Chapter 1188: Breakup
Little Bunny raised her glass and drank with Theodore, seemingly oblivious to anything amiss. Theodore sneered. He thought, Is her nonchalant reaction to that picture because she simply doesn't care about me?
"Theodore, are you free lately?" she asked, setting down her glass.
Theodore regarded her indifferently, wondering how long her façade would hold.
"I promised Nicholas a trip to the amusement park. If you're free, we could go together. He hopes you'll spend more time with him."
Theodore laughed. "Little Bunny, you're truly striving to be the perfect mistress. No matter what I do, you maintain this pretense of ignorance, don't you?"
Little Bunny fought back her emotions. Seeing the photo of him with another woman had been unsettling, yet she'd clung to the belief that it wasn't true. This allowed her to remain outwardly calm. She was not impulsive; she wouldn't create a scene without concrete evidence.
Theodore's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Or perhaps you have no feelings for me at all, so you don't care if I sleep with other women?"
After a silence, she replied, "Because I don't believe it's true."
Theodore was surprised, yet dared not hope. Could she possibly still trust him?
"If you were tired of me, I believe you'd tell me directly, instead of this. The phone call this morning, the photo... I believe it's a misunderstanding," she said, her gaze earnest. "Since it's a misunderstanding, I don't want this to affect our relationship. I don't think it's necessary."
"Do we have a genuine relationship?" he countered.
"Since I've promised to be with you, to build a good life, I will work hard to cultivate our relationship."
"Work hard? ...What if effort fails?"
"Theodore, everything takes time. Many things can't change overnight. Look at Commander and Hannah. They loved each other deeply, yet misunderstandings and difficulties now make reconciliation impossible, let alone for us. Give us time; things will unfold naturally."
He knew this was true. He'd always believed time would change things, that she would eventually develop feelings for him. This was why he'd kept her by his side; he'd never considered letting her go.
But now, he had no time. He couldn't be so selfish as to make her wait. He wasn't even sure how long she could wait.
"But I don't have the patience anymore," he said.
Tears glistened in her eyes.
"I'm not single-minded, nor particularly patient. I admit I had feelings for you, I envisioned a life together. I thought I'd stop seeing other women, like Oscar and Manuel; I'd become a good man and father. But I'm not them. I can't be loyal to only you. When I see other women... I can't help myself. The woman on the phone this morning, the photo—it's true," Theodore confessed lightly.
Even as Little Bunny's eyes reddened, he remained unmoved.
"I didn't tell you directly to avoid embarrassing you. You've been with me the longest, the only woman I've seriously pursued, my child's mother. I didn't want a bitter, acrimonious end. Frankly, if I hurt you this badly, my father might kill me," he said, taking a drink. "Little Bunny, adios."
She felt a profound distress, her vision blurring. Surprisingly, she didn't hate him. She'd once believed she hated him for making her life so difficult, but now, only pain, a deep ache, remained.
She'd decided to build a life with him.
Fighting back tears, she said, "Theodore, can't we give each other more time? One day, you'll tire of this, you'll want a normal, warm family. Is giving up now really necessary? I don't care about today. I know you're just... playful, and in the future, if you just try to restrain yourself... Don't do this again, or, at least, not frequently."
"Not frequently?" Theodore echoed, his tone laced with sarcasm. "Meaning I can occasionally cheat, and you'll pretend not to know and continue living with me?"
Little Bunny gritted her teeth, uncertain of her ability to endure. She'd always believed he'd eventually tire of the outside world and return to her. His treatment of her lately had given her hope.
"Little Bunny, don't be so cheap," Theodore said coldly.
A tear escaped.
"This isn't about forgiveness. I'm abandoning you, understand? I'm tired of you. I want you to leave me, to live my life freely with other women!" he snapped, his voice thick with anger.
Little Bunny listened silently.
His estrangement these past days stemmed not from busyness, but from lost interest. She'd been deluding herself.
She nodded. "I see."
Theodore's heart ached. Her words were a sharp sword, piercing him. He'd rather she'd slapped him, cursed him. He couldn't bear her silent endurance, her tears unshed.