Chapter 89


    If I really wanted money, I would have asked for it from him the first time we slept together. But I didn''t.


    All I wanted was to have a proper discussion with him, not another argument. He was a domineering


    man, but he wasn''t coldhearted.


    Michael scanned me from head to toe curiously. He didn''t have to say a single word for me to guess


    what he was thinking and what he was about to do.


    “I''d advise you to give up on the idea of bing my girlfriend. I can give you anything except that. I


    would never marry a nobody like you; know your ce, Anna!”


    If I''m just a nobody, then why are you, a huge CEO, so insistent on clinging to me?


    You''re surrounded by so many great, intelligent women. You could easily get any one of them to fall for


    you. So, why me?


    “I never wanted to be your girlfriend. Rx. I know where I stand.”


    A man like him was most likely going to marry someone hailing from a powerful family background and


    beloved by all those around her.


    There was no way that a woman like me would ever be his wife, and the mere idea sent chills up


    my spine.


    “I won''t force you. You have time to figure things out.”


    I let out an internal sigh of relief. I knew Michael would be reasonable.


    But I didn''t need time to figure things out. I''d made the decision a long time ago to end things with him.


    I was just afraid that if I let our rtionship go on this way, I would not be able to keep my feelings in


    check any longer.


    Michael was way too out of my league, surrounded by flocks of admiring women. On the other hand, I


    was just an ordinary girl. Even though I, too, liked handsome, charming guys like him, this particr


    man was destined to never be mine.


    I''m not going to let myself fall any further. I''m not going to let myself get hurt again.


    I decided to not reveal my decision until after a few days passed so that I wouldn''t aggravate him in his


    brief moment of kindness.


    After dinner, I was under the impression that Michael would stay the night. Yet to my surprise, he left


    the table and picked up his coat as soon as he had finished his dinner, walking out the door without so


    much as a “goodbye.”


    He left me all alone in an empty house, and I hated it.


    Later, I took a shower andy down on my bed, staring nkly at the ceiling. My mind was consumed


    by thoughts of Michael.


    I''d thought that I would never be able to love another man after Justin, but I hadn''t expected to fall in


    love with Michael so quickly after.


    All along, I''d been lying to myself that I hated Michael, but I understood all too well what I truly felt for


    him. When I couldn''t help but think of him every time I tried to go to sleep, I chalked it up to having


    interacted with him too much during the day. It took me a while to realize that that was not the case.


    I knew that this little crush would go nowhere, and I was scared to let myself get heartbroken once


    more. So, I curled in on myself like a porcupine and protected myself in the only way I knew how to - by


    keeping him at arm''s length.


    The sound of my phone ringing snapped me awake from my daze. I nced at the screen, cheering up


    when I saw that it was Natalie.


    I hadn''t dared call Natalie for the past few days for fear that she might think that I was trying to get in


    between her and John again. There were actually several times where my finger nearly pressed the


    “dial” button, but I could never muster up the courage to do so.


    I hurriedly answered the call. “Nat! You finally called!”


    I must have sounded excited even through the phone. I mean, what could I say; Natalie calling was the


    best thing that had happened to me recently.


    To my surprise, I heard Natalie sobbing on the other end. “Anna...”


    “Why are you crying, Natalie? What''s wrong?”


    My heart lurched to the bottom of my stomach. Natalie was a bright, happy-go-lucky girl who rarely


    cried.


    Was it that asshole, John? Did he hurt her?


    Instantly, Natalie''s answer confirmed my suspicions. “He lied to me, Anna. He''s having an affair with


    another woman,” she wailed.


    I''d expected the answer, but my breath hitched in my throat nheless when hearing Natalie say it


    out loud.


    Natalie was bawling her eyes out right then. However, I knew that whatever I said right now would fall


    on deaf ears. At that point, my best friend was devastated, and my heart went out to her as I knew


    exactly how she felt.


    “Are you at home, Nat?”


    I knew that she used to live together with John, but I didn''t know whether or not she still did.


    Natalie hupped. “Mm-mm...”


    With that, I hung up the phone and immediately left the house.


    The ride to Natalie''s house was about ten minutes. I rushed up to the door and repeatedly rang the


    doorbell, worried sick that she might do something she would regret if she was left alone for even a


    minute longer.


    Natalie had given me a spare key when I first left her house. Now, I regretted giving the key back to her


    when I moved away.


    After a long, agonizing wait, Natalie finally opened the door. Letting out a relieved sigh, I dragged her


    into the living room and sat us both down on the couch. Her eyes were horribly red and swollen, and


    her clothes were all rumpled.


    “Nat... What happened to you?”


    I tucked a stray lock of messy hair behind her ear, giving her a pained look. I''d been friends with her for


    years, and I''d never seen her in such a state before.


    John, you d*ck!


    “I''m sorry, Anna. I should have listened to you in the beginning. John is nothing but a scumbag. He


    even brought that girl along with him when he met up with me for the breakup today,” Natalie spat out


    through a stuffy nose, throwing herself into my arms. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.