Chapter 13
Archer always knew Violet had a crush on him since they were kids, but he only ever saw her as a little sister. The night his buddy told him she was going to confess her feelings, he was taking Holly home to meet his parents. To avoid any awkwardness, he rushed into marriage with Holly and moved overseas with her.
At first, Holly was really into him. Maybe they moved too fast, and with work piling up and other guys trying to flirt, their marriage started to fall apart. Her late explanations only added to the problem.
Meanwhile, Violet spotted Archer’s posts on Instagram and started leaving gifts at their doorstep. Archer knew Violet was also married, so what she was doing could spell trouble for both their marriages. He planned to quietly get rid of the gifts, but the day he tried, Holly caught him in the act.
That moment brought all the unspoken issues between them to the surface. After that, Archer quietly divorced Holly and returned to his home country. With his parents living overseas, he had no one to turn to.
He intended to stay at his family’s hotel, but somehow, Violet got the news about his divorce and came looking for him. Archer was pretty timid. The boldest thing he’d ever done was quietly divorcing Holly. He shot down Violet’s advances, insisting he had a place to stay. But she acted like she didn’t hear him and stubbornly dragged him back to the Padden villa.
Archer figured Dylan would never let him stay there and hoped it might be his way out. But to his surprise, Dylan said yes. Later, when the renovations at Archer’s place were finally done, he waited for a day when Violet was out and quietly moved out.
They’d been friends for years, and he really didn’t want to mess that up, but every time he turned her down, she seemed to take it the wrong way, which added to his frustration. Archer felt a tinge of guilt now that he had learned that Dylan and Violet had divorced. He felt he shouldn’t have returned to the country at all.
Ignoring Violet, Holly stepped up and yanked Archer from behind her. “Archer!” Violet instinctively tried to pull him back, but Holly’s bodyguards stepped in front of her. “Archer, I realize I was wrong before, and I’m really sorry. I promise that won’t happen again. Will you come back home with me?” Holly said.
Archer hesitated, uncertainty clear on his face. “Archer, don’t go along with her!” Violet yelled, looking flustered. She knew all too well how much Archer had gone through because of Holly over the past few years. He’d just be asking for more pain if he got back together with Holly.
Valerio, standing close by, nodded along. “Yeah, Archer, Violet’s the one who really stands by you.” Archer looked down at Holly’s hand clutching his, took a deep breath, and lifted his gaze to meet Violet’s eyes. “I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done.” Violet’s face broke into a million pieces. “Archer,” she began.
“I truly appreciate all the help you’ve given me over the years, and now, I’ve finally mustered up the courage to say…” Archer bit his lip. “I’ve been a pushover my whole life, never knowing how to say no. I really… I always feared that saying no would break your heart, and I never thought you’d take it the wrong way. I’m really sorry. Dylan’s a great guy, and I owe him an apology as well. Violet, I think it might be best if we go our separate ways.”
At last, the scene was over. The crowd drifted away one by one, leaving Violet alone in the villa. She fell back into a deep funk. Mandy couldn’t help but feel frustrated. Every time Violet faced heartbreak, it seemed to lead her down the same dark road, and Mandy was genuinely worried about her health. Violet had no one like Dylan to pull her back up this time. The string of setbacks completely changed her. Meanwhile, the gossip about her exploded online and even crossed the ocean.