Chapter 65

Daniel.

I stood motionless, my fist clenched, as soon as I recognized who was standing in front of my apartment.

I hadn't opened the door yet, and part of me leaned toward ignoring the fact that she was continuously ringing the doorbell. However, another part of me contemplated letting her in so I could give her a piece of my mind.

I couldn't say I was surprised to see her there, as I had been expecting her to show up at any moment. However, I didn't anticipate her arrival at this late hour in the evening.

It was past 8 p.m., and I generally didn't welcome visitors into my place at this time. I had a feeling she might try to find a way to spend the evening here, which gave me more reason to ignore her persistent doorbell ringing and pretend I wasn't home.

I waited a few more minutes, hoping she would give up and leave, but when I realized she had no intentions of stopping, I reluctantly pulled open the door and allowed her in.

"What do you want, Christina?" I questioned sharply, unable to hide my irritation.

"Oh, look who finally decided to answer the door! I thought I'd have to keep ringing the bell till morning," she remarked, and I rolled my eyes.

"If you had an ounce of sensibility, you would have realized you're not welcome here, and that's why it took me so long to open the door. Now, what do you want, and why are you here at this time?" I asked impatiently.

She scowled at me.

"I honestly don't understand why you're questioning me, Daniel. I am your fiancée, in case you've forgotten, and I have every right to show up at my soon-to-be husband's home. I see nothing wrong with it," she responded, and an involuntary dry laugh escaped my lips.

I already knew she was completely irrational, so her words didn't surprise me. I honestly couldn't fathom why my father would want me to marry someone like her. He always boasted about wanting a smart daughter-in-law to showcase to the world, and in my opinion, Christina didn't fit his definition of intelligence at all.

She wasn't the most foolish person, but I wouldn't consider her smart either. Without her family's support, she wouldn't be able to navigate through life. The only redeeming quality she possessed was her physical appearance, as her moderate height and slim figure greatly benefited her modeling career.

"You know, Christina, I never expected much from you because I understand that you're not the sharpest tool in the shed. But even the most clueless person should be able to recognize the clear signs I've been giving you in recent weeks. I've blatantly ignored your calls and blocked you everywhere because it's evident that I want nothing to do with you. Instead of realizing this, you persist in pushing my buttons," I hissed in frustration.

"I don't know who you're deluding yourself into believing is your fiancé, because as far as I'm concerned, I am not getting married to anyone, especially not someone as foolish as you. Now, do us both a favor and leave before I call security to remove you," I warned, and she stared back at me with a perplexed expression.

She remained silent, and I didn't care for her response—I just wanted her gone.

"I must admit, Daniel, I didn't expect you to still harbor such resentment towards me. I thought by now you would have come to terms with the fact that there's no escaping our wedding, whether you like it or not. Even if you claim you won't marry anyone, you have no choice but to marry me," she retorted, and I let out a sigh.

"Just because I have chosen not to address the lies that you and your father keep spreading doesn't mean I'm helpless or incapable of extricating myself from this situation. I'm merely observing to see how far you and our fathers are willing to go with this madness. I plan to have a discussion with my father soon, and the only reason I've been postponing the visit is because I loathe setting foot in my family's house for any reason. It will take a lot out of me to step into that place," I explained to her hastily.

I couldn't even recall the last time I had been there due to the distress it caused me every time I visited.

"Well then, it seems you'll have to observe for quite a while, because I have no intention of relenting until you and I are married. And if there's one thing you don't know about me, it's that I always get what I want, no matter how challenging it may seem," she boasted, and I shook my head in disbelief.

"I can see quite clearly that you've always gotten your way, and that's probably why you believe a dimwit like yourself can marry me. Answer me this, Christina: What exactly do you see in me? Why are you so determined to possess me when you know very well that I could never willingly choose to be with you?" I questioned her.

"What do you feel for me? Don't you think your obsession with me has gone too far? Because it certainly isn't love," I remarked, causing a frown to appear on her face.

"What gives you the right to claim it's not love? What makes you think it isn't love? Have you condemned me to the point where you believe I'm incapable of love? Do you despise and look down on me to such an extent that you don't even consider me worthy of falling in love with you?" she angrily questioned, misinterpreting my words in an unexpected manner.

I wouldn't go so far as to say she is incapable of love, as that thought never crossed my mind. However, I couldn't believe that what she claimed to feel for me was genuine love anymore—it had transformed into an obvious obsession. She needed to come to her senses as soon as possible.

"I have no authority to dictate whether you can fall in love or not, as that is not my place. However, what I can tell you is that whatever you believe you feel for me now is no longer love. If you truly loved me, you wouldn't try to force me into a marriage that would only make me unhappy," I stated directly.

"At some point, you might have genuinely loved me, but that love has morphed into an obsession. And even though it may hurt to hear this, you need to understand that marrying me won't bring you happiness. I will never be the loving husband you desire. If you were to have your way and I married you, I would despise you with all my heart and want nothing to do with you," I spoke, intending to wound her emotionally.

I needed her to snap out of whatever fantasy she was living in and realize that she and I were incompatible, both because I didn't share her feelings and because I hadn't forgotten the reasons that caused me to despise her in the first place.

"Well, you're mistaken, Daniel. I do love you, whether you believe it or not. I wouldn't subject myself to this humiliation if I didn't love you. Even if your feelings for me are absent, it doesn't matter to me. My love is sufficient for both of us, and you will learn to love and appreciate me once we are married. I won't lose hope just yet, as this is only the beginning," she retorted, and I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Christina, you need help. Seek professional help," I advised before firmly closing the door in her face.