Chapter 17
Phillip, carrying the heavy bags, noticed Valerie had been stopped and quietly said, “Mrs. Walker, I’ll put these away first and come back shortly.”
Valerie nodded. “Thank you.”
Phillip quickly shook his head with a smile, saying it was no trouble at all, and then walked off with the bags.
Not far away, Valentina eagerly pulled Micah Sullivan toward Valerie, her face lit with a delighted smile. She glanced at Phillip, who had already walked away, and asked, “Who was that?”
Her gaze lingered on Phillip as she sized him up.
Aiden didn’t visit the Clark family often, and when he did, Valentina was never around.
There were no photos of him circulating, and he rarely gave interviews. To the outside world, he was an enigma.
But Valentina had heard rumors long ago. It was said that Aiden had been kidnapped as a child, which had left him with deep emotional scars.
He was paranoid, quick–tempered, and prone to violent outbursts. Some even said he was like a madman.
Marrying someone like that would be like ruining your life.
Valentina couldn’t help but feel a little bit of schadenfreude, but she smiled with a touch of innocent curiosity. She purposely linked her arm with Micah’s and asked, “Is this… your husband?”
Sure enough, the already complicated expression on Micah’s face deepened into one of clear disdain.
As a neighbor, he knew all about Valerie’s background. He also knew that since Valentina’s return, Valerie’s status had dramatically shifted.
But what Micah hadn’t expected was that Valerie would marry for money just to maintain the comfortable life she once had.
Valerie casually replied, “No.”
Valentina acted as if the pieces had just fallen into place, muttering to herself, “I thought so… he looks so young.”
Her voice wasn’t loud, but Micah heard every word clearly, and it only confirmed his belief that Valerie had made the wrong choice in marriage. A pang of disappointment struck him.
Valerie gave a faint smile, her expression a mixture of amusement and detachment as she raised an eyebrow. “Is there something you need?”
Valentina, still clinging to the tall, handsome Micah, looked incredibly sweet and affectionate as she smiled and said, “It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other. How about we have dinner together tonight?”
She turned to Micah, her smile wide and innocent, with no hint of ulterior motives. “Micah, is that okay?”
Valerie knew exactly how much Micah enjoyed Valentina’s pure, unassuming demeanor.
Micah seemed to reluctantly agree, turning his head slightly. “Whatever.”
Valentina quickly flashed him a playful smile. “You’re the best, Micah!”
But to her surprise, Valerie responded indifferently, “I’ll pass on dinner. I have something to do. I’m leaving now.”
Her cool, unaffected attitude reminded Micah of the time when Valerie had rejected his confession–like nothing had ever changed.
Micah’s expression darkened, and he snapped, “Wait!”
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Chapter 17
Valerie paused.
Micah stepped toward her, his voice sharp as he said, “Since Valentina invited you so warmly to dinner, can’t you at least do her the courtesy of accepting?”
Valerie gave a faint, knowing smile as she looked at him. “Are you asking me to give her face, or are you asking me to give you face?”
Micah’s expression shifted, his voice lowering as he said, “You’ve taken Valentina’s place for so long—giving her a little face should be the least you can
do.”
Valentina’s face appeared almost pitiful, but she still felt compelled to “be understanding” and tugged at Micah’s sleeve. “Micah, please… don’t say any
more.”
Micah sneered, “Have I said anything wrong? From the moment she entered the Clark family, her only value was to be the second Valentina. Thankfully, you were found, so her role as a substitute became useless. What I didn’t expect, though, was that she would degrade herself like this–marrying anyone just for money!”
Valentina looked uncomfortable and tugged at Micah’s arm, awkwardly saying, “Don’t say that. Valerie, don’t take it personally. Micah didn’t mean it…”
Micah’s anger flared. “If you don’t want people to know, then don’t do it in the first place! She’ll do anything for money and now she’s worried about what people say?”
Ever since Valerie publicly rejected him all those years ago, Micah had been carrying that grudge.
Now, hearing that she had fallen so low, he didn’t feel any satisfaction. In fact, the bitterness in his chest only grew stronger.
He couldn’t help but wonder if she regretted it–lying with some man every night, weighed down by his fat, after rejecting someone as good as him.
Valentina quickly tried to ease the tension. “Micah, that’s too harsh. Valerie didn’t want this…”
She lowered her head, choking back tears, and added, “It’s my fault. If I hadn’t come back, Valerie wouldn’t have had to make such a choice. It’s all my fault…”
Micah, his heart heavy, grasped Valentina’s hand. “It’s not your fault. She’s the one choosing to ruin herself. When a woman decides to degrade herself, no one can stop her.”
Valerie watched the two of them playing off each other, almost laughing with disbelief. “You two should really be on stage together. You’re perfect for a two–person act.”
Micah’s temper flared. “Valerie!”
Valerie lost her patience. “First of all, how I’m living now has nothing to do with you. Who I choose to marry is my decision, not yours.
“Second, I don’t owe Valentina anything, so stop trying to guilt–trip me.
“And finally, Micah, I’ve never liked you, so stop showing up in front of me thinking you can catch my attention!”
Her last words hit their mark, and Micah’s face burned with embarrassment.
It felt like she had exposed his feelings, and it made him both angry and ashamed. “You–this woman…”
Valerie didn’t stop. She kept walking toward the exit of the mall.
Micah, still fuming, shouted after her, “Self–deluded! Valentina is a thousand times better than you. You’re just an orphan, with nothing to your name. How can you even think you compare to her?”
Valentina quickly tugged at him, but a flash of jealousy flickered in her eyes.
Back in high school, she had already stolen him away from Valerie.
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Chapter 17
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In front of her, Micah was always polite, well–mannered, and the perfect gentleman.
But after all these years, this was the first time Valentina had seen him like this.
She thought, ‘So this is the real Micah–angry, frustrated, and with a biting tongue.‘
She could clearly sense how much Micah cared about Valerie, how every emotion seemed to be tied to her.
Even as Valerie walked away, Micah’s fists remained clenched tightly, his eyes burning with an unreadable intensity as he stared at her retreating figure.
Valentina pulled at his sleeve, forcing him to look at her. With a pitiful expression, she said, “Micah, are you still not over Valerie?”
Micah quickly snapped his gaze back to her, his demeanor returning to the polite, gentle version she was used to. “How could I? A woman like her–dirty and beneath you–could never compare to you. Don’t overthink it. The only one I care about is you.”
Valentina smiled, then leaned in to kiss him.
Micah eagerly responded, oblivious to the cold, calculating look that flashed through her eyes.
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