Chapter 265 He’s the Despicable One
Josephine’s hands never moved once throughout the matchmaking process. She sat there while listening to the other two men discussing her eventual marriage as though she was
Invisible
Robert had decided to marry her to Quintin without giving it much thought.
The young woman had no idea why Robert cared so much about her marriage, but she knew for sure that he didn’t have any good intentions.
He must have had an ulterior motive
Quintin poked Josephine’s arm, having noticed the look of disappointment on her face. After a moment of silence, he raised his head to ask Robert, “Um, can I have a private word with Josephine, sir?”
“Of course This is your first time coming to Alvarez Manor, yes? Josie, why don’t you give Mr. Quintin a tour of the grounds?”
Josephine drew to her feet while shooting Quintin a sideways glance. Then, she walked out of the living room right away.
Quintin immediately followed her. He felt an inexplicable sense of depression as he stared at her slender figure
He could feel that she didn’t want to marry him at all.
Josephine continued walking forward with her head bowed even after reaching the courtyard. She didn’t stop until she reached the flower bushes planted at the back of the courtyard.
All the plants had already withered away in the cold and harsh season, leaving the courtyard. looking like a barren wasteland.
There was a pond in the middle of the courtyard, and clusters of duckweed dotted its surface, adding a touch of color to the entire space.
Josephine stood by the pond while staring at the duckweed, a dazed look present on her face.
A while later, she turned around to look at Quintin’s youthful face seriously. Then, she gestured, “Do you really want to marry me?”
The latter stared at her fingers, momentarily unsure of what to say. He didn’t know if he truly wanted to marry Josephine, but he didn’t reject the idea of marriage if she happened to be the woman he would wed.
Hence, he asked, “Then, do you want to get married to me?”
Josephine looked at her feet wordlessly. She stayed like that for a long time before finally gesturing, “It doesn’t matter what I want. I’ll still end up getting married to another man even
1/4
if I turn you down right now.”
She didn’t have a choice in this case.
Lewis’ attitude toward her was the evidence. Josephine truly had no say in this matter. She would have to get married to whoever Robert wanted her husband to be.
Quintin frowned in response. Suddenly, he grabbed her hands while gazing into her eyes. Josephine, I can always explain to your father if you don’t want to get married to me.”
His hands were incredibly warm. It reminded her of the sun.
Josephine stared at Quintin’s face in a daze for a moment.
She withdrew her hands from his grip a few seconds later while shaking her head. “Even if you’re not to be my husband, he’ll still marry me off to someone else. He doesn’t care who that man will be, much less the possibility of me not wanting to get married in the first place.”
The frown on Quintin’s face deepened as a result. “Why not? Didn’t he claim that he wants you to find your happy ending? Will he really act so hastily?”
The corners of Josephine’s mouth twitched slightly. She never expected Quintin to be so naïve to the point that he’d believe every word Robert had said.
He seemed to have understood something when his gaze fell on the bitter smile curled on her
mouth.
Quintin asked hesitantly, “Is it because of Lewis?”
Josephine remained silent.
Quintin finally understood that Robert never cared about Josephine’s happy ending in the first place. His purpose was to sever whatever feelings that might linger between her and Lewis so that the latter could find his own happy ending.
That was the only reason he could come up with. His family was never plagued with violent fights and underhanded schemes. As such, he had led a life of tranquility.
However, he quickly thought of another reason. “Do you like Lewis?”
Josephine was stunned upon hearing that question. Her fists balled up subconsciously as well.
The fact that she had feelings for Lewis was akin to an open secret among all those involved in her life. However, she couldn’t help but look confused when she remembered Lewis’ unfamiliar face.
Did she… harbor feelings for him?
Quintin added, “Does he like you, then?”
That question was bluntly asked, yet Josephine could feel it piercing through her heart like a sharp blade.
Did he like her?
The fact that Josephine was standing with Quintin in the courtyard was more than enough to answer that question.
Quintin soon realized the answer “He has yet to show up even though you’re about to get married. If he really liked you, he wouldn’t have divorced you in the first place”
He was right. That was the reality they were living in right now, and of course, it was the most
realistic answer.
Lewis didn’t like Josephine at all.
That was why it didn’t matter to him whether she would get married to someone else or not.
Josephine lifted her head and stared at Quintin pointedly. She then raised her hands to start gesturing at him. “Even though I only see you as a friend, will you still marry me?”
She knew that she was being selfish at that moment. She was afraid of getting married to another stranger and falling into a different kind of abyss.
Quintin was her best choice, but she refused to lie to him.
The aforementioned man was surprised after translating the question in his mind.
The wind near the pond started to pick up. Moderate gusts began blowing through the gap between them, causing the tip of Josephine’s nose and her cheeks to flare up instantly.
Even Quintin’s cheeks were starting to redden.
Both of them stood face-to-face, their hot breaths condensing into white puffs of smoke before getting blown away by the wind.
Both Quintin and Josephine stood very close to each other, yet their gazes didn’t produce any sparks of romance despite the little gap between them.
The way Josephine gazed at Quintin was very cool and collected. For some reason, the latter felt quite irritated.
Perhaps he was the type to be fixated on the things which proved to be a challenge to conquer while discarding those he found too easy to obtain.
Quintin’s eyes sparkled as he gazed at Josephine. Soon, a steel-like resolve could be seen burning in those eyes.
He stated, “Regardless if we stay as friends or develop into something else, as long as you’re willing to get married to me, I’ll be willing to take you as my wife. I don’t want to see you getting married to some other stranger and then suffer at his hands. I can’t promise you anything else, but what I can promise is that I won’t do anything that displeases or saddens you. I still want to help you even if we remain as friends in the end. If you want a divorce in the
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: What Separates Me and You