Chapter 258 Feeling Guilty
Although I did not care about others’ opinions of me, Emma’s dubious gaze still irked me. This woman always thinks of others badly!
“I’m here for a medical checkup,” I replied in apathy, trying to shake her off.
Emma sauntered toward me and looked at me in faint disdain. “Medical checkup? Ms. Garcia, are you feeling sick? By the way, this hospital is under Ronan. If you do have any illness, I might be able to get you a discount,” she said with courtesy. Although she spoke politely, I could tell she was feigning it. Her words were not out of concern but to proclaim her possession of Michael.
Of course, I got what Emma was trying to imply loud and clear, but I had no idea what Michael and Ronan were thinking. Regardless, any thoughts that they had mattered naught to me now.
I was aware that the reason Emma stopped me was so that she could drop those words to bemuse and embarrass me.
Therefore, I responded indifferently so that I could leave the place faster. “I don’t need it, Ms. Jones. If you have nothing else, I shall take my leave first” With that, I turned to walk away.
“Ms. Garcia, the wedding between Michael and I will be held next Sunday. If you’re free, I hope you’ll come to celebrate with us,” she said as she slightly raised the corner of her mouth, sneering.
Her words immediately caused my heart to clench in pain.
Irrefutably, she knew my weakness very well—that I still loved Michael. She intentionally reminded me of the wedding just to evoke my anguish. I had to say, she succeeded.
“Emma, you’re crossing the line!”
Irked, Michael glared at Emma in vague vexation. As I had spent much time with Michael, I knew he was genuinely angry at that moment. However, since he could not rebuke her in public, he simply stared at her coldly.
Noticing Michael’s rage, Emma still intended to verbalize her sarcasm. However, she met his menacing gaze as she opened her mouth. Instantly, she swallowed her words and looked at him in indignance.
Obviously, she was afraid of angering Michael. However, the fact that Michael and I had appeared at the hospital at the same time had incited her jealousy.
Although I was in so much agony it felt as though my heart was stabbed, I still forced a smile and turned to look at Emma. “I don’t think I’ll be attending since I don’t have what it takes to take part in such a high-profile wedding.”
As soon as I dropped my words, Michael frowned and gazed at me gloomily. Exasperated, he marched past me without uttering a word.
To him, I was but a stranger now. I reckoned he couldn’t be bothered to even spare me a glance.
Emma realized that her unrestrained temper had infuriated Michael. Hence, she threw a malicious glare at me and immediately trotted toward him.
I stood still and watched as they left. The moment they were out of my sight, my tough facade instantly crumbled.
I gazed in the direction where Michael left as I smiled wryly.
Standing not far away, Ronan was watching me. Unable to ignore my disheartenment, he walked toward me and tried to console me.
“Shall we have a chat?” he asked in a gentle tone.
Unlike his usual self, who was bright and confident, he sounded calm, which slightly took me aback.
I followed Ronan wordlessly. Although I never desired to get together with him, I still needed to reveal some matters I had concealed long from him. It was time for me to come clean.
Ronan led me to a field behind the hospital. He stopped and turned toward me, gazing at me with mixed feelings. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke.
“Before, you told me you already have someone you fancy. Is that someone Michael?”
As he locked his gaze at me, I could sense the nervousness and sadness in his eyes.
Previously, I hid my relationship with Michael from Ronan because I expected our relationship to end at some point. Since we all knew each other, I did not want the atmosphere to turn awkward if we met. Unfortunately, after what happened earlier, I could not conceal it anymore.
I lowered my head and kept mum, silently agreeing to Ronan’s conjecture.
Being the sharp man that he was, he immediately grasped my answer from the silence. I looked up, only to see him gazing at me somberly with his brows knitted.
With a vaguely quivering voice, he asked as he redirected his gaze to my stomach, “So, the child in your belly is his?”
“Yes…” I admitted.
Even if I did lie to him, Ronan had already guessed the answer. Hence, I saw no reason to deceive him any further.
Upon hearing my reply, he snickered as he said in a painful tone, “So, you knew Michael long before, and you were even in a relationship with him. And to think I had once foolishly introduced you two to each other… what a joke.”
If the person I loved was not Michael, Ronan would not felt such dismay. Sadly, I was indeed in a relationship with Michael before. Not to mention we even hid it from him and pretended to be strangers.
If I were Ronan, I would have felt more distressed than he was after learning about the truth. Hence, I felt guilty for deceiving him.
“Sorry…” I lowered my head and apologized with a regretful expression.
Aside from apologizing, I could not squeeze out any other words.
Ronan chuckled wryly as he looked at me with slight resentment. Losing his composure, his tone lost its tenderness and was replaced with anguish instead. “Sorry? I just found out I was played like a fool. Do you think your apology is enough?”
“I never intended to trick you. I sincerely treat you as a friend. But, I don’t know how I should tell you about my relationship with Michael,” Panicking, I tried to explain myself upon realizing furious Ronan was.
Indeed, I had deceived him numerous times on this matter. However, I never intended to play with his trust. I was even afraid that our friendship would end after he had known about my relationship with Michael.
“Friend? You’ve been Michael’s lover for all the time I’ve been pursuing you. I bet you must see me as a fool, huh? To think, I never suspected the relationship between you two.”
Regardless of my explanation, Ronan could not accept it.
Indeed. Anyone would have felt disheartened upon learning that the woman he loved was deceiving him. Besides, for a man who always acted on his own accord, I could tell Ronan was actually holding back his rage.
