Chapter 96
Chapter 96
Ruan watched the exact moment tears streamed down Megan's face. Not too long ago, that sight would have broken his heart. He used to hate seeing her cry, but now he felt absolutely nothing but indifference. He saw no sincerity in her grief.
“I want to know where I can find Alexander,” Ruan said, and the sudden shift in topic startled Megan. “He needs to pay for assault and property damage.”
“You could face charges for making false accusations,” Josephine snapped, raising her voice again. “You don't know who you're messing with, Ruan. If I were you, I'd back off before it's too late.”
“If I learned how to deal with you, Josephine, I can handle anyone.”
His words hit like targeted bullets, and judging by Josephine's reaction, Ruan had struck a nerve.
“Please, Ruan,” Megan rushed forward so quickly he couldn't stop her from touching him. “Stay away from Alexander. My mother is right—he's a dangerous man.”
“If you knew he was dangerous, why did you marry him?” Ruan violently shook her off. His patience had worn thin. “How long were you planning to lie to me, Megan?”
“You married Chloe! What did you expect me to do, wait for you my entire life?”
Ruan shouldn't have felt surprised by her words, but he was.
“I could almost believe you did it for revenge, but I know better.” A sharp pang pierced his heart. “I know you were already cheating on me with this man before our wedding. He's the reason you called it off.”
Megan caught her breath, her entire body tensing up. She parted her lips, but no sound came out. Internally, she panicked, wondering how Ruan had found out.
“If you two want to protect a criminal, you'll be charged as accomplices,” Ruan declared, looking at Megan one last time, knowing that they were finally over. “I'm going to find him, whether you like it or not.”
A ringing sound buzzed in Megan's ears. She pressed her hands to her mouth, trying to muffle the oncoming sobs.
Ruan hurried out of the house, his stomach churning as if he had just stepped off a roller coaster. Leaning against his car, he braced his hands on his knees and fought the urge to throw up. The scorching Phoenix sun beat down on his head, radiating pain through his entire body.
From the very beginning, he had been a fool trapped in a farce. His marriage to Chloe had saved him from a greater tragedy, but only now did he realize it.
He sat in the car for nearly five minutes with the air conditioning blasting before he finally started the engine and drove home. His life felt ruined, all because he had failed to act rationally. He had allowed an old flame to dictate his actions, ultimately destroying the family he had built. Whenever Ruan remembered Christopher's tears during the separation from Chloe, it felt like knives twisting in his stomach.
It hurt deeply. He had wounded the person he loved most for the sake of a toxic, counterfeit love, and he felt he could never forgive himself. He brooded over the past during the entire drive back.
When he stepped into Grace’s house, his heart shattered completely. Chloe was in the living room with Christopher, leaning over the coffee table to help him with his homework. The boy smiled up at her, and the sight reminded Ruan of the years they had spent married.
She had always been a sweet, patient woman. She always welcomed him with a smile, yet he had despised her. He could never forgive her for ruining his marriage to Megan. But now he understood that his relationship with Megan was already dead before Chloe ever entered the picture.
“Daddy!” Christopher ran toward him, wrapping his arms around his waist. Ruan looked down at the boy, noting his bright, shining eyes and genuine smile, and the weight of his mistake hit him. He fought back the tears threatening to spill.
“How was school?” He ruffled Christopher's hair, making the boy laugh as he took his father's hand and led him to the couch.
Ruan, however, couldn't focus on what Chris was saying; his eyes were fixed on Chloe as he approached. She had looked so comfortable sitting on the floor, leaning against the table, but the moment he sat near her, she scrambled up so fast she nearly tripped over her feet. She wouldn't even look him in the eye.
A lump formed in Ruan's throat as she stormed off and disappeared. Chloe's contempt cut him deeper than he ever imagined possible.
“Did you hear what I said, Daddy?” Chris's voice pulled him back to reality.
Ruan blinked, looking down at his son. He had no idea what the boy had been talking about.
“I asked if you like living with us.”
“I should have come back a long time ago,” Ruan finally confessed.
“Does that mean you're not leaving again?”
He swallowed the lump that was suffocating him.
“I can't promise that,” he said, gently squeezing the boy's hand. “But I can try to stay a little longer. If your mother takes me back.”
He whispered that last part to himself, ensuring Chris wouldn't hear. He knew winning Chloe's forgiveness would be an uphill battle, but first, he had to forgive himself for being so cruel to her for so long.