Chapter 72 Too Concerned

Chapter 72 Too Concerned

"Where were you when everyone was blaming me, humiliating me, and questioning me? If Mr. Jones hadn't shown up with evidence to clear my name, I'd probably have been kicked out of the design world by now."

"But what about you? You're my husband—where were you when I needed help the most?"

So that was why she was angry.

Where was he? Of course, he was right there helping her!

But he couldn't tell Lily that David was actually him.

Lily's eyes were full of disappointment. "I know you're very busy and probably can't pay attention to my problems, so there's no need to squeeze out time to humor me anymore."

David's voice dropped. "You think I'm humoring you?"

"What else?" Lily shot back. "We've been married all this time, and you still always wear that mask. You won't even show me your real face. You're often not home at night, saying you're busy with work, but you never tell me what exactly you do."

"Today something happened to me, and you weren't there. Instead, Mr. Jones, a complete outsider, showed up in time to help me. What am I supposed to think?"

David's heart felt like it was being squeezed hard.

"Lily..."

"Forget it. I know you only married me because of the baby in my belly, because of your mother. You're a responsible person, so that's why you're nice to me, why you pretend to care about me in front of Mom."

"But you don't actually care about me at all, do you?"

After she said this, tears finally fell from her eyes.

She didn't want to think this way, but what happened today really hurt her. When she needed help the most, her husband wasn't by her side—instead, an outsider reached out to help.

And that outsider happened to be her old rival.

How could she not overthink it?

Watching her tears, David felt a wave of panic and guilt he'd never experienced before. He opened his mouth but found he didn't know what to say.

Did he care about her?

If it were right after they got married, he might have said without hesitation that he was just fulfilling his duties as a husband.

But now...

He thought about all the little moments they'd shared during this time—her smile, her stubbornness, her kindness, her talent...

He didn't know when it started, but he'd gotten used to seeing her face every morning, used to her presence at home, used to the feeling of having her by his side.

When he was abroad and learned that Lily had been framed by Haven, he immediately dropped everything he was doing, rushed back home right away, and worked through the night gathering evidence, all to help her get justice.

But he couldn't tell her any of this.

Lily wiped her tears. "Forget it. Samuel, let's both cool down. You should go back. I'm staying with Olivia tonight."

"I'm not leaving. How can I feel okay leaving you here alone when you're like this?"

"I'm not alone—I have Olivia. Besides, I don't want to see you."

Those words were like a knife stabbing straight into David's heart.

He stood there, looking at Lily's stubborn profile, unable to put into words what he was feeling.

"Lily, is this really what you think of me?"

Lily didn't answer. She just turned around and continued caring for Olivia.

David watched her back and took a deep breath.

"Fine, I'll go. But Willie will be outside. If you need anything, just call him."

Lily still didn't respond.

David looked at her one more time, then finally turned and walked toward the door.

When he reached the doorway, he stopped and looked back at her. "Lily, I know I disappointed you today. But there are some things I can't tell you right now. When the time is right, I'll explain everything to you."

"Also, I'm good to you—it's never been because of the baby or because of my mom. It's because..."

He stopped mid-sentence.

Because of what?

Because she was his wife? Because she was carrying his child? Or because... she was Lily?

David realized he couldn't explain it clearly himself.

"Never mind. Get some rest." In the end, he didn't finish what he was saying and left the room.

The moment the door closed, Lily's tears fell again.

She actually really wanted to hear him finish, wanted to hear him say "because of what."

But he didn't say it.

Maybe, in his heart, he really did just see her as a tool for having children, as someone to complete the marriage arrangement.

Thinking this, Lily's heart ached like it was being pricked with needles.

When did she start caring about him so much? In the beginning, she'd seen this marriage only as a transaction, a way to repay the Jones family for saving her life.

But without realizing it, she'd developed expectations of him, become dependent on him.

She expected him to spend more time with her, to take off the mask, to truly care about her...

But what happened today made her realize that maybe these expectations were wrong from the start.

In the hallway, David stood outside the door for a long time without moving.

Willie stood nearby, not daring to speak.

He'd been with David for so many years and had never seen David show this kind of expression—dejected, guilty, and with a hint of panic that David himself hadn't even noticed.

"Willie." David suddenly spoke, his voice a bit hoarse.

"Mr. Jones." Willie immediately responded.

"Do you think I made a mistake?"

Willie froze, not knowing how to answer.

"If I'd told her the truth from the beginning, would today have turned out like this?" David laughed self-mockingly.

Willie thought for a moment, then said carefully, "Mr. David Jones, actually, what Mrs. Lily Jones said today might not be what she really means."

David turned to look at him.

"When women are angry, they often say things they don't mean. The real reason Mrs. Jones is angry isn't because you don't care about her—it's because she cares about you too much."

David's heart jolted.

"If she really didn't care about you, why would she be so upset that you didn't show up today? She's disappointed because she had expectations of you. And having expectations means she cares."

David fell silent.

Willie was right.

If Lily really saw this marriage as just a transaction, if she really didn't care about him, why would she be angry?

She was angry because she expected him to be by her side, to help her, and to care about her.

Thinking this, David felt a complex mix of emotions.

Joy, and guilt.

Joy that she actually cared about him, too.

Guilt that he'd let her down.

He walked to the elevator and pressed the button. The elevator doors opened.

But he stood at the elevator entrance, not going in.

In his mind, he kept replaying what Lily had just said, along with the tears and disappointment in her eyes.

"You don't actually care about me at all, do you?"

"There's no need to squeeze out time to humor me anymore."

"I don't want to see you."

Every word was like a knife stabbing into his heart.

The elevator doors slowly closed, but David suddenly turned around and strode back toward the room.