Ethan balled up his fists, but in the end, he had no choice but to reluctantly let it go.
If he really beat Christopher up, the three best friends would return to being distant and strained around each other after having recently overcome many obstacles to reunite.
"Fine, fine! The three of you have been dragging it out for so many years now that it's all a big freaking mess! I'm so tired of it and want nothing to do with it anymore. Just do whatever you like!"
Ethan quickly turned and stomped away. He still had a lot on his plate. In fact, even his dad declared that this week was his last stint of freedom! If he lost that criminal case, he'd be locked up behind bars and face a harsh sentence for a long time.
What mattered most to him was finding a good lawyer to help him win the case right now. But no matter where he looked, he still found that the only person suited for the job was Zack, yet Zack was Joanna Pierce's employee, and he had unfortunately been in a battle royale with her today. It really looked like he was in deep s**t now!
"Mr. Smith," Christopher called out after Ethan was gone. "Mrs. Smith, I am deeply sorry for all the trouble I've caused. I will do my best to make amends. For now, let's focus on calming Cecy and helping her to recover. If there's nothing else, please allow me to excuse myself."
He then bowed humbly at them. Although his words were sincere and polite, he was unmistakably defiant and unyielding.
Seeing this, Cecilia's mother could no longer hold it in and immediately burst into tears. She grabbed Christopher's arm and begged him, "Don't do this, Chris! You've been with Cecy for so many years now! How can you just give her up so easily? Both of your families have gotten along so well, and you're both at an age when you should get married, so please don't give it all up just because you've stumbled onto a small obstacle! You can always begin again with a clean slate. Even if the passion between you two has died down, you can still get along in harmony… After all, love isn't the most important thing in marriage. What's more important is how suitable you are for each other. You know how those couples who love each other to death don't always end well!"
"What you said made a lot of sense," Christopher smiled, "but I've had enough of being a good son in the eyes of my parents, a good friend in the eyes of my friends, and a good boyfriend in the eyes of my lover. I've had enough of following all the rules I'm expected to follow. Please understand me, and please understand Cecy too. I truly believe… that this is what she wants as well."
Christopher paused for a while, then added, "You know that Ace is now single again, and so is Cecy. Nothing would be in their way if they wanted to rekindle their relationship. If that happens one day, then I'll be the happiest person for them!"
"So you really are jealous!" said Cecilia's mother. "You must really believe that she still has feelings for Ace, but that's really not true! Cecy is just…"
Cecilia's mother desperately tried to explain everything, but the door behind her suddenly opened.
Cecilia stood there with a face as pale as a sheet.
"Mom!!!" she yelled. "Stop it! I respect his decision, and I wish him nothing but happiness. Please just let him go and stop embarrassing me and making things awkward for him, okay?"
The truth was that she had long sensed that Christopher no longer loved her. She knew that this day would come sooner or later, though she wished it had happened before her wedding so at least she would not have to bear the label of a divorcee.
She chose to jump off the cliff partly because of the pain Ace inflicted on her, but perhaps, more significantly, Christopher's cold difference.
These men no longer loved her, and the realization came as a huge blow. She felt like a failure. She felt hopeless. That was why she momentarily lost her mind and did such a stupid thing.
Christopher looked at Cecily apologetically and told her, "I know you still love Ace. To be precise, you've never stopped loving him. He's free now, so pluck up your courage and fight for him!"
It was then that Ace stepped out of the elevator
His arrival left everybody stunned.
Cecilia's mother was the first to react. Seeing that her son-in-law Christopher really was going to slip through their fingers, she quickly latched onto Ace instead.
"So you've come, Ace! Cecy here has been talking about you just now. There's been a misunderstanding between you two. I think it's high time you clear it all up!"
"The truth is," she continued, "Cecy was inexperienced and very naive emotionally through those years. That's why she…"
"Mom!" Cecilia interrupted her, feeling humiliated. "Didn't I tell you to stop talking about that?"
Both of these men once loved her deeply, but right now, neither of them wanted her. This came as, without a doubt, a huge blow to a woman like her. If her mother kept on fawning over these men, trying to please them so they'd take her back, she would soon be left without a shred of dignity!
Christopher, on the other hand, seemed unperturbed. He even casually patted Ace's shoulder and half-joked, "I'll leave everything here to you now. I trust that you'll handle everything well."
His calm and nonchalant attitude made Ace seem like the groom who had wrongfully left his bride at the altar, not him.
Ace wasted no time and asked Cecilia, "Would it be convenient for you if we spoke in private?"
Cecilia bit her lips and nodded almost flirtily. "How could it be inconvenient when it comes to you?"
Ace then followed Cecilia into the private ward. Once they were both inside, Ace closed the door.
They were initially standing very close to each other, but when Ace noticed that Cecilia was trying to get nearer to him, he took a huge step back away from her.
"You fell into the sea and almost drowned," he said. "I think you'd better lie down and rest."
This made it awkward for Cecilia, but she then quietly stepped away from him and returned to her bed. Yet when she looked into Ace's eyes, she saw that they were gentle and filled with affection.
"So you're not as cold and heartless as you look!" she observed. "I still mean something to you, and you still care about me, right?"
"Of course I do," Ace replied honestly, not trying to deny anything.' You're still the woman I used to love very much, and you're one of my few confidantes. I'm not a robot made of steel and iron, so of course, you mean a lot to me, and I definitely do care about you."
"Used to?" Cecilia smiled bitterly. There was such a painful expression on her face that it was obvious how heartbroken she was. "I'd rather you never loved me at all. That way, I'd never have to endure this agonizing pain of losing you."
That feeling of being loved was so blissful and perfect that it made it that much more excruciating when she realized that she had lost the love he used to feel for her!
'Not this again!' Ace thought, helplessly massaging his temples.
He had no idea when the Cecilia he knew, who used to be so level headed, independent, and optimistic, would become so difficult, a person whose mind was filled with nothing but love and romance!
"Let's not talk about this anymore," he replied coldly. "Let's just let go of the past and move on. The more you bring it up, the more you'll make it awkward between us. We might end up not even able to be friends with each other."
"So you're saying there really is no chance for us?" Cecilia asked, unable to take it anymore. With tears in her eyes and having lost most of her self control, she began to raise her voice. "Even if both you and I are not married, even if we're both single right now, there's no chance we'd be together again?'
"That's right!" Ace answered without any hesitation. Looking straight into Cecilia's eyes, he attested, "There's no chance we'd get back together. I don't love you anymore, and it doesn't matter if you'll marry Christoper. Do you understand?"
Cecilia felt as if her heart was slashed into a thousand pieces. Because of the extreme agony she felt, her face was drained of all color, and she looked frail and weak.
But this time, she no longer had any stupid notion of ending her life.
'Men are just dumb pigs!' she thought. 'They're just not worth it!'
Cecilia took a deep breath and wiped away her tears. Then, with a stony face, she asked, "Since you have no feelings left for me, why pretend you cared and took the trouble to come all the way here?"
"There's only you and me here now,' said Ace, getting straight to the point. "Can you tell me if Joanna actually pushed you into the sea?'
"Hahahaha!"
Cecilia, who had been weeping bitterly just moments ago, suddenly burst into laughter as if she had just heard a hilarious joke. In fact, she kept laughing uncontrollably for a while.
Ace frowned, visibly displeased. He asked her, "What so bloody funny?