Chapter 18

Estella came to her senses when she heard that familiar voice. Still, the psychological trauma caused by the harrowing experience made her break out in a cold sweat. Her face went white with terror.

Jenson didn’t notice the signs of her discomfort. He thought she was still mad at him. He rambled on, intruding on her space.

“I was in the wrong. I’ve made all the necessary arrangements for our wedding. Lake bought the wedding dress you chose. Let’s get married when we get home.”

Exella gritted her teeth and shoved Jenson away. She raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face.

“Jenson Moore, I made myself clear the last time we spoke. We are over. What the hell are you doing here saying these things to me?”

Exella couldn’t understand what Jenson was thinking. He and Emily had already gotten married, yet he was asking her to tie the knot with him now. It sounded like he was planning on having both her and Emily as his partners.

As the thought struck her, she found it utterly revolting. With an angry expression on her face, she took a step backward.

Jensen felt a sharp pain in his chest as he took in the impassive look in her eyes. He explained in a cracked voice, “Estle, can we not break up? It was because of my poor judgment that Emily found an opportunity to hurt and slander you. I’ve realized what I did was wrong, and I’ve already locked her out of the house. Won’t you come home with me?”

Estella hurled her honesty in disdain.

“If you truly realized what you did was wrong, how could you even think of coming to see me now? What made you think a simple apology would make me forget about everything you put me through and go back with you?”

Estella had always been very gentle during the six years they were together. Jenson felt inexplicably dejected when he noticed the barely veiled contempt in every word she uttered.

“Est, you can’t possibly be so cruel to me, I was tricked by Emily. I was only trying to help her. You have to believe me. I’ve never been intimate with her. She made up those lies to trick you. I didn’t lay a finger on her.”

Jenson naively assumed that Estella refused to forgive him because she thought he’d crossed the line with Emily. So, he eagerly tried to prove his innocence.

Estella scoffed. “You were only trying to help her? Did you manage to fool yourself as well after repeating those excuses way too many times?”

“You paraded around and took wedding photos together. You even let her move into your house and stayed with her in a room for an entire night… Do these things not count as being overly intimate? Does it only count as an affair after you’ve slept with her?”

Estella’s tone was so calm, it sounded like she was just having a casual conversation. Yet, Jenson’s expression slowly hardened with every word she said.

“Jenson, can you really say for sure that you never had any impure intentions when you did those things? Can you vouch that you never developed any feelings for Emily during those times?”

Jenson averted his gaze, looking rather flustered. He opened his mouth but failed to come up with a retort. Estella’s words had struck home.

Jenson couldn’t deny that he’d almost lost his restraint the moment Emily had kissed him. If he hadn’t spotted Estella out of the corner of his eye, he might’ve taken it a step further with Emily that night. Still, Jenson felt he’d merely experienced a common physiological reaction at that moment.

“Right. That’s just a normal physiological reaction any man would have. Any man would react the same way if a woman threw herself at them. Besides, I didn’t go all the way with her,” Jenson thought.

“Estie, I made a few mistakes in a moment of weakness, you’re the only one I’ve ever loved. Please give me a chance. Let’s start over, alright?” He reached out to Exella, trying to pull her into his embrace again. Suddenly, someone struck their arm between the two of them, effectively stopping Jenson from touching Estella.

“What are you trying to do?”

It was Howan. With a stern look on his face, he shielded Estella from Jenson with his body. Perhaps it was because they were both men—Jenson could tell with just one look that Howan disliked him. Anger rose within him.

“An outsider like you has no right to meddle in my and my girlfriend’s business: Get lost!”

Howan didn’t budge. He reacted monotonously, “As far as I know, she’s currently single. Who are you to call yourself her boyfriend?”

Jenson’s temper flared up when he heard those words. He knew Estella well enough to know that she wouldn’t easily disclose her personal matters to people outside her close circle. He tried to suppress his anger. He trained his gaze toward Exella and asked, “What’s your relationship with him? You’ve gotten close to another man when it’s only been a few days since you moved to Andberi. Don’t you feel guilty about it?”

Estella’s neat words rendered Jenson speechless.

“And under what capacity are you questioning me, exactly? As Tintly Luichard’s husband?”

Jon’s face turned grim. He knew that he’d never be able to get back the good care of that issue. He cast a quick glance at Howan, who stood next to Estella.

“Katie, give me some time. I’ll settle things between me and Emily. Then, I’ll come and take you home.” He clenched his jaw and strode off.