CHAPTER 22
I had known about Griffin and Chloe from the very beginning.
When had I first suspected? From the start.
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When Griffin hired Chloe despite her complete lack of qualifications and disastrous interview, I knew she was special to him.
As time passed, the signs became more obvious.
The way Griffin looked at Chloe–tender and indulgent–was nothing like how a boss regards an employee.
He always carried the scent of her distinctive tangerine perfume.
Brief, professional interactions would never transfer such a strong fragrance, yet it clung to him constantly.
Then there were the light brown, slightly curled hairs I found on his suit jackets: Griffin repeatedly tried to have me promote Chloe and help establish her in the
company.
Even when she consistently failed at her work, Griffin never considered firing her according to policy. Instead, he created a cushy reception position where she could be decorative without responsibility.
Any employee who dared mention Chloe’s obvious nepotism was promptly fired on some pretext.
If I so much as asked a question about Chloe, Griffin would react as if I’d touched a raw nerve, accusing me of inventing problems and being irrationally jealous. Later, I accidentally saw messages from Chloe on Griffin’s phone.
She sweetly reminded him that since he’d proposed, he needed to treat her well. The wedding shouldn’t be rushed, she insisted–she wanted to be the most beautiful bride.
That’s when I learned Griffin planned to marry Chloe.
The promise he couldn’t keep after my twelve years of waiting had been effortlessly given to another woman.
I can barely stand to recall how I felt then.
Despair, heartbreak, like my world had collapsed.
Outwardly, I had to pretend I knew nothing, allowing my heart to accumulate wounds until I could finally walk away.
Throughout this process, I had given Griffin countless chances.
Each time, he disappointed me.
Having collected enough disappointment, I left decisively and never looked back.
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Now, hearing Alex say I had known about Griffin’s plans to marry Chloe, Griffin broke down completely.
“When did you find out?” he asked, tears streaming down his face.
He couldn’t imagine how painful it must have been for me, watching him love someone else while pretending not to know.
“It doesn’t matter anymore. It’s all in the past,” I said, nestled in Alex’s arms, having no desire to revisit old wounds.
I was happy now and wanted to focus on the present.
Alex sensed my discomfort and held me tighter, as if trying to shield me from those memories.
“Tessa’s right, it’s over. I’m here now.”
Alex’s gaze toward Griffin grew colder.
“The only thing you should do now is stay far away from Tessa. Surely you can see she doesn’t want to see you anymore.”
Looking at me curled in Alex’s embrace, not even willing to grant Griffin a glance, he finally accepted that he had committed unforgivable wrongs.
“I’m not asking for forgiveness anymore,” Griffin said with a bitter smile. “I know I don’t deserve it. I just want to do what little I can to make amends.”
“Make amends? With what?” Alex scoffed. “Your shallow, insincere love? Or your
failing company?”
“Be honest–you’re not here to make amends. You just want to ease your own guilt, to make yourself feel better, regardless of what Tessa feels. Griffin Hayes, you’re rotten to the core.”
Alex’s words struck Griffin like a hammer blow, landing directly on his heart.
He left the estate in a daze, returning to the States like a drowned dog.
Back home, Griffin had no interest in saving his company. He spent his days and nights drinking, unable to sleep, Alex’s words constantly echoing in his mind as he whispered my name over and over.
He existed as a hollow shell of a man.
Then one day, a wild–haired woman covered in bruises plunged a knife into his heart.
It was Chloe.
Laughing maniacally, she stabbed him repeatedly.
Watching his blood pour out, she cried with savage pleasure: “Die, Griffin Hayes! This is your karma!”
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As consciousness faded, Griffin dimly thought: Yes, this is exactly what I deserve. This is the price for trampling on genuine love.
He didn’t fear death. He was alone, with nothing left to lose–just one miserable life.
But he missed me terribly, so very much…
In his final moments, Griffin seemed to see me at eighteen, smiling at him with bright, shy eyes.
“Griffin, if you want to go to Stanford, I’ll go to Stanford with you. I don’t have to go to Yale…‘
This time, the dying Griffin didn’t dismiss the young woman’s feelings. Instead, he imagined taking her hand and saying: “That’s sweet, Tessa, but it doesn’t have to be Stanford. If you want Yale, I’ll go with you.”
When news of Griffin’s death reached me, I didn’t return to the States.
We no longer had any connection to each other.
Years later, Alex and I had two beautiful children.
In our peaceful, loving life, I eventually forgot I had once given twelve years to a man named Griffin Hayes.
I was content with my present and looked forward to growing old with Alex, the man who truly loved me.
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