Chapter 321 Affection
The pain caused Dalton to sweat, but he bit down hard, refusing to utter a single word.
Chandler, with little patience left, knew Dalton was defiant. “Seems I’ve been too lenient with you.”
With a sharp crack, Dalton’s finger was twisted out of place. The searing pain shot through him, making his entire body convulse. Sweat rolled down his cheeks as his breath grew ragged, each exhale feeling like a blade slicing his skin. But even with the agony pulsing through him, Dalton remained silent.
His jaw clenched so tightly that blood seeped from his gums, yet his eyes burned with unyielding resolve. After a long pause, Dalton finally forced down the pain and spoke through gritted teeth. “Chandler, you’re nothing but an opportunist.”
Meryl was shocked as Dalton dared to address Chandler by name. She glanced at Chandler, noticing how his expression turned even colder.
“You only took advantage when Meryl and I hit a rough patch,” Dalton continued. “If Lydia hadn’t clouded my judgment, you wouldn’t even be in the picture. You rushed to marry Meryl because you’re scared."
“You’re terrified that our childhood bond, our years of history, is something you could never break. So you preyed on her when she was vulnerable, manipulating her when she needed comfort the most. You’re a coward, Chandler! A vile snake who will stoop..."
Dalton staggered, barely keeping his balance as the pain threatened to overwhelm him. His face twisted in agony, but he refused to show weakness before Chandler. His cold stare was full of hatred and defiance.
For the first time, Dalton openly defied Chandler. The entire Aniston family feared Chandler’s ruthless ways, and Dalton had always been wary of him. But now, with so much pent-up anger, he couldn’t hold back any longer.
Dalton knew full well that he might have just crossed a line and might end up like his father, Morton, to be cast out of the family by Chandler. But fear didn’t grip him.
The tension in the room was thick. Chandler merely chuckled in the face of Dalton’s tirade, his eyes brimming with mockery.
“Yes, I took advantage of the situation. But what can you do about it?” Chandler taunted. “You were the one who didn’t value what you had, and now you want to blame everything on Lydia? Have you no shame, Dalton? Can you really claim you did nothing wrong?"
“The woman you cast aside like trash is the love of my life, and let me tell you honestly, I’ve loved Meryl for a long time, and we’re perfect together. So if you can’t handle it, just suck it.”
As he spoke, Chandler pulled Meryl to him again. He even leaned in and kissed her forehead.
Beneath his tousled hair, his eyes sparkled. Especially when he spoke of Meryl being the love of his life, those eyes seemed to hold the entire cosmos, glimmering with sincerity.
Meryl felt the warmth on her forehead and looked up, only to be met with Chandler’s gentle, earnest expression. A stark contrast to the cold demeanor he showed Dalton.
For a moment, Meryl couldn’t tear her gaze away as if she was spellbound by the man before her.
Meanwhile, John, standing to the side, was practically choking on the display of affection. He thought, “Oh, for heaven’s sake, is this really fair to a single guy like me?”
Even John felt a pang of jealousy, so he could only imagine how Dalton must have felt. Chandler had even kissed Meryl. An undeniable, in-your-face show of triumph.
Watching Chandler flaunt his affection for Meryl right before him, Dalton’s face drained of all color. He wanted to lunge forward and tear them apart, but the pain from his broken finger was too intense.
Chandler’s words hit him where it hurt the most, and Dalton couldn’t find a single rebuttal. He knew deep down that every word was true, stripping away his last shred of dignity.
The glass of the living room’s floor-to-ceiling window suddenly shattered, and the frigid winter wind rushed in from outside. The icy air cut through Dalton, chilling him to the bone.
It felt as though an invisible hand was squeezing his throat, the suffocating pressure making it hard for him to breathe.