Chapter 4

Scarlett and Lester were intertwined on the couch. With her grip on his tie, their lips were locked together in a fervent embrace. Lester, who had just been watching a movie with Margaret earlier, made no move to resist Scarlett. Instead, he tightened his grip around her waist and deepened the kiss. "Stick out your tongue," he rasped. The wet noises of their kissing and fabric rustling filled the otherwise quiet living room. Margaret's blood ran cold. She stared at them in utter disbelief, feeling as if her heart had been shattered into a million pieces. The anguish was unbearable, and she was trembling all over. She even began to wonder if she was hallucinating. Otherwise, why would the man—who claimed he'd love her forever—kiss another woman with such fervor? And that woman was the one responsible for ruining her life! Hopelessness washed over her like a tidal wave, and nothing could describe how devastated she felt at the moment. Before she could snap back to her senses, the pair on the couch seemed to have noticed something. Just as they were about to turn around, Margaret quickly wheeled herself away, struggling to recompose herself. Once Margaret left Lakeview, her wheelchair came to a stop by the roadside. Images of what she saw earlier kept flashing in her mind as she slumped in her chair, still in a daze. She clutched her chest, clearly overwhelmed by the agony, but not a single tear streamed down her cheeks. Only now did she realize that when the pain was excruciating, it was almost impossible to shed tears. She never imagined Lester would betray her. Ever since they were kids, he had been smitten with her. When they were seven years old, he almost broke his leg trying to pick peaches for her. When they were ten years old, he traveled three streets just to buy her her favorite dessert. At 13 years old, he brought his parents to her house to propose marriage. When they were 15 years old, he chased all the boys around her away. When they were 17 years old, he wrote her endless love letters. When they were 19 years old, he had kissed her under a tree… He promised he would love her forever. Margaret didn't mind if he fell out of love with her or had a change of heart. But how could he lie to her? The pain left her raw and broken inside. She felt like she was plunged into an endless void. She even thought it might all be just a dream. She pinched herself hard, trying to make herself wake up. But the biting pain made it glaringly obvious to her—everything was real. Trembling, she pulled out her phone and scanned through all the details in that thread again. It turned out that when Lester told her he was leaving for a meeting, he was eating with Scarlett. Being away on a business trip meant he was busy getting between Scarlett's legs. The only reason he refused to let Scarlett go was because he'd fallen in love with her. At some point, he began to spin one lie after another until Margaret was completely wrapped in his web of deception. She never did find out—until now. Raindrops pattered down on her, but she didn't budge an inch. She stood numbly in the rain, shaking uncontrollably. She didn't go anywhere and just sat in the same spot for the entire day. Her soaked clothes finally became dry on the next morning, and it was then that Lester came running toward her. Margaret looked ghastly pale, but he didn't look any better. He stumbled toward her, his eyes bloodshot. He looked like he hadn't slept a wink last night. As soon as he found her, he staggered out of the car and dashed toward her. "Margie, you scared me!" He pulled her into a tight embrace. "Where did you go?" She couldn't help but be reminded of the scene she saw yesterday. Bile rose in her throat, but before she could push him away, she blacked out. … By the time Margaret woke up, she was in the hospital. As always, Lester was by her side. He looked drained, yet he refused to let go of her hand. "Margie, are you blaming me for not finishing the movie with you yesterday?" he asked, his quivering voice tinged with fear. "I'm so sorry. I totally deserve it. "Slap me. Do anything you want to me. From now on, I will never leave you, no matter what! "Please, forgive me. Don't ignore me…" He'd put himself down, desperately begging for her forgiveness. But trapped in his arms, Margaret looked numb. Tears—which she had been holding back for so long—finally streamed down her cheeks. She could sense his panic, fear, and love were genuine. But him kissing Scarlett was also a fact. She couldn't help but wonder how he could manage to love two women at once when she only loved him. The more she thought about it, the more she wept. She even bawled her eyes out to the point that Lester was so terrified that he got on his knees and apologized frantically. But Margaret simply shoved him away. She tucked herself beneath her covers and said nothing. Lester was completely clueless. He had no idea what he had done wrong and could only stay by her side 24/7, not leaving her for even a second. Yet, Margaret shut herself off from everyone. She used to behave that way, too, when she lost her legs six months ago. That time, the constant pain in her legs kept tugging at her nerves, and the agony often sent her spiraling into tantrums. She would smash everything in the room. Thanks to Lester's unwavering support, she finally got better. So this time, he also thought Margaret had gotten into a fit again because of her disability. He stayed by her side for three days at the hospital, but she never spoke to him. In the end, Lester could no longer bear it and also fainted. When Silas hurried over with the doctors, he shot Margaret a resentful look and grumbled, "Ms. Reynolds, can you stop making things difficult for Mr. Hamilton? He truly loves you! He almost went mad when you didn't return home that day. "He searched for you the whole night on the streets, and then he never left your side for the past few days. He's only human—this has all taken a toll on his health. "If you continue to ignore him, he'll really die!"