Chapter 13
The temperature in the room had dropped to below freezing to accommodate the ice coffin. Evelyn hugged her arms, and her body was covered in goosebumps from the cold.
But Joseph, wearing only a shirt, seemed oblivious to the cold. Sitting silently across from the ice coffin, he stared at the person lying inside without saying a word.
His eyes were filled with an unspoken sadness and affection.
“Joseph, no one wanted this to happen. But you need to pull yourself together. You’re worrying the people who care about you and love you, like me…”
At first, Joseph remained unmoved, but as Evelyn continued, he forced a smile. “Yeah, I know Eva loves me. I love her too. I’m just here keeping her company. She won’t worry. Don’t disturb
us.”
Evelyn was stunned by his words. She crouched down beside him and reached out to embrace him.
“Please stop being mad at me, Joseph. I’m the one you love. Fine, I admit it. I was wrong before. I didn’t see how much you cared for me.
“But I’m back now, and I’ll cherish you. Let’s really start over. Evangeline is gone. We can’t keep her here in the living room. Let’s give her a funeral. Her role as a stand–in is over–Ah!” Joseph, his expression as cold as ever, suddenly shoved Evelyn away.
“Enough! Eva is not a stand–in. She’s my wife and the person I love the most! Our relationship is none of your business. You’re not welcome here. Get out!”
Evelyn winced in pain as she clutched her arm.
Normally, Joseph would fuss over her every small discomfort, but now, he didn’t even spare her a glance.
Upset, Evelyn reluctantly pulled herself to her feet.
“Can you stop tormenting me, Joseph? How can you say you love Evangeline? You stopped all her schedules for me and gave me her roles. Whenever she mistreated me, you’d punish her. You used hundreds of millions in assets to buy a script from her just for me.
“You’ve done all this for me, always choosing me over her. And now you tell me you love her? Don’t you see how ridiculous that sounds? Wake up, Joseph! Please admit how you feel. We love each other!”
Evelyn’s voice grew more frantic. Without thinking, she lunged at him and attempted to kiss him.
But Joseph recoiled in disgust. He raised his hand to slap her across the face.
“Are you really so shameless, trying to do this in front of Eva? The biggest regret I have is letting Eva think I didn’t love her!”
Evelyn stood frozen, her cheek stinging. She touched her lips and felt blood.
Joseph, however, showed no hint of regret. Without even looking at her, he gently moved toward the ice coffin. His face softened as he approached.
“Eva, I’ve loved you without realizing it. How could I not feel your love for me? But when Evelyn left me, it hurt so much. And you were brought to me in such a way. I was afraid your feelings for me weren’t genuine. I worried you had ulterior motives, so I couldn’t open my heart to you.
“When Evelyn returned, I was really happy. I could finally let her feel the hurt I had felt. I’ve always been proud. I gave everything to Evelyn and even defied my family for her, but she couldn’t even stay by my side when times were tough.
“The day she left, I felt betrayed. It left a scar on me that made me believe I could no longer love anyone. So when she came back, I spoiled her and gave her everything I could, only to crush her and let her experience loss. That was the only way I could truly let go.”
After a pause, Joseph continued, “Eva, I never trusted you completely. So I thought, why not pretend to be kind to Evelyn and test your love for me? If you really loved me, you wouldn’t leave just because of my indifference or favoritism.
“I punished you, not because you hurt Evelyn, but because I didn’t like the jealousy I saw in you. I just wanted you to be better, to be perfect. I never thought that in your effort to prove your loyalty to me, you’d go so far as to risk your life!
“When I saw you fall, I realized just how much you loved me. And that’s when I knew that I couldn’t live without you. If I had known this sooner, I wouldn’t have been so hard on you. As long as you’re happy, you can vent all your frustrations on Evelyn.
“I’m sorry. Please forgive me, Eva. Open your eyes, please. Look at me and let me tell you that I love you.”
Joseph spoke with such emotion that by the end, his voice nearly broke into a shout. Tears rolled down his face, but the cold air in the room quickly froze them into ice.
Evelyn stood frozen, her heart now as cold as the room.
It was clear now. Joseph didn’t love her anymore. He had only sought revenge.
He had already fallen in love with Evangeline.
Evelyn, who had grown used to her parents‘ favoritism and stepping on Evangeline to feel superior, now felt humillated by her jealousy. But she couldn’t accept it. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing him to Evangeline.
Joseph might hate her, but could there truly be hatred without love?
Evangeline was dead, but Evelyn was still alive. As long as she was alive, there was still hope.
Evelyn quickly formulated her plan.
