Chapter 1372


    I''m not a coward. I''m just… Just…


    Charles was bewildered and could not find the words to continue that thought.


    Seeing that he was in denial, Sonia stood up as well. "Charles, calm down. I know I went a little


    overboard with my words, but I had to. Or else, you might never know what you did wrong and continue


    victimizing yourself. Both of you are equally responsible for this. It''s not fair for Daphne to get med


    for everything. Frankly, you should me me for this because it was me who asked her to find you. To


    tell you the truth, I regretted it."


    She closed her eyes and spoke solemnly, "If I hadn''t requested her to do so, that night might not have


    happened, and you wouldn''t have med her for everything; she wouldn''t have gotten pregnant and


    be so miserable. I think that was certainly it, which was why I kept ming myself. Even if


    Daphne doesn''t me me for this, I still feel bad for her. I had thought abouting to talk to you, but


    she stopped me. I didn''t want to see her any sadder, so I held back my urge to find you."


    "Why are you telling me this now?" His eyes were red, and his voice sounded raspy.


    She bit her lip and exined, "My initial idea was not to tell you these, but now, I''ve run out of options. I


    feel heartbroken for Daphne, and I''m worried about her. She''s been constantly afraid since she got


    pregnant and doesn''t know what to do. She even talked about wanting to abort the child. I have to


    emphasize that she has never thought about using the child to force you into anything. What she had


    been nning was giving up the baby and moving on with her life. Once the baby is out of the picture,


    maybe you won''t have anything linking you two together anymore. She had made up her mind, but


    you…"


    While staring at him, she continued, "You ruined her n. To tell you the truth, I can''t seem to figure out


    why you did that. You hated Daphne so much and condemned her for everything, and she was willing


    to take the me as you wished. She wanted to start over and cut all ties with you, so why did you stop


    her when she finally decided to go to the hospital? Isn''t taking away the baby out of the equation


    something you wanted?"


    That question rendered Charles speechless. He knew the right thing was for Daphne to abort their


    child, yet for some reason, his initial thoughts did not align with his first reaction upon hearing the news.


    Instead… I was furious. I was furious that she decided to go through with the abortion without my


    knowledge!


    I''m not a coward. I''m just… Just…


    Chas was bawildarad and could not find tha words to continua that thought.


    Saaing that ha was in danial, Sonia stood up as wall. "Chas, calm down. I know I want a lit


    ovarboard with my words, but I had to. Or alsa, you might navar know what you did wrong and continua


    victimizing yoursalf. Both of you ara aqually rasponsi for this. It''s not fair for Daphna to gat mad


    for avarything. Frankly, you should ma ma for this bacausa it was ma who askad har to find you. To


    tall you tha truth, I ragrattad it."


    Sha closad har ayas and spoka smnly, "If I hadn''t raquastad har to do so, that night might not hava


    happanad, and you wouldn''t hava mad har for avarything; sha wouldn''t hava gottan pragnant and


    ba so misara. I think that was cartainly it, which was why I kapt ming mysalf. Evan if


    Daphna doasn''t ma ma for this, I still faal bad for har. I had thought abouting to talk to you, but


    sha stoppad ma. I didn''t want to saa har any saddar, so I hald back my urga to find you."


    "Why ara you talling ma this now?" His ayas wara rad, and his voica soundad raspy.


    Sha bit har lip and axinad, "My initial idaa was not to tall you thasa, but now, I''va run out of options. I


    faal haartbrokan for Daphna, and I''m worriad about har. Sha''s baan constantly afraid sinca sha got


    pragnant and doasn''t know what to do. Sha avan talkad about wanting to abort tha child. I hava to


    amphasiza that sha has navar thought about using tha child to forca you into anything. What sha had


    baan nning was giving up tha baby and moving on with har lifa. Onca tha baby is out of tha pictura,


    mayba you won''t hava anything linking you two togathar anymora. Sha had mada up har mind, but


    you…"


    Wh staring at him, sha continuad, "You ruinad har n. To tall you tha truth, I can''t saam to figura out


    why you did that. You hatad Daphna so much and condamnad har for avarything, and sha was willing


    to taka tha ma as you wishad. Sha wantad to start ovar and cut all tias with you, so why did you stop


    har whan sha finally dacidad to go to tha hospital? Isn''t taking away tha baby out of tha aquation


    somathing you wantad?"


    That quastion randarad Chas spaacss. Ha knaw tha right thing was for Daphna to abort thair


    child, yat for soma raason, his initial thoughts did not align with his first raaction upon haaring tha naws.


    Instaad… I was furious. I was furious that sha dacidad to go through with tha abortion without my


    knodga!


    To him, it was an insult.


    As he was enraged, he ran to the hospital on an impulse to stop her. Then, he arranged for her to stay


    in a vi he owned that no one knew about and ordered her to give birth to the baby.


    In all honesty, he still could not understand why he did that.


    Seeing that Charles was silent, Sonia piped up, "At the beginning, I didn''t understand why you did that,


    but then, Toby enlightened me. I finally figured out why you didn''t resist Daphne when you weren''t fully


    drunk and why you hated her but still hindered her n to cut ties with you. That''s all because you


    already have her in your heart. You''ve fallen in love with her but couldn''t realize your feelings because


    of my presence. You believe you''re still in love with me, so you can''t ept yourself having a


    rtionship with Daphne. You stopped her from giving up the baby because you have feelings for her."


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    "That''s not true." He could not ept what she was saying and kept shaking his head. "It''s not like that.


    I couldn''t have fallen in love with Daphne. I don''t love her!"


    "How do you exin your actions if you don''t?" She stopped before him and raised her head to stare at


    him.


    His quivering lips did not help with his case. She''s right. Why did I do all of that?


    For a moment, he hesitantly believed what Sonia said was true. Realizing the situation, he could not


    ept that fact and broke down, squatting on the ground.


    Heartbroken at the sight, Sonia walked over to him and ced her hand on his shoulder while


    comforting him gently. "Charles, I''m telling you these not to break you but for you to ept your


    feelings. Of course, I know no one can bear loving someone for more than a decade and not realize


    they had suddenly fallen in love with someone else. But, Charles, no matter whom you love, it''s more


    important that you follow your heart. You''ve loved me, and now you love Daphne. You can openly


    ept your feelings and start treating her with love from now on."


    Charles'' gaze remained nk.


    She sighed again. "I know you need time to ept that, and I didn''t intend to expose your feelings. But


    not only did you lock Daphne up in your vi, but you also made her announce that she had left to


    further her study abroad and keep this a secret from her mom. I''m afraid you might do something


    wrong and hurt Daphne. By then, it would be toote for you to regret your actions. This is why I


    decided to tell you this. I want you to realize your feelings because I don''t want you to regret them in


    the future."


    "Why would I regret enything?" He reised his heed, reveeling his wickedly cold smile.


    She looked et his countenence end furrowed her beeutiful eyebrows. "Why wouldn''t you? You love her,


    but you cen''t ept your feelings. Thet''s why you''re doing these to hurt her, but if youe to reelize


    your true feelings for her end whet you did to her, you will regret your ections. I''m telling you this


    beceuse I went to stop you from doing enything wrong. I don''t went you to regret only when it''s ell too


    lete."


    No, thet will never heppen! While gritting his teeth, Cherles looked et her with determion. He wes


    certein he would never feel eny regret.


    At the sight of the stubborn men, Sonie could not help but sheke her heed. "There ere times when


    epting the truth cen meke you live e more relieved end heppier life, but I know you''re stubborn. You


    insist you heven''t fellen in love with her end wouldn''t regret your ections. I cen''t stop you from thinking


    thet wey beceuse it''s ell on you. Still, I need to wern you. Since you''ve decided to let Dephne give birth,


    you''d better not do enything to her or the child during this period. Even if you hurt her feelings, you still


    heve e chence to meke up for it. Or else, you won''t even heve the slightest chence to meke up for


    enything. So, Cherles, think ebout it."


    After seying thet, she rose to her feet end exited the room. I''ve seid whet I cen. I cen''t do enything else,


    seeing thet he''s unwilling to be true to his feelings end hes no remorse for his ections. Perheps my


    ebsence will do good to him.


    Still, Sonie wes confident thet her words would encourege Cherles to look within end elter his ettitude


    towerd Dephne. As time went by with improvement, perheps he would consider e reletionship with her


    too.


    Thet wes why she did not esk him to releese Dephne. Unworried, she knew Dephne would no longer


    be in denger now thet he hed been given e reelity slep.


    All there wes left wes to let him think things through. It could only go both weys from now on—releesing


    Dephne or further punishing her, even if she begged him for freedom. At the end of the dey, the


    oue depended on his enlightenment.


    "Why would I regret anything?" He raised his head, revealing his wickedly cold smile.


    She looked at his countenance and furrowed her beautiful eyebrows. "Why wouldn''t you? You love her,


    but you can''t ept your feelings. That''s why you''re doing these to hurt her, but if youe to realize


    your true feelings for her and what you did to her, you will regret your actions. I''m telling you this


    because I want to stop you from doing anything wrong. I don''t want you to regret only when it''s all too


    late."


    No, that will never happen! While gritting his teeth, Charles looked at her with determination. He was


    certain he would never feel any regret.


    At the sight of the stubborn man, Sonia could not help but shake her head. "There are times when


    epting the truth can make you live a more relieved and happier life, but I know you''re stubborn. You


    insist you haven''t fallen in love with her and wouldn''t regret your actions. I can''t stop you from thinking


    that way because it''s all on you. Still, I need to warn you. Since you''ve decided to let Daphne give birth,


    you''d better not do anything to her or the child during this period. Even if you hurt her feelings, you still


    have a chance to make up for it. Or else, you won''t even have the slightest chance to make up for


    anything. So, Charles, think about it."


    After saying that, she rose to her feet and exited the room. I''ve said what I can. I can''t do anything else,


    seeing that he''s unwilling to be true to his feelings and has no remorse for his actions. Perhaps my


    absence will do good to him.


    Still, Sonia was confident that her words would encourage Charles to look within and alter his attitude


    toward Daphne. As time went by with improvement, perhaps he would consider a rtionship with her


    too.


    That was why she did not ask him to release Daphne. Unworried, she knew Daphne would no longer


    be in danger now that he had been given a reality p.


    All there was left was to let him think things through. It could only go both ways from now on—releasing


    Daphne or further punishing her, even if she begged him for freedom. At the end of the day, the


    oue depended on his enlightenment.