This man, who was over thirty and stood at five-feet-nine, started crying as he spoke, looking so aggrieved and pitiful. “You think I don’t know I should’ve cherished her well? But since I was a kid, no one taught me how to love. I thought that giving her the best living environment and materialistic life was enough. She knew that I didn’t approach any of those women and they were the ones who threw themselves at me. I…”
I watched as his tears and snot dirtied the sofa and the floor. Sighing helplessly, I softened my tone and said, “Alright, I know how much you’re hurting now and I also know that you never wanted things to turn out this way, but this is all in the past. She’s found her home now and gets to live the life she’s always wanted.
No one is blaming you, John. But since there’s no way to change any of this, stop torturing yourself. When you meet another woman whom you love again, just make sure you tell her and give her a sense of security. Don’t be caring one moment and distant the next.”
“There won’t be another woman!” He lay limp on the floor and bawled like a child. In a choked voice, he said, “There won’t be another woman who’d spend a decade with me for nothing just like she did! I brought this upon myself, Scarlett! I deserve this!”
For a while, I couldn’t think of the right words to comfort him. He was crying so hard that his body shook from it. After some hesitation, I decided to relay Hannah’s words to him. “John, the stupidest thing a person can do is realizing someone’s worth after they’re gone because it is completely meaningless. Regardless of how sad and regretful you are, you should know that you don’t always get second chances. Hannah is now married to someone who loves her dearly. You should do the same; start your own life and live how you want to. You shouldn’t destroy your future by dwelling on the past “
I had said everything that I could. Despite not knowing if these words could get through to him, but it was really time that he moved on.
His unexpected appearance left Ashton and me in a bind. He was so drunk that he could barely walk, so allowing him to go back at this hour was out of the question. Hence, we could only let him rest here for the night.
Ashton supported him to the guest room while I poured a glass of warm water for him. After making sure he drank a few sips, I finally breathed out a sigh of relief. Noticing that his phone kept ringing, I inadvertently glanced at the caller ID—it was Yvonne.
This woman was really persistent. Pursing my lips, I picked up the phone and swiped to answer. A gentle and saccharine voice immediately drifted over the phone. “Mr. Stovall, where are you? Why didn’t you answer my call earlier? I’m really worried about you. I went to your house and rang the doorbell a few times, but you didn’t answer. Is something wrong? Are you okay?”
If it weren’t for the unusual sound of breathing on the other end of the line, I would have actually believed that this woman genuinely cared about John. I spoke into the phone in a flat voice, “Yvonne, you’ve leeched off quite a lot from my brother, but enough is enough. He’ll never marry you. The Stovall family will also never accept you. Greed is the downfall of men.”
“Ms. Stovall?” On the other end of the line, there was shock in Yvonne’s voice. “Are you with Mr. Stovall? I don’t understand what you just said. Is Mr. Stovall okay?”
“Let’s get on with it. How much money do you want?” I didn’t have much patience for a woman like her and it was apparent from the bite in my voice.
The line was silent for a while before Yvonne feigned confusion. “Ms. Stovall, do all rich people like using money to insult a person’s dignity?”
I chuckled humorlessly. “Of course I’d never use money to insult a person with dignity. The question is, do you possess dignity, Yvonne? You’ve been hounding my brother these days and I bet you’ve spent quite a lot of his money. He doesn’t really care much about money and has always been generous to women.
I think you’ve benefited quite a lot from him. Since that’s the case, you should be smart enough to know that it’s time to pack up and get lost. Stop hanging around him. You should know, I’m not a very nice person. If you insist on waiting until I step in, then the consequences might be worse than you could imagine.”
It was clear that Yvonne was displeased on the other end of the line. “Ms. Stovall, what’s the meaning of this? Mr. Stovall and I sincerely love each other. All of you look down on me, but none of you can interfere in Mr. Stovall’s marriage. It’s his own business and he’s the one who gets to make the decision. To put it bluntly, you’re just a b*stard child. Who are you to make decisions for Mr. Stovall?”
“What is the reaction of the man lying next to you after hearing you say all this?” I taunted. Glancing at the passed-out John on the bed, I couldn’t help but feel upset for him. “Yvonne, I’m a woman myself. I know exactly what you want. I could also tell at first glance what kind of person you are. As long as I want to, I can dig out every single detail of that messy private life of yours.
The only reason I didn’t lay a finger on you is that you were there for John recently, but that’s where my gratitude stops. It’s important to know your limits. If you don’t give up your greedy ambitions and force me to show my hand, then please prepare yourself for what’s to come.
I won’t just force you to leave John without getting a single cent from him, I’ll also make you return everything he’s given you since day one. So Ms. Wilde, you better watch your back.”
