âIf you had fallen in love with someone else in Meridan and even gave birth to a child without telling me,
I wouldnât have blamed you,â Justinâs eyes gradually reddened with resentment, and his fingers curled
into a tight fist. âBut you lied to me. You claimed to have depression. You used your illness as a cover
and manipulated my emotions. You even attempted to force me into a marriage with you!â
âNo⦠itâs not like thatâ¦â Rosalindâs face turned pale, unable to speak coherently.
Only then did she realize how wrong she had been. When she had lied to him about having
depression, she had only thought of it as a means to hold onto Justinâs heart. However, she had
forgotten that both Justin and his mother were painful victims of depression themselves. He feared she
would follow in his motherâs footsteps, so he kept accommodating and compromising. It was also why
he had callously abandoned Bella, who loved him deeply.
Yet, she had not considered that once this colossal lie was exposed, she would not just have toyed with
Justinâs emotions but also humiliated his mother!
How could it even be possible to forgive her now? Impossible!
âMy motherâs condition and my past have become tools for you to manipulate me.â
Regret and anger intertwined in Justinâs chest, forcing a bitter, self-deprecating laugh out of him. âRose,
youâve made me feel like a fool.â
âJustin, itâs not like that. Itâs notâ¦â Rose stuttered.
Ryan shook his head, angrily questioning, âRosalind, you grew up with Justin. You should know better
than anyone how much pain he went through.â
âIf you had even a sliver of a conscience, you wouldnât have tortured and deceived Justin. How can you
use the memories of your youth together as moral blackmail? I doubt you ever truly loved Justin. How
could you do that to someone you claimed to love? Iâd rather be a bachelor for the rest of my life than
be in a relationship. Itâs too damn disgusting.â
âRyan, stop talking.â Justin didnât want to recall anything related to Rosalindâs past, let alone be
entangled with her again. âIan, I never want to see her again. Get her out of my sight immediately.â
âYes, Mr. Salvador!â Ian looked at Rosalind as if she were a pile of garbage as he forcefully dragged
her out.
âJustin! Who do you think you are? How can you treat me like this?!â Rosalind finally tore off her mask
of pity and shrieked hysterically, âAll these excuses youâve made to abandon me are so that you can
find a new love! Youâve fallen for Bella, and you donât want me anymore! Whatâs so great about that
bitch?! Did she save your life? From the very beginning, she approached you with a fake identity. She
had sinister motives! Isnât she deceiving you too?!â
âShut up! You have no right to compare yourself to her!â Justinâs bloodshot eyes widened fiercely, and
he roared at Rosalind like never before. âIf you say one more insult about Bella, Iâll make sure the Gold
family has no place to stand in this country! Get out right now!â
Justinâs furious countenance and ruthless words were like a massive boulder, smashing into Rosalind
and leaving her courage shattered. If it were not for Ian dragging her away, she
would have collapsed onto the ground long ago.
She never expected that Bella would have such a place in Justinâs heart. She never imagined that
using Bella as a cover would backfire.
Rosalind was dragged away, and the corridor returned to calm.
âJustin, no matter what, I must congratulate you, brother.â
Ryan felt relieved to see Justin turn Rosalind away. His large hand pressed heavily on Justinâs
shoulder. âNo matter how you were deceived before and for how long, as long as you can turn away,
itâs never too late.â
âNot too late, huhâ¦â
Justin gave a bitter smile. His shoulders trembled in dejection. Then why did he feel like everything was
already too late?