The revelation stabbed Esme's heart, stealing her breath; the pain was unbearable. Julian's disdainful snort only added insult to injury.
For all those years, she had loved him with all her heart and soul, nurtured from childhood fantasies into a fervent desire to be his wife. She had devoted herself to him, sacrificing her own dreams and desires to make him happy. She veered from her father's aspirations for her to pursue law, opting instead for studies in business management, hoping to prove herself worthy of Julian's love.
But it had all been for naught. Julian never truly wanted this relationship.
"You knew from the beginning that I aspired to rise in my career," he continued. "Marriage was the last thing on my mind. But you, and my father, forced this on me! My father even threatened to disown me. Do you know how unfair it is?" Julian spat, his tone laced with accusation and resentment.
"You were so selfish that you only thought about yourself and your happiness," he accused her. "What about my dream and my happiness? You forced your way into my life when I wasn't ready for it."
The weight of Julian's accusations landed heavily on Esme's shoulders, each word like a dagger piercing her heart.
'I pushed myself into his life!' Esme muttered in her mind in shock.
She stood stunned there. The betrayal and the callousness in Julian's tone left her reeling, her heartache palpable in the charged atmosphere between them.
Esme had always known that she would one day marry Julian. She had gladly accepted that fate, believing that their love would flourish and grow stronger with each passing day. The prospect of their union had been etched into her dreams, interwoven with the promise sealed by their fathers' friendship.
But Julian had rejected her, crushing her dreams and her heart. He finally revealed the truth, stating things he had never said before.
"You didn't stop there." His rage escalated, his voice ringing with anger and frustration. "You even followed me around and questioned me. I told you I had nothing to do with Ruby, yet you kept snooping on me. You misled my father and prompted him to cause Ruby problems. You," he continued angrily, pointing at her, "your deeds drove a wedge between us. I'd had enough of your insecurity. So I chose to be with Ruby instead."
Esme snorted and turned her head aside, trying to hide her tears. 'Ruby manipulated him to get his sympathy and support,' she muttered to herself. She foolishly thought Ruby would never get back to Julian, but she was wrong. Ruby found her way to come back to Julian.
"We wouldn't have troubled her if she stayed away from you. But she stubbornly clung to you." She tried to justify her actions, but her voice was shaking.
"I can't believe this." Julian shook his head in disbelief, disappointment etched on his face. "Ruby is just a struggling model. I was only helping her," he clarified.
"Humph, there are many struggling models." Esme's retort dripped with contempt. "You are not helping others. She is a bitch. Why can't you see..."
"Enough!" Julian's voice boomed, cutting her off abruptly. "I am done with your insecurity and selfishness, Esme. I thought you would change, but you didn't. You are not the Esme I remember."
The accusation in his eyes intensified Esme's pain. The overwhelming feeling of being judged and misunderstood struck her like a relentless assault, the anguish in her chest deepening as Julian's words severed the last strands of hope she held onto.
"Do you know how difficult it is to survive in a new place?" Julian asked, squinting at her. "You forced my father to destroy Ruby completely. She was unable to live here and was forced to leave. Fortunately, I ran into her on a business trip a few months ago. She was in bad shape. I brought her back and promised her that I would assist her in her career to make up for your and my father's mistakes."
"You ran into her! Julian, she is a cunning woman. She is not as innocent as you think. It's all part of her plan." Esme desperately attempted to sway Julian's perception of Ruby.
Julian's father never liked Ruby. He had warned his son to stay away from that woman, threatening to kick him off the family property if he didn't.
Julian had to agree to the engagement but was not ready for the marriage. He had urged Esme to finish her master's degree first. To make him happy, she had agreed to this condition.
However, his father was not happy with the decision, as he feared Julian would get back to Ruby. To keep her away from Julian, his father had even offered Ruby money, which she had taken and left. He had never made her life miserable as Julian had claimed. What he did was out of concern for his son.
"We did nothing to hurt her," she continued vehemently. "She is lying."
"Enough is enough, Esme," he growled. His resolve remained unshaken. "You're still justifying your actions! What's wrong with you?" His voice growled with exasperation. "I'm done with this relationship. It ends now."
Panic seized Esme, her heart lurching at the thought of losing Julian. She pleaded, dropping to her knees, tears streaming down her face. "No, Julian, please. I love you. Don't do this to me."
"I don't love you." Julian's declaration cut through the air, leaving Esme in shock and disbelief.
Esme speechlessly stared at him. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out of her throat. It seemed as if she had lost her voice.
Julian had never loved her and never truly desired her. He had chosen Ruby, that cunning, scheming woman, over her. The thought of it burned like acid in her veins.
Julian nodded and admitted cruelly, "You heard me right. I don't love you, Esme. I never did. It's you who are crazy for me. I've never seen you as more than a friend." His words were a brutal blow, shattering her hopes.
Esme couldn't believe what she had just heard. Her mind raced back to the days when she and Julian were young.
She remembered how she used to say she'd marry him when she grew up and how he'd always respond with a bashful smile. Julian had never stopped her from saying things like this. In those moments, it seemed he adored her just as much. She wouldn't have dreamed about marrying him if she knew he didn't love her.
Julian removed his engagement ring and tossed it at her. "Just get out of my life. I don't want to see you again." He quickly put on his T-shirt and walked out. He paused at the doorstep and glanced back at her, who was still kneeling on the floor.
"You can stay here tonight. But leave as soon as the sun rises. I don't want to see your face when I return home." With that, he stormed out, leaving Esme devastated.