"My love is honest and clear, I don't have any hidden motives! There’s nothing up my sleeve! It's your pride, it's your own guilt! Even if you don't love me, you shouldn't trample on my sincere feelings. You are the true coward..."
Darren suddenly stood up, gripping Laura's wrist tightly. His gaze was intense, filled with a mixture of deep love and hatred.
"Laura, if you really had the ability, you wouldn't have stayed until now! On your eighteenth birthday, it was your mother who manipulated you into seducing me, wasn't it? You've been doing a great job of following through all these years!"
She had explained countless times before. She loved him even before that. She wouldn’t debase herself and chase after a man just to get into the Bill Family.
But she was exhausted, so this time, Laura didn’t argue anymore. Instead, she lifted her head to look at him and crystal-clear tears slid down her cheeks.
"Yes, it's a pity that the plan didn’t succeed over the years... Darren, I won’t bother you anymore."
She supported herself against the wall and stood up. Her eyes were filled with numbness and resolve as she continued to walk toward the stairs.
Darren seemed to snap back to his senses in that instant.
He looked down at his hand in disbelief, then let out a bitter laugh. In a slump, he collapsed onto the sofa, feeling as though all his strength had been drained away.
Laura spent the whole night awake, her mind constantly replaying the past, bit by bit.
She remembered that it all started when she was eighteen. Every year, her birthday wish was the same: she hoped that she and Darren would be together forever, growing old together.
Back then, Darren would sit at the table, watching her with eyes that carried emotions she couldn’t understand, remaining silent.
Until one day, Darren finally spoke up. "Laura, do you think I'm that easy to fool?"
Later, he discovered that Laura made the same wish every birthday and his gaze grew more and more disdainful. But he didn’t say another word.
The next evening, Laura looked at the room she had tidied up and suddenly realized how foolish and pitiful she had been.
There were very few things left in the house that belonged to her. Most of it consisted of the gifts Darren had casually given her over the years, or anything related to him. Laura cleaned up once more, letting the memories fade as she put everything away.
Just as she finished tidying up, the door was knocked on.
Quickly wiping away her tears, Laura glanced at the research applications she had gathered on the table and said, "Come in."
She thought it was Brenda, but the person didn't speak for a long time.
Darren hadn't changed his clothes. He looked around the room that was once filled with so many things and for a moment, a sense of unease crept into his heart. After a long silence, Darren finally spoke, his voice carrying a slight tremor that was barely noticeable.
"Why is the room empty?" Darren asked, his voice low.
"I felt those things were a bit old and the broken ones were thrown away. The rest will be sent for maintenance and repair this afternoon," Laura replied, her voice calm.
Darren, who had been tense until that moment, finally let out a sigh of relief. He nodded in agreement, "It's fine. You can get whatever you want, just swipe your card."
Laura instinctively lowered her head to look at the research applications, not acknowledging the card.
Suddenly, a hand reached around and snatched the paper from her. Darren's temple twitched as he frowned, his tone growing impatient. He scolded her, his face twisted with displeasure.
"Laura, do you think this will threaten anyone? Or are you just following the third step your mother taught you—acting distant with men? You’ve only said a few words, yet here you are, putting on this act. Who are you doing this for?" Darren's voice was filled with mockery and frustration.
