Chapter 205 You Are the Disadvantage
Arabella stared at him in shock. "How old is your mom?"
Such a gorgeous woman—if he hadn't said anything, she would have guessed Vera was in her thirties.
Of course, Arabella realized that was impossible. Vera had a grown son. She couldn't be in her thirties.
"She's forty-nine," Alexander said.
Arabella felt a sharp shock, even though she'd half-expected it.
Alexander studied her, then suddenly asked, "You have something you want to tell me, don't you?"
Arabella stared at him in surprise. "Is it that obvious?"
Alexander chuckled softly and let her go. He stood up to get her a cup of warm milk, and as he handed it to her, Arabella accepted it with a quiet murmur. "Thanks."
Alexander sat down across from her, his expression focused as he studied at her. "Go ahead. Tell me now."
Arabella's chest tightened. He was being deeply respectful; having noticed her discomfort in his arms, he had moved to a more appropriate distance to listen.
Yet, she knew that what she had to reveal would only hurt him.
She gripped the cup of milk, averting her gaze. "You brought me here to show me how your parents are together. You wanted me to change my mind, didn't you?"
"Yes," Alexander said, adding, "But it was more than that. I wanted you to know I can do better than my dad. By the time we're fifty, we'd be more in love than they are."
Arabella kept her head down, her mouth curving into a faint smile as she spoke in a soft voice. "But hearts change. I believe you truly love me right now, but time changes everything. Love fades, and even those who are devoted to each other can drift apart."
"I deeply envy your parents, and I want to hold onto the way you treat me. But Alexander, I can't handle another utter heartbreak."
She finally gathered her courage and looked up at him. Her voice was still soft, but it pierced his composure. "Alexander, I'm rejecting you because I've deliberated over our futures. I want a peaceful life, and you... you're the risk I'm not willing to take."
If something was destined to be lost after being gained, she'd rather not have it at all. Compared to the sweetness of love and the happiness of companionship, she'd rather be alone until she died. As long as life was calm and quiet.
If Alexander were an ordinary person, she might have the courage to try; however, he wasn't. Being with him meant shouldering a heavy burden—one she no longer possessed the strength to carry.
She chose the path of a coward instead, retreating into the safety of her solitude.
Arabella bit her lip, then after a long pause, she continued, "I hope you can respect my choice."
Alexander suddenly remembered his conversation with Frank the day he learned Arabella was pregnant.
He'd been unwavering then. He'd told Frank, "I'm not like you. No matter what, I won't let her go. Even if she ends up hating me, I'll never let go."
"I'm the only one who can give her happiness."
But Frank had been dismissive, throwing cold water on him. "Don't speak too soon. When the time comes, you'll understand. Watching her suffer will hurt you more than it hurts her, that in the end, you'll let her go so she can be happy."
Alexander had scorned those words at the time. But now, sitting face to face with Arabella and hearing her deliberate over their future—hearing her say she'd rather be alone into old age if it meant a peaceful life—he finally understood Frank.
Facing the woman he loved as she spoke of the suffocating pressure of their relationship was agonizing.
A heavy silence settled between them. Finally, Arabella asked, "Is it truly so difficult to let go?"
Alexander nodded. "Yeah."
"Really... hard."
Arabella stood up, forcing herself to smile casually. "I still hope you'll think it over, Alexander. I'm grateful you love me, and I don't regret falling for you. But we're truly mismatched; I simply cannot accept the gap between our worlds."
Alexander watched her turn and walk into the bedroom. His blue eyes mirrored a dark abyss—struggling, desperate, and unable to find redemption.
The fears he had harbored finally materialized. And he didn't even have a chance to fight for her before she condemned him into a cell with no way out.
---
Early the next morning, Vera came knocking on their door, excited to take Arabella and Alexander fishing by the river.
Arabella had just finished washing up. She threw on a coat and headed out. Alexander was behind her, calmly removing toast from the toaster and assembling two sandwiches with ingredients he'd prepared in advance.
When they got in the car, he handed Arabella the still-warm sandwich.
After last night's conversation, Arabella hadn't expected him to still be tending to her so attentively. She hesitated, not sure whether to accept it.
Vera chattered away. "Why eat sandwiches? We're going fishing at the river. Once we catch some fish, we'll grill them fresh—they're delicious! Right, Marvin?"
She turned to her husband for confirmation.
Marvin's mouth held an indulgent smile. "Mm-hmm."
Even though she'd never actually caught a fish, cleaned one, or even tried to grill one herself; he loved his wife's confidence.
Watching their interaction and reflecting on her relationship with Alexander, Arabella's mood grew heavy. She became quiet, only responding when Vera directly addressed her.
They arrived at the river quickly. This river was particularly beautiful—the bank covered in plants Arabella didn't recognize—fuzzy and adorable.
The narrow river flowed with crystal-clear water, its shore carpeted with small stones. As soon as Vera got out of the car, she started taking off her shoes. Marvin grabbed her arm. "It's the middle of winter. What are you thinking? You can't go barefoot. Go put on rain boots."
Alexander also pulled out a pair of pale pink rain boots from the back of the car. He knelt in front of Arabella. "Sit down. I'll help you change shoes."
Arabella instinctively pulled back.
"When did you get rain boots?"
He hadn't even known they were coming to the river, yet he'd prepared boots in advance.
"This morning," Alexander said. "When Mom mentioned the river, I grabbed a pair of boots."
Arabella clenched her fists. "Why did you think we'd need rain boots?"
"I wasn't completely sure," Alexander said, looking up at her with a smile when she still wouldn't sit. "I just thought there might be a chance we'd need them by the river. Since we came all this way to have fun, I didn't want you to be disappointed."
Arabella pressed her lips together. "I can do it myself."
She took the boots from Alexander's hands, sitting to change her shoes.
Alexander didn't get upset. He just reminded her, "The river water is cold. Don't stay in it too long, okay?"
Arabella was on the verge of tears. She only managed a muffled acknowledgment.
---
Vera pulled Arabella over to fish.
She'd brought some top-tier equipment—high-end fishing rods, and the bait was live worms. Vera showed off like an expert. "I had the staff dig these up in the yard first thing this morning. The fishes here love these baits."
Arabella copied her technique and cast her line. Then the two of them sat side by side on the riverbank waiting for fish to bite.
Vera glanced at Arabella and asked nosily, "I saw the light in your room stayed on pretty late last night. What were you two doing?"
Arabella's expression froze for a moment. "Nothing much. Just talking."
Vera nodded knowingly. She had experience with this. "Did Alexander pester you shamelessly again? Let me tell you, you need to stay firm. If it's not right, it's not right. Don't let his smooth talking fool you. Men are natural liars. Even though he's my son, I have to be fair—not every man is as good as my husband."
Arabella couldn't help but laugh. "If Alex knew you were saying this to me, he'd be mad at you."
Vera pursed her lips. "But I'm telling the truth! Who knows what he'll be like in the future? Sure, right now he's acting like he loves you to death. But once you actually marry him, who can guarantee he won't change? If you don't trust him in your heart, of course I'm going to take your side."
Arabella suddenly went rigid.
She didn't... trust him in her heart?
So the reason she'd been unwilling to accept him all along was because fundamentally, she didn't trust him?
Vera patted her shoulder with a knowing look. "Don't worry, I'll definitely help you. Money for raising the kids won't be a problem. When you two divorce, I'll make sure he gives you extra. I know your last marriage was rough. Distrusting men is a wise decision; furthermore, if Alexander truly loves you, he won't simply give up like this. He'll work to win back your trust, get closer to you step by step. So divorcing him now is kind of a test, you know?"
Arabella found Vera's logic endearing. She just smiled without saying anything.
She wasn't trying to test Alexander. She genuinely wanted a clean break.
Vera waited patiently for half an hour, then pulled up her rod. Not a single fish.
She didn't believe it. She pulled up Arabella's too. Also nothing.
She was immediately offended. "What kind of crappy river is this? There aren't any fish at all!"
She turned around. Marvin and Alexander's buckets each brimmed with several plump fish.
Vera wasn't surprised Marvin had caught fish—he was usually the fishing pro whenever they came out. But Alex...
"When did you learn to fish?" Vera asked with a frown.
"I didn't," Alexander said. "This is my first time."
Vera's composure shattered. She ran over to her husband for comfort.
Alexander couldn't help but gaze at Arabella, only to find her watching him as well. When their eyes met, Arabella abruptly averted her gaze.
Alexander stood up and walked over to her. "Can you help me clean the fish?"
Arabella looked startled. "Huh?"
Alexander took her hand and led her over to his bucket of fish. "Before you grill fish, you have to scale them and clean out the guts. I can't do it well by myself. Mom and Dad are a pair—they don't want me around. Can you help me?"