“Lyle, don’t you believe me? I told you that it wasn’t me.” Crystal stared at Lyle with a hurt expression.
“Who else could it have been if not you? Crystal, you shouldn’t have lied to me. You know full well that I detest being deceived the most. So why did you still lie to me?” Lyle’s gaze was filled with disappointment.
“Lyle…” Crystal sobbed. “It wasn’t me; it was Benjamin. It’s true that I know about it and I never wanted to lie to you. But don’t you know the reason why I did that? I just want to be together with you.”
“Still, you shouldn’t have done that. Don’t you know how unfair this is to Yvonne?” said Lyle in a deep voice.
I was surprised that Lyle would actually defend me one day. As expected, Crystal was even more surprised. She gazed into Lyle’s eyes deeply, her eyes filled with grievance. After a moment, she spoke, her voice choked with tears. “Lyle, have you fallen in love with Yvonne? Didn’t you say that you will love me forever? We agreed that after I return from Anglandur, we’ll get married.”
“Of course not! There is no way I will ever fall in love with her!” denied Lyle directly, his tone urgent.
“Really? Then why aren’t you willing to divorce Yvonne? You’ve been dragging this for so long to the point where I wonder if you really intended to divorce her.” Her eyes reddening, Crystal continued, “Do you know, Lyle? Whenever you notice a man by Yvonne’s side, you would act really bothered. You might not notice it yourself, but I did. Lyle, am I going to lose you?”
Lyle was stunned for a while before he shook his head vigorously. “Crystal, you of all people should know how I feel about you.”
“But you’re still unwilling to get a divorce! Can’t you see? That the reason why I did what I did last night was so that I could be together with you. When the two of you got married, you told me that you’ll divorce her immediately after you obtain her stocks.” Crystal wiped at her tears.
“There’s a saying that love is built on time spent together, while distance could break even the strongest bond. After spending two years together with her, perhaps Yvonne’s better suited for you than I am. After the two of you were married for half a year, I returned to visit you. Do you know how much my heart ached when I saw you walking out of the hotel with Yvonne, looking like a blissful couple?”
“But you were the one who said that after you leave, she will take your place staying by my side. And that I was supposed to transfer all of my longing for you to her.”
“Yes, I did say that I was going to present her to you as a gift. However, every time I think about how the two of you would sleep on the same bed, doing the things that only we can do, my heart aches terribly.” Crystal clutched her chest, looking like she was on the verge of collapsing.
I could feel my heart aching too. However, it was not because of Lyle’s heartlessness. Instead, it was because of how Crystal referred to me as a “gift.” I’m a human, not an object. What right did Crystal have to give me to another man as a gift? How shameless could she be to play me like a fool for so many years?
Hearing that, Lyle’s expression turned extremely grim. He growled, “Didn’t you know? I’ve never touched Yvonne.”
“But I saw with my own eyes how the two of you walk out of the hotel together…”
Lyle said through gritted teeth, “I’ve never touched her. Although Grandma deliberately spiked our food that night, she didn’t expect that we’d leave so coincidentally. When I noticed that something was amiss, I just so happen to receive your call. In the end, I left her there in the hotel and I left to soak myself in a cold bath for the entire night.”
“Then… who was the one who slept with Yvonne?” asked Crystal, puzzled.
“How would I know? There were so many bachelors in the hotel that night. Any one of them could have entered the wrong room, being drunk and all. Besides, it was such a chaotic night. Who knows, there might even be more than one person involved. After all, the three brothers from the Frank family had no qualms about sharing a woman.” Lyle clenched his fists.
“Lyle, I can’t wait anymore. I want to be your bride. Hold me, won’t you?” Crystal pulled her zipper down. The white lace gown slid off her body, revealing her curvaceous figure.
