âDoes it really take so little to stir up trouble? It seems your relationship isnât as strong as I imagined.â
Shawn glanced back at her. âItâs certainly an improvement over what we had.â
A pang shot through Linaâs heart, and her eyes filled with tears she fought to keep back. âShawn, do you truly love her?â
âWhat do you think?â Shawn, who typically maintained a polite demeanor even toward those he disliked, balanced his interactions with a strategic blend of cordiality and detachment. However, he dropped all pretense of civility when it came to protecting those close to him.
Lina teetered on the edge of despair. âWhat do you like about her? Sheâs been friends with your sister for years. If you were interested, why only pursue her now?â
âI donât owe you an explanation. Moreover, why does my affection for her concern you? Surely you donât think we still have a chance?â
Caught off guard, Lina fought to stay composed. âI know the look of someone in love.â
âIf youâre going to bring up the past, letâs get the facts straight. Yes, I used to sneak out to bring you food at midnight, but only because I lost a bet. When I saw how moved you were, I kept the truth to myself.â
Lina was stunned. âWhat?â
âAnd meeting you five times a week? I had a carâit wasnât a big deal to me. I actually found it amusing when you bragged about it to your friends.â
Shawnâs revelations struck Lina dumb. She had no idea her provocation would trigger such hostility in him, shattering her confidence into pieces. The blow to her heart made her knees weak, and she leaned against the wall for support as Shawn continued his tirade.
âWas visiting you five times a week such a big deal to you? Now that Iâm with Katherine, I canât stand to be away from her for even a moment; I want to be with her every second of every day. To be honest, coming here feels like a waste of my time. If it werenât for her, I wouldnât even bother with your drama. Is it really so difficult for you to accept that I donât like you anymore? You repeatedly tried to ruin our relationship. Out of pity, I didnât hold it against you. But now, youâre trying to undermine my girlfriend.â
âShut up!â Lina looked at Shawn with tears and disbelief in her eyes. All of a sudden, he felt like a complete stranger, and it completely messed her up.
âAnd stop acting like you know me better than anyone,â Shawn added sharply. âThough weâve spent a few years together, youâve left little meaningful impact on my life.â
Standing just outside the door, Katherine overheard Shawnâs words, and a pang of sympathy for Lina tugged at her heart. She had come to the hospital for a checkup, only to witness such a straightforward confrontation between the two.
Linaâs face was a mixture of deep pain and rage. Katherine felt sorry for her but shook her head, reminding herself to see reason. She had trust in Shawn and knew he wouldnât say those words unprovoked or without a significant reason.
With that, she glanced down at the test results in her hand and smiled.
Just then, a man walked in with an older woman and a child about Auroraâs age. Katherine looked up and realized the man looked familiar. Before she could react, the man flew into a rage and charged at Shawn.
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