Chapter 270:
The next moment, he rushed toward me and grabbed my shoulder.
“Bella, you’re so cruel! You tell me you like me, and then ask me to leave. Don’t you think that’s unfair to me?”
“What else am I supposed to do? Let you stay? What about Caroline? I’m not the only one you love!”
I retorted, my voice trembling.
“When did I say I love Caroline? Which ear did you hear that from?”
Herbert roared, his voice full of frustration.
“Wasn’t she your first love? Your two families are old friends. You grew up together. If it weren’t for her family’s accident, you might have already been married. And there are also pictures of her in the books in your study. Am I wrong?”
I listed these pieces of evidence, the things that had been stuck in my heart and made me feel so uncomfortable.
Bella’s POV:
Herbert looked at me and nodded.
“Yes, you’re right!”
“You…”
I looked at him blankly, feeling a little annoyed. Since I was right, why did he continue to pester me?
The next moment, he stared at me seriously and said, “I admit that I loved her, and I once wanted to marry her, but that was all in the past. That relationship has been over for many years. Is it possible that people only fall in love once in their lives? Have you never loved anyone before? You just said that you liked me. Does that mean you’ve lost your feelings for another person long ago?”
Hearing this, I couldn’t find a response.
Because he was right. I had once loved my ex-boyfriend, but he had long been erased from my life. Though I occasionally thought of him, there were no feelings left.
Herbert placed his hands on my shoulders and continued, “Everyone has a past. We all have special feelings for things, not to mention a person we once loved. The reason I kept the photo of Caroline wasn’t because I still loved her, but out of habit. It’s been kept for so long and has always been tucked into that book. If I told you I haven’t touched it in years, would you believe me?”
I looked up at him as he explained. I feared that what he said today was heartfelt because every word seemed to touch on a universal human truth. Just like the small things I kept from my past relationship — things I didn’t throw away even though I no longer had feelings for that person. They were a reminder of my past and my youth.
Herbert wasn’t someone who was good at explaining, but he had shared so much today that I felt a bit confused.
“What else do you want to say?”
“Why don’t you understand?”
“I… How would I know what else you want to say?”
In truth, I could vaguely understand what he meant, but if he didn’t say it directly, I would still feel uncertain.
Then, he held my hand and said very seriously, “Bella, I fell in love with you, and I only love you.”
He said he fell in love with me?
