Second Chance: Marrying into Wealth Chapter 37

"How long are you going to keep staring at me? Are you planning to keep watching me like this forever?"

Christopher suddenly turned his head and looked at me as he spoke.

But when he met my gaze, he seemed to think of something and couldn't help but say, "Sorry, I mean, if you have something to say, just say it."

I shook my head, maybe because I was used to the way he talked to me. Besides, he apologized, which means he is also changing his harsh way of speaking to me.

"Christopher, do you really think I'm hopelessly stupid?"

I asked this question, but I wasn't waiting for his answer. I continued, "Actually, I realized a long time ago that I was very stupid, and because of my stupidity, I paid a huge price. I'm not afraid of you laughing at me anymore.

But I'm not making excuses for my foolishness. Lawrence approached me so smoothly back then, and he analyzed my preferences and personality so thoroughly. Besides his determination to win me over and his excellent acting skills, I feel like this was a conspiracy against me."

Christopher frowned. He looked at me without speaking, signaling me to continue with his eyes.

The more I thought about it, the colder my gaze became. "You know how my parents raised me. They never let me lack food, clothing, or anything, but they also never let me indulge in excessive comparison and vanity. So, in school, my lifestyle was just slightly better than average. How did Lawrence know about my family background and pick me out from so many people?

I always feel like there's a big net behind this, a huge conspiracy that I can't escape from."

A sense of gloom replaced my entire being.

At this moment, I seemed to be immersed in my own thoughts.

"Maybe you can tell me what happened?" Christopher said in a deep voice, suddenly speaking.

He didn't want me to fall into a state of madness and gloom.

At this moment, his eyes lacked the usual sarcasm and mockery. It seemed like a ray of light was shining on me, warm and comforting, making me unconsciously trust him.

I thought about it and realized there wasn't much I couldn't say. "It doesn't seem like a big deal, it's just..."

I told Christopher everything I knew, everything I had found out recently about what Lawrence had done to me. Although I tried to speak lightly, my nails had already dug into my flesh, and the taste of blood in my mouth kept me from losing control.

Christopher looked at me, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

I wiped away the tears that had unknowingly fallen again. Christopher handed me a handkerchief once more. This time, I didn't refuse and took it to wipe my tears.

"Sorry, I embarrassed myself in front of you again. I'm always like this, foolish and emotional. No wonder Lawrence could manipulate me so precisely. But for six whole years, even if he was acting, after spending so much time together, he should have had some pity for me, right? But he didn't have any.

He's a jerk, but I still can't understand. Am I really that bad, that unworthy? My sincerity was real, my efforts were real, so why wasn't I worth being treated well by him?"

The more I spoke, the more emotional I became. My tears quickly soaked Christopher's handkerchief.

Christopher's eyes showed a surge of emotion. He moved slightly closer to me, gently patted my shoulder, and softly comforted me, "You are worthy! Melinda, don't underestimate yourself."

"Am I really worthy?"

I looked at Christopher with tearful eyes, my voice still carrying the nasal sound of crying, like a lost child longing for affirmation, clinging to an answer.

Or maybe, seeking strength.

"Yes, you are worthy!" Christopher's magnetic voice was filled with determination.

Even though I was very sad, his firm gaze and answer seemed to smooth the shadows in my heart. I smiled, "Thank you!"

Whether it was because he comforted me or because he truly believed it.

At least, I didn't fall into self-doubt.

Otherwise, I would have fallen into Lawrence's trap. Over the years, Lawrence had gradually trapped me in a cage, training me like a beast, making me obedient and compliant.

Now, I was slowly breaking free from this cage.

Originally, Christopher was gently comforting me. When he saw me smile, his expression seemed a bit helpless.

"Alright, I guess you want to say that I'm acting like a fool, crying and laughing." If I made fun of myself first, Christopher wouldn't have the chance to mock me.

"I didn't." Christopher slightly averted his gaze and then replied calmly, "You can still joke around, it seems your mood has improved a lot.

That's more like it, the cheerful Melinda from back then."

My smile froze.

But then, like a sunflower, I bloomed even brighter. I couldn't help but lean my head towards Christopher, "So, that's how you saw me back then."

I then took out my right index finger and waved it in front of Christopher, "But back then, my impression of you wasn't that good."

Christopher seemed startled by my sudden closeness, his ears turning red, and he instinctively took a step back, widening the distance between us.

But when he heard my words, his pupils contracted, and his eyes seemed to light up before quickly returning to calmness, "Then tell me, what was your impression?"

I thought for a moment, "Cold, unapproachable, even a bit indifferent. And it wasn't just me who thought so, Lawrence thought the same."

Lawrence's name slipped out of my mouth.

Then I immediately shut up.

I had to admit, Lawrence had a deep influence on me. His shadow was always present in my life.

I secretly glanced at Christopher, afraid he might be angry.

Fortunately, this time, although Christopher's eyes were deep, he wasn't angry. He just said calmly, "Could Lawrence ever say anything good about me?"

"True!" I couldn't help but nod. Back then, my heart leaned towards Lawrence, and I was a bit afraid of Christopher. Occasionally, when he spoke sharply, it seemed a bit harsh. So when Lawrence said the same, I felt a sense of resonance.

"But I'm curious, why didn't you get along with Lawrence? He was good at pretending and capable. He could be on par with you. Was it because of competition that you disliked him?"

This was purely a guess, so I blurted it out.

Maybe because Christopher already knew everything about me, I subconsciously considered him one of my own, so I spoke more casually.

Christopher slightly lifted his eyelids and looked at me, "Do you think I'm that narrow-minded?"

"No..." I wanted to explain something.

His gaze became distant and profound, hard to see through, "You don't understand me at all. I don't like Lawrence simply because we are not the same kind of people. I saw through his false facade at a glance."