead as he drove, not even sparing her a glance.
“Every time I ask you this, you would only answer me with silence.” Sierra sniffed. The tears streaming down her face were beginning to smudge her makeup.
Just as she was about to wipe her tears with her sleeve, a slender hand extended a piece of tissue toward her.
In a fit of spite, Sierra snatched the tissue and wiped her face hastily.
She didn’t bother asking him anymore. Every time she asked, it only brought her pain. She was the only one suffering anyway.
They claimed that when love was reciprocated, it would be palpable in every fiber of your being. Yet, with Lewis, Josephine couldn’t detect a single ounce of that affection.
Sometimes, she thought Lewis loved her deeply. Other times, she thought she meant nothing
at all to him.
Several years had passed, yet the feelings persisted, caught in an unending pendulum swing between opposite ends of the spectrum.
Whether he loved her or not, it would only count if he was the one who admitted it himself.
Very quickly, Lewis dropped her off at the hotel. Turning his head slightly, he told her, “We’re
here. Get out.”
Sierra sat in the car, unmoving. Her head was lowered, and her emotions were all over the
place.
“Sierra,” Lewis called out.
Sierra raised her head. As she’d been crying earlier, there were black rings around her eyes- she looked a mess-a terrifying sight, even.
Her voice came out hoarse as she opened her mouth and asked, “Lewis, would you be upset if I
were to get married to someone else tomorrow?”
“No.”
She almost choked on her spit. “I’m not joking!” She glared at him angrily.
Lewis evaded this question of hers as well. “Why? Have you found a replacement already?”
“It’s none of your business! I’m getting married tomorrow,” Sierra replied spitefully.
“Sure.” Lewis didn’t say much after that. “Get out.”
Sierra became anxious and grabbed his hands. “Don’t. Just answer me. Lie to me if you have to.
”
“What good will that do?”
“It will-” Her voice trailed off toward the end, her tone weakening. “I’m afraid that I can’t go on anymore.”
Lewis fixed his gaze on her intently. Shadows obscured her face, and he couldn’t make out her features.
“In that case, you no longer need to worry.” He took her hand and gripped them tightly. “If you want to get married, find someone who would treat you well. I will continue treating you the way I always have.”
Sierra was stunned. She looked at him in disbelief.
“Are you saying you would treat me this well even when I’m married?”
“Yes, I guess you could say that.”
Sierra did not understand him at all. She looked at him as if she scarcely believed his words. Why? If you can continue treating me this well, why can’t you bring yourself to feel even the tiniest bit upset about me getting married?”
Lewis repeated sincerely, “Because I can never marry you.’
Once again, those words shattered her heart into a million pieces, plunging her into an abyss of despair.
There was an indescribable pain clawing her apart.
Sierra opened her mouth before lowering her head. It was useless to say anymore anyway.
After all, she’d voiced everything she ever wanted to say multiple times before, and yet, every single time, his response was that same calm, heartless sentence.
He was relying on the fact that he didn’t think she would ever be able to leave him, wasn’t he?
“I understand.”
Having said that, she opened the door and walked toward the hotel listlessly, her silhouette exuding a kind of inexplicable desolation.
Lewis watched her figure disappear into the entrance as he leaned against the window of his car. He lit a cigarette and exhaled, a cloud of smoke rising pensively.
”
Josephine had been in the mansion for three days, and Lewis had not returned ever since.
Every day, it was Conrad who brought her her meals and left when she had finished.
Then, in the afternoon, Dr. Halliday would come on a daily basis to check on her wounds. The scabs on her face had already fallen off, leaving behind nothing but faint, red marks.
The one on her knee, however, needed a little more time.
When she was alone, Josephine would lie on the couch and cover her eyes with her arms, listening to the TV sounds.
Suddenly, she heard something about a rising starlet with her mysterious boyfriend.
Instinctively, she turned her head and saw a few blurry photographs on television. She recognized two of those people at first glance.
It was Sierra and Lewis. Their appearances had been so heavily altered that their faces had become unrecognizably blurry, making it impossible for anyone to identify them.
3/5
She thought to herself, “So they’ve been together for the past three days.”
Josephine withdrew her gaze, found the remote control, and switched off the television.
Meanwhile, the shares of Alvarez Corp had experienced significant volatility in the past few days. The stock prices were consistently plummeting, with occasional short-lived recovery periods that were quickly followed by steep declines.
People outside were spreading rumors about whether the corporation was about to go bankrupt.
Still, Alvarez Corp was a large enterprise. It seemed rather impossible.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: What Separates Me and You