“So I have come to the wrong place. Additionally, you won’t stop your father from suppressing the Tanner family, right?” I asked in a deep voice.
“Of course. Why would I help my rival?”
Monica walked to the portrait and ran her fingers over it. She looked at Christopher delicately and said, “I treated him as my significant other since I was eighteen. He is my husband and my lover. Whenever he liked something, I would try my best to like it and to accept it. I never enjoyed savory food, but he liked them a lot, so I forced myself to like it too. I loved him with all my heart, so how could I stand and watch him being taken away from me?”
“So your intentions are the same as your father. The Tanner family will be spared only if I leave Christopher, right?”
“Not to leave him, but to give him to me!” Monica continued to emphasize word by word. “Chris was supposed to be mine! I’m only taking back what is rightfully mine! The Tanner family is insignificant in the eyes of the Martin family. Perhaps, you’re cruel enough to ignore the fate of the Tanner family.”
“Give him back to you?” I instantly lost some respect for her. We talked together when I was on the brink of death, and I always felt that she was a decent girl from a respectable family. I thought that Christopher would be happy to be with her if I were to die, but now I was starting to despise her.
“Monica, have you forgotten something? Chris is not an object. He belongs to himself, and no one else.” I raised my tone at once.
Monica sounded calm and gentle even when she was angry. “Don’t be angry. I’m always grateful for all the things you have done for Chris. There is no need to be persistent. Think about it, being together with Chris won’t necessarily be good for you, but there will be more benefits if you leave him. I heard that you’re participating in the National Youth Art Exhibition and Contest, and the manager happens to be a member of my family. All you have to do is to say the word, and you can win any position you want.”
I began to regret coming over to look for Monica. All women would go to great lengths for their loved ones, and even Monica was no exception. Why did I even assume that she was different? Even a goddess like her would become a mere mortal after she had lost her love.
“So that’s how you got the first place when you participated in the Prix Musica that time.” I sneered.
Monica slammed the table and shouted, “Be mindful with your words. Don’t insult my skills.”
“Then, please don’t insult my art and my love.” At this point, there was nothing more for me to say to her. I turned around and left the mansion. At the entrance, I heard Monica yelling at me from the garden. “Yvonne, I must admit that you are right, but I will not give up on Chris no matter what.”
“I don’t think I’m the suitable person to cheer you on. Goodbye!”
The negotiation failed. How should I save the Tanners now? Although Nathan was harsh on me, I was still a member of the Tanner family, and that was an undeniable fact.
I sighed in my heart. In the end, I still had to go to Sabrina. When I was about to call Sabrina and ask her out, I met Christopher outside the Martin residence. He was in his orange Maserati, holding his head while casually looking at me with Mitchell sitting beside him. The atmosphere between the two wasn’t pleasant, and it became worse after they saw me.
My first instinct was to come up with an excuse for me to look for Monica. I contemplated between discussing piano with her and talking about the concert. In the end, I could only smile and wave at them. “Hello, Mitchell. Hi, Chris. I have something to do. I gotta go.”
