Matthew looked straight into my eyes.
“Evelyn,” he called me.l
He then asked me, slowly and seriously, “Have you been living like this all these years?“}
It seemed that I might still be in a huge shock. It also might be because I had buried too much pain for too long. Or it might be because it had just been too long since someone truly cared.
I broke down and cried in front of him. Immediately, I told him everything. Everything I had endured.
That night, the Matthew I knew, who never drank or smoked, sat silently. He was puffing on cigars through the night. The pain in his heart seemed to finally spill out.
“I’ve loved you since we were young,” he said quietly.
“But i saw how happy you were with Michael, so I chose to leave. I didn’t want to come between you.”
Matthew slowly paused, then continued with trembling fury in his voice, “I never imagined he’d treat you like this. If I had known… 1 would’ve mamed you, no matter what.”
“Evelyn,” he said, reaching for my hand.
He continued, “Please leave him forever. Let me love you.”
sat beside Matthew in silence, listening to the truth buried for so many years. For the first time, I felt something warm. I felt seen. Finally, I realized that I was still worthy of love.
Someone still loved me.
Matthew said he wanted to take me back to the UK and fight for justice. But I shook my head. This time, I knew what I had to do.? “I have to solve this myself.“W
That night, I made a decision. I would leave Michael. Although I couldn’t change the arranged marriage between the Purnell and Cooke families, I could choose to walk away from pain. I could choose someone who truly loved me.}
a new c chapter with
Both Matthew and I made a promise. I would return to the UK alone, settle everything with Michael and then start a Matthew on my own terms.
It wasn’t easy. But I did it. Later, I overheard Matthew speaking to the Purnell Family before me. Obviously, he didn’t plan to let them go easily!
His voice was cold and full of anger, “You all know what Michael’s done. But you didn’t care. You only feel pain when the knife is in your own body. And Evelyn? What did she ever do wrong?“”
“If Aunt Lydia were still alive and saw how you treated Evelyn, do you think she’d be proud of this family?“!!
“Yes, everyone in the Purell Family protects their own. I do too. You protect Michael, I protect Evelyn. From now on, anyone who dares to hurt her will answer to me. And you all know that I don’t like being challenged.”
Hio voice was as loud as thunder, but it felt like a ray of sunshine to my ears.
When I heard Matthew, I couldn’t stop crying. Immediately, I held his hand tightly, not wanting to let go. Frankly, I was so focused on Matthew that I didn’t even notice that Michael, standing in the comer, had red eyes when he saw how close I was to Matthew.
With Matthew by my side! no one in the Purnell Family dared say anything, even if they were unhappy. It was all I needed. This time, I was treated as the human being that I was.!!
Michael stayed quiet for a long time. But one day, he came to me again. Strangely, he looked hopeful.
“Evelyn,” he called me !!!
After that, he told me, “Please, don’t be mad with me anymore. I’ve ended things with Regina.“U
“Let’s start over. I mean it this time. I want to have a real life with you“!!
He handed me a piece of paper.
It was a miscarriage report
“I asked Regina to abort the baby. She won’t interfere with us anymore. Don’t be angry with me. Let’s fix everything.”
An unborn child was reduced to a single sheet of paper. It had become nothing more than a bargaining chip. Frankly, it was beyond disgusting.!!
I didn’t take I didn’t say anything. All I could think of were memories from the past.
Michael had apologized to me before. Many times. He would apologize sometimes because he had gone too for. Or, it was because his actions harmed both our families‘ businesses.K
The old Mr. Purnell would pressure him to apologize.k
Then, Michael would always say, “I’ll change.”
But each time, the cruelty only got worse.
