Chapter 12
I returned to the hotel, only to find Alex had arrived ahead of me
He held a stack of documents, his eyes red as soon as he saw
“Sister, I’ve taken back everything I gave to Janis. All of it can be transferred to your name as soon as you sign.” His hands, clutching the papers, trembled slightly.
“I’m not asking you to forgive me immediately. I’m just begging you to give me a chance to make things right.”
No matter how heartfelt his words were, I remained calm, my expression unmoved.
I truly had let them go–completely. Even though letting go had nearly torn me apart, leaving me breathless and broken.
“It’s unnecessary,” I said, looking at both of them. “I won’t forgive you, but I also won’t seek revenge.”
“Alex, Brook,” I continued. “I’ll say this only once: don’t try to make amends. I don’t need it. And don’t bother me again.”
Alex’s pale lips moved slightly, but he didn’t say a word.
He knew me too well. If I had screamed at him, cursed him, or even hit him, there might still have been hope for our relationship.
But the fact that I was so composed, without even a single word of blame, told him clearly: I was never coming back.
Brook’s men brought Janis and her mother before me.
At first, I almost didn’t recognize Janis’s mother
The once–proud woman now wore dark, plain clothes, her face bare and lined with wrinkles,
her temples streaked with white. She looked like she was in her sixties or seventies.
Janis herself appeared gaunt and haggard, far from the delicate beauty she used to be.
It was evident they had suffered greatly over the past two years.
I won’t lie–seeing their current state brought me a sense of satisfaction.
But alongside that satisfaction came a deep sadness.
At one time, Brook and Alex had adored Janis, doting on her excessively.
Alex had even shown respect and care for Janis’s mother.
I had endured endless humiliation and suffering because of their bias and blind protection.
Yet after I left, they quickly turned their anger on Janis and her mother.
Their love, their hatred–it was all so cheap.
I admit I despised Janis and her mother. I loathed them deeply.
But now, I despised Brook and Alex even more.
If Janis and her mother were purely evil, then Brook and Alex were the foolish, self–righteous. accomplices who enabled their cruelty.
I didn’t want to see the miserable state of Janis and her mother.
And I certainly didn’t want to see Brook and Alex anymore.
Turning my gaze away, I said, “I’ve seen who you wanted me to meet. Can I leave now?”
Alex stood there in a daze, utterly lost.
Brook ordered his men to take Janis and her mother away. Then, looking at me with a faint, bitter smile, he said, “Erica, even if you hate me even if you resent me, I won’t let you leave again.”
I was forced to stay, still living at the hotel.
Over the following days, both of them tried everything to win me over.
But I remained unresponsive.
I didn’t speak a single word, not even a syllable.
Eventually, I stopped eating altogether.
In the end, Alex gave in. After discussing with Brook, they finally let me go.
On the seventeenth day of my stay in California, I boarded a plane to return home.
I knew Brook and Alex were likely on the same flight.
After more than ten hours, the plane landed.
Once home, I treated myself to a long, satisfying nap.
When I woke up, I discovered that the young couple next door had moved out, and new neighbors had already moved in.
It wasn’t hard to guess–my new neighbors were Brook and Alex.
Sure enough, in the days that followed, I ran into them frequently.
One evening, after returning from dinner, I saw Brook standing under a streetlamp. His figure
was thin and forlorn in the dim light.
When he saw me, he slowly straightened up and forced a weak smile. “Erica, you’re back.”
I ignored him and continued walking.
From his pocket, he pulled out a delicate jewelry box and opened it. “I made this myself. It would look beautiful on you.”
Inside was a bracelet, intricately designed and studded with countless gemstones.
His hands were covered in cuts and bruises.
I glanced at it briefly before looking away.
“I don’t want it.”
“Erica, what will it take for you to forgive me?” Brook’s near–desperate voice echoed behind
- me.
I stopped and turned to face him. “If you disappear from my life forever, I’ll forgive you.”
“Erica, you’re so cruel…”
I chuckled softly and walked away without looking back.
