Chapter 203 Restored Messages
The car cruised down the road.
Wilber Gilbert couldn't help but steal glances at the beautiful woman beside him.
The window was slightly down, and the evening breeze tousled her cascading black hair. Her pale, slender fingers danced lightly on the steering wheel, guiding the car's with subtle turns. A faint smile played on her lips—confident yet understated.
Wilber found himself staring, transfixed.
Why hadn’t he known that Luann was such a standout and a stunning woman?
What would it matter if she made a fool out of him?
Back then, he thought Luann was just some unimpressive country girl who kept him at arm's length.
Now, he realized they had been on the cusp of talking about marriage. All he had to do was wait it out, and she would have been his, right?
"Isn't your neck sore from all that twisting?"
Her straightforward, melodious voice floated to him.
Wilber snapped back to reality, hurrying to look away.
He stuttered. "Luann, I've been meaning to ask you..."
"Ask away."
Wilber pressed his lips together, his fingers unconsciously tightening.
"Why... back when we were doing so well... why did you betray me?"
The sharp screech of the brakes cut through the air.
Wilber lurched forward, the seatbelt snapping him back.
Luann's eyes, clear as autumn water, flickered with annoyance. It was unclear whether Wilber’s question or the sudden red light had caused the car to stop so abruptly.
"Were we really that good together?"
Luann asked, glancing at him.
Wilber was speechless.
At the office, he never acknowledged his relationship with Luann. Their commutes were always staggered, as if they were strangers.
He never gave Luann any romance.
Most of his time, sweet nothings, and patience were reserved for Juliet Weaver.
"If you didn't say a word, I'd think we were just friends back then." Luann's voice was calm, devoid of sarcasm or regret.
"Anyway, I'm not you. I wouldn’t cheat on anyone."
"Let's not pin those ugly words of betrayal on me."
As he listened to Luann, Wilber remembered the scene he had witnessed that morning, as he burst into a room filled with resentment.
"I saw it with my own eyes. Why are you lying to me?”
“So is what you see with your eyes always the truth?" Luann's tone was suddenly sharp. "Then deception would be too easy."
Wilber's jaw clenched. "What are you saying?"
Luann glanced at the time and smiled slightly.
"It's still early. Why don't we unravel your troubles today?"
With that, her finger lightly tapped on the GPS.
The car veered off its original course, heading toward an unknown destination.
Half an hour later, the car stopped.
"Where am I?"
"I told you before. I went to the hotel because I received your text. The message might have been deleted, but it's not like it can't be recovered, right, Wilber?"
Luann Weaver's dark, glossy eyes fixed on Wilber.
"Do you still use the same phone?"
As he watched Luann’s confident demeanor, a thought bubbled in Wilber Gilbert's mind, but he was too afraid to confront it.
"No..."
"Bring it out."
Wilber obediently complied.
Every single deleted text was restored – a collection of well over a hundred.
Luann scrolled through them steadily, unhurried.
On the other hand, Wilber stood sweating incessantly by her side.
The moment of truth seemed to loom closer, something Wilber felt he couldn't bear...
As time ticked by excruciatingly slowly, Luann’s voice finally lifted like a spring brook. "Found it."
Wilber's hand trembled as he reached out to take his phone back.
His pupils dilated.
On the screen was the message:
“Luann, do you know what day it is? It's our second anniversary. Are you free tonight? I want to surprise you. Meet me here.”
The date stamped below was a sure testament that this event had happened.
Wilber's pupils shrank, and his body swayed.
"How could... this... be possible..."
"It seems unlikely, but it happened," Luann said faintly. "It's a good thing I found it, or else I would never have known how long you've been with Juliet."
Wilber's teeth chattered, and he steadied himself against the table.
Juliet was the only one who could have had access to his phone.
Their anniversary was something he had personally shared with Juliet.
At that time, Juliet had playfully made a fuss, insisting he spend the night with her. After they were done, he fell asleep, and the day was already bright when he woke up.
Then, Juliet opened her eyes and told him that her friend had seen Luann at the hotel, which led to his fury and storming over without listening to Luann's explanation.
As he pieced together the entire incident, Wilber was filled with regret, confusion, and anger.
“Why didn't you tell me? You had the power to clear things up, you know. You could have restored those messages and proved your innocence right to my face!"
Luann Weaver's slender eyebrows arched, her eyes quickly veiled with a layer of scorn.
"What are you trying to accuse me of doing? Do you even remember what you did at the beginning? You blocked every means I had to contact you.
"And what's this about proving my innocence? You started it. I didn’t do a thing. You misunderstood me. Why should I have to prove anything? If it weren't for your tangled mess with Juliet, do you think any of this would have happened?"
Wilber froze.
A chill ran through him.
His momentary lapse had set him on a path away from Luann Weaver.
Luann's tone took on an edge of disgust. "You cheated, and you had the audacity to come back? I don't know how you can be so shameless."
When Luann saw Wilber with Juliet, she had decisively cast aside their relationship like a forgotten dream.
"I..." Wilber started to speak but found himself at a loss for words.
The whole ordeal had been a trap set by Juliet...
No wonder she had said she might possibly marry Myron several times. It was likely just to gauge his reaction.
When she saw him so unaffected, she had tried to protect herself by framing Luann, aiming to turn him against her so she could marry him instead.
And that way, the woman who was supposed to marry into the Curtis family would change...
After piecing together the logic of the whole affair, Wilber struggled to believe that the fragile woman, who had called his name so tenderly, could be capable of a scheme like this.
"Luann, I had no idea things were so complicated back then. If I could do it over again, I would trust you! I'm sorry for the pain I caused you, and for bringing about your marriage into the Curtis family."
Luann Weaver raised her hand.
"Stop. I should be thanking you for not marrying me. Otherwise, I never would have ended up with a wonderful husband like Myron."
