Chapter 22
Morgan explained, “You see, our first encounter didn’t happen at the bar. It happened a month prior, at a dinner reception. You were there with Stephan, only for him to leave you mid–evening to dance with another woman. You sat by yourself on the couch, drinking somberly, as whispers and gossip about your relationship circulated among those present.
“I committed your name to memory the instant you brought that wine bottle down on Stephan’s shoulder. Your movement was so fluid and decisive, and your verbal assault was so cutting that everyone present was shocked into silence.
“Yet you, seemingly oblivious to their shock, simply gathered your dress and exited with remarkable poise and elegance. It was a moment that profoundly impressed me, one I couldn’t possibly erase from my mind.
“In the time that followed, I slowly gathered all the details about your relationship with Stephan. I couldn’t help but wonder how someone as fearless as you could allow yourself to be caught in such a toxic, crumbling marriage, stubbornly refusing to let go.
“It felt as though you and I were destined to cross paths. I mean, who could have predicted that our paths would converge again at the bar? You mistook me for Stephan that evening as you clung onto me and cried your heart out, letting go of every grievance and all the pain you had been carrying.
“Yet, oddly enough, even though I thought you deserved what you got, I found myself holding you and comforting you through the night. It was then that our narrative truly started. You were genuinely mortified about mistaking me for someone else and were dead set on compensating me. I turned you down, but you actually showed up at my campus with cash in hand, absolutely insisting I take it.
“It was after that day that the entire campus was abuzz with rumors of me being kept by a wealthy woman, leading to incessant gossip. I had no choice but to seek you out to return the money, to clear my name. You had just had a major argument with Stephan, though, and were completely wasted, which resulted in you propositioning me the moment you laid eyes on me.
“I had intended to refuse, but the vulnerability in your eyes at that time was disarming, and as someone with a tendency to be overly sympathetic, I found myself agreeing to it. I pondered the reasons behind such an illogical decision later on, wondering if it was just because I felt sorry for you.
“I honestly held onto a bit of hope. I desperately wanted to see you escape that awful situation, anticipating your renewed freedom. Yet, every choice you made afterward only deepened my disappointment. I couldn’t fathom your insistence on staying with Stephan, nor could I comprehend why you thought keeping me by your side constituted the ultimate retribution against him.
“I mean, he was nothing but a heartless bastard; even if you succeeded in retaliating, what true benefit would it bring? You’d still be the one suffering in the end
anyway.
“Yet, I still have to concede that every moment you were by my side, I couldn’t help but be drawn to you. I found that, as long as Stephan wasn’t in the picture, you remained perpetually composed and logical, serene and unperturbed. I was so attracted to that aspect of you that I willingly subjugated myself, adopting a helpless demeanor, solely to remain in your presence.
“It wasn’t until the car accident, seeing you in the hospital, bloodied and unconscious, that the fierce urge to claim and protect you first took hold. If my earlier desire for you to leave Stephan was born of pity, then that moment shattered all pretense.
“I finally realized that my affection for you was so deep that I could no longer deny it. I no longer possessed the patience to await your clarity and your eventual escape from that predicament of yours. I had already resolved to take you away, regardless of whether you agreed to divorce Stephan.
“It was fortunate that you finally escaped that entrapment after the car accident. You have no idea–the moment you agreed to formalize our relationship and pursue a divorce, I practically wished a ring would just materialize from the heavens so I could put it on your finger right then, securing you by my side and preventing you from backtracking.
“And thankfully, you never backed out.”
Having concluded his confession, Morgan’s expression was a mix of relief and liberation, beneath which a faint, almost unnoticeable tremor of panic lingered. Upon noticing the tangle of emotions on Morgan’s face, Rebecca found herself overwhelmed by conflicting emotions. It had never occurred to her that, from Morgan’s point of view, their entanglement would be so ineffable.
It was strange how two people, each carrying secrets and never once laying their hearts bare to the other, had found their way to each other. Their journey was devoid of misinterpretations, suspicion, or conflict. Their union felt entirely organic, as if it was simply meant to be.
It felt as if destiny had truly played its hand, sending someone just when she needed it most. It was from that moment onward that she was no longer shrouded in
confusion.
