Chapter 238: If It Were You, Who Would You Choose

The driver navigated the route to the hotel with steady precision. We sat quietly in the back seat, Christopher lost in his silence. From time to time, he cast glances my way but said nothing.

Since he wasn't inclined to speak, I felt no compulsion to fill the void with small talk. Silence accompanied us the short distance to our destination.

Upon arrival, Christopher finally broke the stillness with his deep, hoarse voice. "That little boy earlier, is he Jerry's cousin?"

I turned to meet his complex, dark gaze. "Yes."

His agitation was palpable. He instinctively reached for a cigarette, paused, and looked at me. Then, with a frustrated exhale, he crumpled the cigarette and tossed it into the ashtray. His eyes never left mine, and after a hesitant pause, he asked what had clearly been gnawing at him.

"Are you and Jerry together?" His voice held the faintest tremor.

I met his gaze steadily, feeling no guilt. The passage of time had altered much between us, or perhaps I had always known this moment might come. Christopher ultimately finding someone else, or me doing the same, seemed perfectly natural now. There was no reason to hide the truth.

So I smiled faintly. "Not yet."

"Not yet?" Christopher's eyes narrowed, honing in on my words.

I nodded, openly saying, "Yes, there are still some unresolved misunderstandings between us."

Christopher's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice dry and hoarse. "What about after the misunderstandings are resolved?"

I looked at Christopher seriously. "We'll probably be together. Then get married? Have kids? I don't know. There are too many unknown variables, but that's the plan for now."

As the weight of my words settled over us, the tension in the car became palpable. Christopher seemed momentarily paralyzed, scarcely breathing.

Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, he appeared particularly despondent. After what felt like an eternity, he took a deep breath, struggling visibly with his emotions.

His voice finally emerged, barely above a whisper. "What about me? Hope, you've moved far ahead, but it seems I'm still standing in the same place."

I licked my lips and exhaled a steady breath. "Christopher, let's be fair. Time has passed, and you have no right to expect me to stay in the same place. Back then, the one who couldn't even cast a glance on me was you; the one entangled with Evelyn was you; but the one who never gave up on me was Jerry."

I locked eyes with him, a bittersweet smile playing on my lips. "If it were you, who would you choose?"

Christopher fell silent, his hand clenched into a fist, veins bulging. When he finally spoke, there was a faint note of self-mockery. "You're right."

His expression grew more intense. "But you also said to be fair. Don’t I deserve a fair chance to compete?"

I slowly removed the bracelet from my wrist and extended my arm toward him. "Christopher, I know you command a vast empire now—the Valence family, the RF Group, even Jacquar, they all answer to you. But please, give me a way out."

On my fair wrist was a conspicuous scar, poorly healed and hypertrophic. It was a silent testimony to the depth of the wound.

Christopher’s pupils contracted, his voice trembling. "You have suicidal tendencies?"

"Depression," I corrected him with a sad smile. I withdrew my hand and reattached the bracelet, covering the scar. "Christopher, during our three years of marriage, you gave me wealth—houses, cars, shares, jewelry. But these were all things I exchanged for with my life."

Speaking of it now, there was no bitterness, just a matter-of-fact tone, as if recounting someone else’s story.

Christopher's voice faltered. "When did this happen?"

I looked out at the bustling traffic. "I was diagnosed the month you brought me back from Maple Valley."

His face grew ashen. "It was me…" He trailed off, disbelief contorting his features. "It was me who pushed you into depression?"

I gently shook my head. "It was also my own choice," I explained. "I'm not trying to make you feel guilty. I’ve moved on. I just want to live a good life."

Christopher asked, "What is a good life?"

I inhaled deeply, feeling a sense of release. "A life without you. The past was my own choosing. For the future, let's go our separate ways and live our own lives."

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Chapter 238: If It Were You, Who Would You Choose