Chapter 619

“When Teresa married me, I was the only man in her life. Even if we hadn’t gotten married, given her character, she would never break up a family, and she certainly wouldn’t play the innocent victim for sympathy,” Jonathan declared emphatically.

“So how could someone I care about ever be like Liora, a woman who tried to come between you and my dad?”

Irene shook her head helplessly. “She doesn’t love you. She was never sincere with you. I still remember, right after your divorce, you came home drunk, collapsed on the bed, and sobbed. Do you have any idea how that made me feel?”

Jonathan turned away. “That’s between her and me. As for our marriage, she never wronged me.”

Irene shook her head resignedly. “Forget it, you’re already divorced. There’s no point in my holding anything against her anymore. But you absolutely cannot remarry her. She’s only after your money. That’s why she keeps stringing you along.”

Jonathan was about to retort when his phone suddenly rang. He answered. It was Sanford. After hanging up, Jonathan told Irene that he needed to go to the Thomas residence. “You don’t have to see Liora if you don’t want to. I’ll go alone.”

“Wait a moment,” Irene said. She gathered her things from the table. “I’ll go with you,” she told Jonathan.

At the Thomas residence, Liora sat alone in the courtyard, her frail body swaying precariously.

Vivid memories flooded back. The towering locust tree still stood in the yard, its flowering season long past, with scattered petals from spent blossoms dusting the ground.

Liora was still lost in thought when Jonathan and Irene arrived. Her gaze fixed intently on Jonathan.

For a fleeting moment, it was as if she saw Yorick standing before her. But the illusion lasted mere seconds. As Jonathan walked over to Sanford, it dawned on her that the one who had passed away was long gone.

Just as Liora was about to bring up the past, Irene beat her to it. “I’ve already told Jonathan everything.” Irene had no qualms about repeating the whole thing right in front of Liora.

Sanford’s expression darkened as he listened to Irene. He couldn’t believe that Liora had been that obsessed with a married man back then. He turned to Liora, his voice tight. “Mom, is what Irene said true?”

Liora was stunned. She never expected Irene to be so upfront about what happened back then. She didn’t deny it. Since Irene was being honest, she’d be honest too.

Back then, Irene laced the wine with poison, intending to kill Liora. But it was Yorick who ended up drinking it. Although he was rushed to the hospital in time for emergency stomach-pumping, he still suffered some lasting effects.

“Back then, Yorick pleaded with me not to hold you responsible. Out of respect for him, I kept this secret. If Sanford hadn’t been detained and nearly dragged to court by Jonathan, I wouldn’t be using this against you now.”

This was precisely why Irene had prevented Jonathan from pursuing charges against Sanford earlier, when he was about to sue Sanford for defamation.

Haunted by the fear that Liora would expose her poisoning attempt from years ago, Irene buried her guilt and resentment deep, pulling strings to ensure Sanford was released after just a few days in detention.

“Mom, what happened next?” Sanford pressed, his eyes fixed on Liora. “If the one you loved was Yorick, then how did you end up having me with Werner?”

Liora let out a deep sigh. Back then, after Yorick regained consciousness, she realized how much her inappropriate advances hurt him and his family. So she decided to leave his world behind and never look back.

That night, as she left Nareigh, Liora drowned her sorrows in alcohol once again. The agony of unrequited love felt like having her bones scraped clean.

In her drunken haze, she seemed to glimpse a tall figure. Clinging to the man, she caressed his face and sobbed, “Yorick, I’m sorry. If there’s an afterlife, I’ll make sure to meet you before Irene does.” And then she pressed her lips to his.

She thought it was all just a wild, uninhibited fantasy where she indulged every desire. To her horror, Liora woke to find Werner lying beside her. Only then did the horrifying truth dawn on her: She was so drunk that she mistook Werner for Yorick.

Werner also woke up, rubbing his temples with a wry smile. He turned to her and apologized, saying he was also very drunk last night.

Liora blurted out, “I was drunk too. Let’s just pretend last night never happened. I have no interest in you, and I certainly don’t need you to take responsibility for me. Anyway, I’m leaving Nareigh for good. I won’t be coming back.”

“Why? You’re doing fine here, aren’t you?”

“I have to leave. Otherwise, I can’t face Yorick. Only by leaving can his life get back on track, and I can finally put him behind me.”

Werner sighed heavily, “If you’re really leaving, I should return your money. I’ve let Yorick down. I never should have taken your money and sold him out so many times.”

Liora shook her head. “Keep it. That amount means nothing to me. You’ve always helped arrange those ‘chance encounters’ with Yorick. If anything, I should be thanking you.”

Werner said apologetically, “Please, take it. After what happened between us last night, I just can’t help but feel guilty.”

Liora said, “It’s Yorick you should really feel guilty about. His health isn’t great. You ought to look after him more.”

Werner asked, “Why isn’t Yorick’s health great?”

Liora hesitated and then said softly, “I’d rather not say.” She dressed and left for good. In her carelessness, she had forgotten to take her contraceptive pills.

That reckless night ultimately led to her conceiving Sanford, though she remained blissfully unaware of this fact at the time.

Her father’s health had been failing. He wanted to hand her the full reins of the family business, seeing it as her proving ground. She was already planning to relocate the company to Shaville for further development.

Not long after leaving, Liora began feeling distinctly unwell. Then, with a jolt, she realized she hadn’t had her period in two months. A hospital checkup confirmed she was pregnant, leaving her utterly panicked and bewildered.

Liora knew exactly who the father was. The baby could only be Werner’s, since she’d never been intimate with Yorick.

Liora wanted to terminate the pregnancy, but it felt like fate was punishing her for her past mistakes. The doctor warned her that her uterine lining was dangerously thin. If she went through with an abortion, she might never be able to conceive again.

Liora wrestled with whether to keep the baby. Ever since she left Nareigh, she’d vowed never to marry, not in this lifetime.

The man she loved was married to someone else. Worse still, she was the reason he drank poison and suffered lasting health complications. As an emotional purist, she could never bring herself to marry someone she didn’t love.

Chapter 620