Chapter 1376:
For a moment, silence hung between them, thick with unspoken thoughts. Then, Lucas asked, his voice low, “And… how do you feel about it?”
Belinda’s lips parted, then pressed together again, as if the words were difficult to form. But when she finally spoke, her voice was clear, resolute. “At first, when I heard Holley’s words… I was shocked. But then, I felt good.”
Her confession was soft, yet it struck deep, and she tightened her hold on him, as if anchoring herself to his presence. “It was as if the weight that had crushed my heart for so long finally crumbled to dust,” she said. “I didn’t feel sad. I felt relieved.”
The fact that she didn’t feel any pity for her parents’ predicament, but instead a sense of satisfaction, made her feel a little guilty.
Lucas felt reassured after hearing what she had said.
He had always known the strength hidden beneath her gentle exterior. “Thank you, Lucas,” Belinda said, her lips brushing against the crook of his shoulder, her voice tinged with playful affection.
After discovering the truth about the hormones in her body and the dark spots on her face, she had been overwhelmed with sadness and pain. But there had been another emotion buried within her—anger. Still, no matter how furious she was, she couldn’t bring herself to take action against her parents. But Lucas had done it for her.
Lucas’ arms tightened protectively around her frame. “I told you, didn’t I? No matter who dares to hurt you, I will make them pay.” His words, fierce and solemn, wrapped around her battered heart like a balm.
Yet even when she was in the sanctuary of his embrace, a sadness still settled in her heart. “Holley…” she whispered, her breath catching. “She never truly cared about me.”
Belinda’s voice trembled as she pressed herself closer to him. “Even when she apologized, over and over… Even when she said she was wrong… There was no sorrow in her eyes. It was all an act, a hollow performance without a shred of sincerity.”
Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, reflecting the ache she could no longer contain. “And when I told her that I wanted to sever all ties with her, she looked hurt. But even then, it felt so fake.”
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She closed her eyes for a moment as if trying to block out the memory. “But when Gwenda said she would disown her, Holley panicked. She begged her not to abandon her. She was terrified of losing her mother. But losing me… It didn’t matter to her at all. In Holley’s eyes, I was never important to her. She just pretends she cares about me.”
This was what made Belinda sad the most.
Lucas felt a sharp pang in his chest, as if Belinda’s words had pierced him deeply. He felt for her. Belinda didn’t deserve this pain.
Lucas wrapped Belinda tightly in his arms, one hand gently smoothing her hair, then leaned down to press a soft kiss to her forehead.
