Crushed Affections

Chapter 25 Deserving of Death

After walking down a narrow path for a while, Bella noticed a shadowy figure in the pavilion ahead. She composed herself and quickened her pace.

Hearing the approaching footsteps, Simon stepped forward to greet her. "Belle...

Bella felt a strong aversion to his overly familiar way of addressing her and replied curtly, "It's Bella Jones.

Simon still bore some resemblance to his younger self from the photos, making him recognizable.

Faced with Bella's cold demeanor, Simon seemed a bit embarrassed. "Right... You took your mother's last name. It's a nice name.

"You know, we actually discussed your name before. We thought of calling you Cherry because your mother loved cherry blossoms. But then, everything changed so drastically."

Whenever Simon brought up the past, Bella felt like she was swallowing a fly. How dare he think a few words of fegret could earn forgiveness? He was the one who had caused all of this.

If he had even a shred of remorse, he wouldn't have waited until now to show up.

Bella shoved a stack of letters into Simon's hands. These are the letters my mother wrote to you but never sent. You should read them carefully and think hard about how much of a bastard you are. You ruined her life!"

Under the dim pavilion light, Simon opened the letters one by one, reading them intently without skipping a single word.

There were so many letters that it took him over an hour to finish. When he finally looked up, his face was streaked with tears.

"It's not that I didn't want to find you two. When I left, your mother was pregnant with you. Then I got swindled in business and ended up sentenced to three years in prison.

"When I got out, I was too ashamed to face you. I wanted to make something of myself before returning with honor, but by the time I had a bit of success... your mother was already gone...

It sounded almost excusable, but Bella's heart remained cold. "And you're innocent, right? So my mom deserved to be let down until the day she died?

"What about me? After my mom passed, I was still here, but you never once sought me out or fulfilled any of your obligations."

Simon took a deep breath. "At the time, I could barely make ends meet, constantly on the move. How could I have taken good care of you?

*H-knew you were doing well with the Miller family, so I didn't dare disturb you... But I've been keeping an eye on you. A few days ago, I saw some things about you online and found out you had left Miller Manor. That's why I came to find you." He saw things about her online? Bella frowned. Was it those rumors?

She didn't bother to ask Simon what he thought of the online gossip. Without a word, she turned and walked away.

She had done what she had come to do and never wanted to see this man again. Just as he had never been part of her life before, he was not needed in her life now.

Chapter 25 Deserving of Death

Simon quickly caught up and grabbed her wrist. "Bella! Please don't go. Give me a chance to make it up to you, okay? I know I was wrong. I deserve to die...

Bella angrily struggled to free herself, but she couldn't break free.

Leonard was watching from the shadows, and his expression grew sharp. He flicked the cigarette from his mouth, crushing it underfoot. By now, the ground was littered with cigarette butts.

Just as he was about to step forward, Simon let go of her hand. "You must be struggling financially after leaving Miller Manor, right? Here's a card, take it and use it as you please. Or why don't you come with me? Come to Holha. I'll get you an apartment and the best job." Bella threw the bank card to the ground. "I don't need t! Get out of my way! And don't contact me again. We have nothing to do with each other!"