Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
Cliff instinctively steadied Juliet.
A shiver ran through Juliet’s body as she drew in a deep breath. “Cliff, could I borrow your coat?”
Hesitation flickered across Cliff’s features. Keeping her at arm’s length, he guided her toward the exit through the fabric of her sleeve. “The cold won’t last long.”
Juliet’s words died in her throat. Stung by his reluctance, she pressed herself more firmly against him in quiet defiance.
Cliff’s brow furrowed, and he was about to create some distance when Juliet suddenly halted, her attention caught by something ahead. A curious smile played across her lips. “Cliff, is that your cousin, or has the wine begun playing tricks on me?”
Cliff followed Juliet’s gaze and looked over.
Laney stood at the glass door of the reception area, her face pale, staring vacantly.
The moment their eyes met, the haze clouding Cliff’s mind from alcohol vanished instantly, as if splashed with cold water. Instinctively, he released Juliet’s hands.
Without his support, Juliet staggered, nearly collapsing before she steadied herself. She didn’t want to cause a scene, especially not on purpose.
With Laney right there, and knowing how much Cliff valued her, Juliet knew better than to stir trouble.
However, Kira lacked such tact. Spotting Laney, she smirked triumphantly and said, “So you did come. I thought you lost your way.”
Cliff’s expression turned icy. “You knew she was coming?” he asked.
“Yes, your assistant mentioned she was bringing you some hangover cure soup,” Kira responded with a sneer. “Earlier, she doubted you and Juliet were…”
Before she could finish, Cliff interrupted her sharply. “You two, leave now.”
Kira, taken aback by his stern tone, fell silent.
Juliet, grasping the delicacy of the situation, quietly ushered Kira away. Laney remained frozen in place, her eyes locked on Cliff. She watched intently as he walked toward her.
Cliff paused, looking at Laney and then at the hangover cure soup in her hands. He had needed it earlier, but now it seemed unnecessary. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” he asked.
His words only deepened the hurt swelling in Laney’s heart. Why were those his first words instead of an explanation about his earlier actions with Juliet? But then, she dismissed the thought. Even if he explained, would it change what she had seen? She had witnessed them together, close and intimate as they emerged from the elevator. Actions spoke louder than words.
Cliff made no move to explain. “Do you want to go home or to my office?” he asked, his voice steady as if the incident hadn’t occurred. “I don’t want to waste the soup you brought. I’d like to have it while it’s still warm.”
Laney’s eyes reddened, and she couldn’t hold back her question. “Have you been too busy to see me because you’ve been with Juliet?”
Cliff took her hand, his face unreadable. “We’ll talk about this when we get back,” he said.
For the first time, Laney resisted his touch. She pulled her hand back, her voice breaking with restrained tears. “I don’t want to wait. Tell me now.”
Her voice, quivering with sobs, began to draw attention. The surrounding crowd, all influential figures, started to notice the disturbance.
Cliff, aware of his prominent status, preferred not to cause a scene. “Laney, let’s discuss this calmly,” he said in a low tone, marked by irritation. “Please, come with me.”
Defiant, Laney raised her voice. “I won’t!”
Her outburst turned heads, including that of a nearby couple. The woman recognized Cliff and asked curiously, “Isn’t that Mr. Hopkins?”
The couple approached, prompting Cliff to pull Laney closer, protectively positioning her by his side. He greeted them with a slight nod. “Mr. and Mrs. Cortez.”
The woman, Sharon Cortez, eyed the tearful Laney and couldn’t hide her intrigue. “Mr. Hopkins, who is this?”
Cliff responded smoothly, “My cousin.”
Laney stiffened, feeling a sharp pain, as if her heart had plummeted into an abyss.
“Cousin?” Sharon questioned skeptically. “I’ve known your mother for years and never heard she had a niece.”
“She seldom visited us,” Cliff explained quickly, holding Laney’s hand a bit more firmly.
Hearing this, Sharon’s suspicions were allayed.
After a few more courteous exchanges, Sharon and her husband departed.
As Cliff led Laney away, she felt mechanical, her movements wooden, as if on autopilot. “Cousin.” Just a cousin. The cold designation rang in her ears, taunting her. Two months earlier, he had asked if she wanted to date him. Out of consideration for him, she had kept their relationship from the Hopkins family. Yet, her patience was rewarded by him labeling her merely as a cousin to avoid suspicion.
A bitter laugh escaped Laney, tears streaking her cheeks. For the first time, she resented how easily she cried, angrily wiping away her tears.
Cliff escorted her to the car, silent as she wept.
With a mix of defiance and scorn welling up inside her, Laney caught her breath. “Am I really just your cousin?” she asked.
She no longer sobbed aloud, instead suppressing her breakdown, her body trembling. Her gaze bore an intensity Cliff had never seen before. With eyes red and swollen, she asked, “When you kissed and touched me, did you think of me as your cousin then?”
Cliff didn’t want her to cry in the cold wind. He gently lifted her and placed her in the car.
The usually gentle and compliant girl now resembled a defensive creature, gripping Cliff’s collar, her voice tense. “Cliff, answer me!” Her emotions overflowed, her warm tears splashing onto Cliff’s face, yet they could not soften his stern expression.
Cliff had braced for this confrontation and was ready to face her anguish. His response was calculated, devoid of warmth. “Yes, in my heart, you have always been my cousin.”
Laney’s face turned ghostly pale. Her tears streamed down uncontrollably as she asked in despair, “Then why did you lead me on… Why give me hope if you never cared for me…”
Cliff pressed his lips together, enduring the pain. He reached out to wipe her tears, his voice cold. “Wasn’t this what you wanted, Laney? We’re family. How could we ever truly be together?”
Laney stared at him, stunned. The face she had adored now seemed alien and cold. So, the affection he had shown was merely to appease her desires. It was merely pity. He had admitted in the hotel room that he couldn’t dismiss her easily, so he had relented. His words were indeed true.
Laney felt a profound ache, her disgust for his touch growing. Without a second thought, she turned away, opened the car door, and stepped out.
Cliff’s expression darkened. “Laney!”
He followed her immediately, but just then, another voice called out from behind. “Cliff, there’s an emergency with my sister. Come quickly!”
Kira had always been aware of how deeply attached Laney was to Cliff. Wanting to witness the drama unfold, she intentionally stayed in the car, her eyes fixed on the scene outside.
When Kira saw Cliff running after Laney, she couldn’t resist mischievously calling out to him. But to her shock, he didn’t even glance back and continued after Laney without hesitation.
Frustrated, Kira turned to her sister with a huff. “Laney is just a cousin, right? Does he really have to care so much about her and even ignore you?”
Juliet, her face flushed from the alcohol, rubbed her temples in irritation. “Why do you care about him? Just call the driver to take us home. I need to rest.”
Though Kira was full of complaints, she never acted on them. She did whatever her sister told her without question.
After making the call, Kira couldn’t help but voice her concerns. “Juliet, when you marry into their family, it won’t still be like this, will it? With Cliff and Gerry always protecting Laney, won’t she end up walking all over you?”
Juliet thought back to the earlier scene, a sly smile curving her lips. “I used to worry about that. But Cliff is more mature than I gave him credit for. What you’re worried about won’t happen.”
Kira frowned, confused. “Mature? What are you talking about, Juliet?”
Juliet waved her off dismissively. “Laney might love Cliff, but he’s focused on his career. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Kira’s eyes widened in shock. “What? Laney loves her own cousin? Is she out of her mind?”
Juliet instantly regretted letting that slip. Kira was terrible at keeping secrets, and if word got out, Cliff would never let it slide.
Juliet’s tone turned stern. “Very few people know about this. Keep your mouth shut, or you’ll regret it.”
Kira quickly covered her mouth, nodding solemnly. She swore not to say a word. But inwardly, she was already scheming. Such juicy gossip was too tempting to keep to herself.
Kira said, “Juliet, I’ll keep quiet, but you’d better treat me well for holding this in…”
Laney couldn’t escape Cliff’s firm grip as he dragged her back to his private residence. She had been there before-countless times, in fact. This was where Cliff often retreated when he needed to rest. During those visits, Laney would cook for him, and he would eat quietly at first. But once he was satisfied, he would tease her, turning those moments into sweet memories that Laney had cherished deeply.
Now, sitting in that same space, Laney realized the truth-what she had thought was love had only been an affair. Cliff’s heart was set on Juliet, and she had merely been a distraction for his moments of weakness and loneliness.
Cliff’s anger subsided as he glanced at Laney. Her tears had dried, leaving her once-bright eyes dull and lifeless. She sat motionless, her posture slumped like a puppet with its strings cut.
Cliff sighed and pulled her onto the couch. “Take a hot shower and get some sleep. Tomorrow, I’ll take you back to the theater so you can focus on your dance practice. Consider the past two months a dream-it’s time to wake up and move on.”
His voice softened as he added, “Did you hear me, Laney?”
Laney’s eyelashes fluttered, but she gave no response.
Cliff studied her, a pang of unease gnawing at him. She looked so broken, and it hurt more than he expected. In a rare moment of tenderness, his voice turned almost pleading. “I’ll buy you whatever you want.”
Laney didn’t answer. Her gaze shifted to the cabinet.
Following her line of sight, Cliff froze.
Sitting on the cabinet was a half-opened box, revealing a sparkling set of diamond jewelry.
Cliff had forgotten about the jewelry. Juliet had sent it over for him to approve as part of their engagement plans. He hadn’t cared and had set it aside without a second thought.
“Do you like it?” Cliff asked flatly.
Laney’s lips quivered as a mist clouded her eyes. She recognized the brand-it was a custom design, made specifically for engagements. “Did you buy it for her?” she asked, her voice barely audible.
Cliff avoided her gaze. “If you like it, I’ll have something more beautiful made for you.”
Laney turned to him, her gaze piercing. “Answer my question.”
Cliff exhaled slowly. “I didn’t handle the wedding details. Juliet took care of everything. That set is for the engagement.”
Her heart sank, and she clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she fought against the surge of bitterness. “So, you’ve been lying to me this whole time?” she said, her voice trembling with restrained emotion.
Cliff didn’t respond. Instead, he leaned forward and attempted to lift her.
“Go take a shower.”
But Laney suddenly pushed him away.