Chapter 941


    "| don''t hate you. | even exined the whole shebang to you, so you wouldn''t harbor any hard feelings when the time came.


    Truth be told, getting engaged was just a strategy for me, like ying the home field advantage. | thought you had vanished off


    the face of the earth, and that if | just tried hard enough, someday Jared would notice me. Even if he didn''t, it was okay. I''d still


    be his best buddy, his most trusted wingman. For two people like us, having a marriage—even a sham one—as an alliance, well,


    it''s not too shabby, right? As long as you didn’t show up, | was fine with that kind of life."


    Agnes said, "But | did show up."


    "When you came back, | saw things more clearly. Jared''s calm exterior, the way he ''healed''—it was all a front. | used to think


    time could heal all wounds, or at least help them scab over, but it didn''t. That''s when | knew the wounds in his heart about you


    were still raw and bleeding—they''d never healed. So | couldn''t use a non-existent marriage to trap him. | chose to let go. Like |


    said before, if | can’t have it all, then I''ll walk away. | can''t stand the never-ending fights, the suspicions, the breakups between


    lovers. Life should be more dignified, more refined—we should part on good terms."


    Agnes smirked, "Not many can be as cool about it as Ms. Thomas."


    Valeria continued, "If you two were meant to have a fairy tale ending, I’d gracefully step aside. But that’s not the case. The pain


    you''ve brought Jared even surpasses those four years. The longer | stay by his side, the more | see that you two just don''t mesh.


    Love alone just isn’t enough for a marriage. My understanding of it is a union of interests—emotional, intellectual, knowing each


    other''s needs without words, unconditional trust. Not this endless torment."


    Agnes had to admit Valeria had a point.


    Her rtionship with Jared seemed to bring more pain than joy.


    She had be someone she didn''t recognize anymore, and so had he.


    But where did it all go wrong?


    There had been exnations, sure. Yet four years apart had made them both overly cautious.


    So many things bothered them, but they still pretended to be magnanimous.


    Over time, these small grievances piled up, bing thest straw that broke the camel’s back.


    In the end, it wasn''t about Ry, eH POL


    was it abo Valeria’ Pie tead the


    Sain aieeen: at .


    It was about the pattern of their rtionship.


    Valeria added, "Ms. Pritchard, I''ve


    said what | have to say. The choice is


    yours. But let me make one thing


    clear—| won''t change my actions


    based on Ms. ashacdlStedis.|


    vai) stan Start by him, help him


    conquer the business world. Jared is


    amercial prodigy; he shouldn''t


    be stuck in an emotional quagmire. In


    this world, interests always form


    more solid bonds than feelings. | will


    build such a rtionship with Jared.


    If Ms. Pritchard is bothered, perhaps


    it''s best to bow out sooner rather


    thanter." Please read the original


    content at .This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Agnes suddenlyughed, "Ms.


    Thomas, with your lvy League


    education, don''t you recognize that


    what you''re describing is stepping


    into someone else''s marriag 2K


    can''t use Igver tantids brid im it''s


    rod raltaeice Even if you haven''t


    slept with him, emotional affairs can


    be just as damaging as physical


    ones—sometimes even more so. You


    talk about building ‘that kind’ of


    rtionship with Jared, yet you


    expect me not to mind? Well, if one


    day you do end up with Jared, and


    when | tell you | don''t want to ruin


    what you have, but I''ve slept with


    him—please, don''t mind that either,


    okay?" Please read the original


    content at .