Chapter 260 Excuse
“Dalton, it’s a misunderstanding!” Lydia pleaded.
Dalton retorted with disbelief etched across his face, “A misunderstanding? Lydia, I never imagined you could be so cold-hearted. To frame Meryl, you’d even jump down the stairs yourself? If you’re this ruthless to yourself, what else are you capable of?
“By dragging her down like this, you’re hoping to turn everyone against Meryl. She’s your sister! You two have lived under the same roof for years! How could you be so cruel?”
For a brief moment, Lydia felt lost, her mind racing back to a familiar scene from three years ago.
Dalton had stood there, furious, confronting Meryl after he’d learned about Lydia’s kidnapping by a gang of thugs.
“Meryl, you viper! Lydia is your sister, and she’s done nothing but look out for you. How could you send those guys after her?”
“Meryl, you’ve let me down. Someone like you shouldn’t even be in this world!”
Back then, she had been the one sobbing uncontrollably, Dalton by her side, comforting her while he lashed out at Meryl.
But now, three years later, the roles had flipped. Dalton saw her as the villain, the wicked woman.
A chill crept through Lydia.
She grasped Dalton’s arm desperately. “Please, Dalton, let me explain!”
Perhaps it was her injury that made her look so worn down.
Her face was bare of makeup, and she gazed up at him, eyes shimmering with tears.
“Ever since you got back from Griffore, you’ve avoided me. You haven’t answered my calls, and it’s driving me insane.
“Dalton, I’m terrified you might leave me. Do you know what I’ve been going through every day? I wait in an empty house for you to come home, only to find myself waiting for days without a word.”
As the words tumbled out, her voice trembled, and tears streamed down her cheeks.
“I did all of this because I love you. I was afraid Meryl would take you away from me. I panicked at the thought of you two rekindling your old flame, and that’s why I tried to undermine her.
“I just wanted your full attention, Dalton.
“I know I messed up, and I’m sorry. But please believe me, it was all out of love. I’ve never done anything this harsh to Meryl before. This is the first time, and it’s killing me inside.”
“That’s enough!” Dalton interrupted, his tone icy.
He didn’t want to hear any more of Lydia’s excuses. She had just publicly dumped all the blame on Meryl, trying to play the victim.
Dalton wasn’t fooled; he had finally seen through Lydia’s facade.
The way she had leaped down the stairs without a moment’s hesitation showed this wasn’t her first time pulling such a stunt.
Dalton questioned, “Love me, love me–does that mean every time something goes wrong, you use that as an excuse?
“Lydia, you lied to me about playing the cello, saying it was because you loved me. Now, you’re still hiding behind that same old excuse.
“If loving me leads you to commit such despicable acts, then don’t bother loving me at all!”
His voice grew colder with each word, finally reaching a near roar.
When he raised his voice, Lydia’s tears froze on her cheeks.
Lydia pleaded, “Dalton, I already apologized to Meryl! Why won’t you let this go?
“If that’s not enough for you, I can go apologize again. I’ll beg her. Is that what you want?
“Just tell me what it takes to make you feel better.”
She was so desperate, her hand reaching around Dalton’s waist, sobbing uncontrollably.
The sound of her quiet whimpers felt like a descent into darkness, her shoulders shaking with grief.
On any other day, Dalton would have felt his heart breaking at the sight of her like this.
But right now, all he did was pull out a tissue and hand it to her.
“You’re still sick. The doctor said you need to rest. Wipe your tears and stop crying, alright?”
With that, he gently removed her hands from his waist and turned to leave.