Chapter 137 Thank You for Once Loving Me
Marcus was momentarily taken aback by the question.
"Well... I will figure something out."
"What can you do? I am Sebastian's wife, legally bound to him. If I were to run away, he would have every reason and means to find me."
"But if you continue to stay by his side, it will only..."
"It will only what? Marcus, I genuinely appreciate your concern during this time. If only this concern had come earlier, it might have been somewhat useful."
Isabella interrupted him. "Marcus, if I escape, the Wallace family will be finished."
"The Wallace family hasn't shown you much gratitude either."
"What about my grandmother?"
Once again, Marcus fell into silence.
Isabella spoke in a matter-of-fact manner, conveying the reality, Sebastian's power, and her own powerlessness.
"And have you thought about your family?" she asked.
"If Sebastian finds out that you helped me, he'll effortlessly crush all of them."
"I can't afford to think about that now, Isabella. I just want you to be yourself again, not someone called Mrs. Lawrence."
She sneered, "Every time I see you like this, I really want to ask, Marcus, when I was desperate and had nowhere to go, why didn't you show even a fraction of this concern?"
"Isabella..."
Marcus let out a long sigh.
"The Wallace family went bankrupt, and my father was eager to sever all ties. To prevent me from assisting you, all my accounts were frozen."
"You never told me," Isabella furrowed her brows.
"Because I didn't have the chance," Marcus replied.
"After that, I was put under house arrest, and my phone was confiscated. That's why you couldn't reach me. I was confined in the Cooper family's residence, unable to do anything."
Isabella's expression gradually became serious.
This was something she had never known, and no one had told her.
Marcus's voice was low, filled with infinite sorrow.
"I knew everything, yet I couldn't do a thing to help. On the fifth day of my confinement, I watched you in tatters, borrowing money at the door, screaming at the top of your lungs, and even kneeling in the pouring rain for so long..."
"My heart ached, I felt powerless, I wanted to rush out, but the door was locked. I could only stand by the window, helplessly watching you."
"To be safe, my father continued to keep me locked up until you never appeared again. Fortunately, I had a few friends who quickly transferred me some money. With the money in hand, I went to the hospital for you."
"But... you refused. Your attitude towards me was so cold, there was even hatred in your eyes. Emily slapped me, and I thought I deserved it. Every word she said was true."
Isabella's figure swayed, almost losing her balance.
Now, at this moment, she finally knew the truth...
She still remembered when Marcus came to the hospital and gave her the card, saying that he had his own difficulties.
Isabella couldn't help but find it funny back then. What kind of lousy excuse was this? With the Cooper family's assets worth billions, what was 600,000 to them?
But it turned out... it wasn't that Marcus didn't want to help her; he couldn't help her.
And by the time he finally gained his freedom to act and brought the money to the hospital, it was already too late.
Sebastian had taken a step ahead.
One wrong step could lead to further mistakes, and it could change one's destiny forever.
"So, it is like this..." Isabella murmured, "life is indeed like a play, and a play is like life."
Marcus raised his hand and held her shoulder.
"I'm saying all this not to ask for your forgiveness or seek sympathy. It's my incompetence, my failure to protect you. If I were stronger, if I had control over the Cooper family earlier, none of this would have happened."
She smiled.
"But it's not your fault, Marcus. I have always wrongly accused you... I'm sorry."
"Isabella, what I want is not an apology. And I don't think you've done anything wrong. I understand that, in that situation, you could only choose to marry Sebastian."
Isabella lowered her head, refusing to look at him.
"Tell me, did you marry Sebastian because of money or other unavoidable reasons?" Marcus asked.
"The whole of New York is discussing it. Sebastian's old love has returned, and you are just a puppet, a dummy, Mrs. Lawrence..."
"I'm sorry," Isabella said these three words again, "I apologize for my harsh words and misunderstandings in the past."
"Isabella, answer my question."
She took a deep breath, met his gaze once again, and said word by word, "Okay. Marcus, it was because of the money, but also because he treated me well. There were no other reasons. You've thought too much."
Marcus shook his head.
"I don't believe it."
"It is the truth, whether you believe it or not doesn't matter. Let's leave it at that," Isabella said.
"Thank you for loving me in the past and thank you for everything you've done for me. But in the end... it was too late."
"Then," Marcus's hand on her shoulder trembled unconsciously, "do... do you still love me?"
She smiled in response.
"I am a married woman. The one I should love is my husband, Mr. Cooper."
Marcus's eyes were filled with sorrow.
"I have lost you... failed to protect you, Isabella," his voice choked, "I should be the one apologizing to you. If I were stronger, this wouldn't be the outcome."
Looking at her former lover, Isabella's heart was filled with mixed emotions, eventually turning into a deep sigh.
Perhaps in life...That's how it is, unpredictable, uncontrollable, missing out, it's a lifetime. There won't be any possibility between her and Marcus anymore.
"I don't blame you anymore, really," Isabella said, "You've tried for me, fought for me, and afterwards, you've tried your best to make it up to me. I understand all that. During the time we were together, you didn't let me down, and I didn't let you down either."
Since neither of them betrayed each other, why did they drift apart?
Such is fate.
Seeing Marcus' slightly reddened eyes, Isabella couldn't help but feel emotional.
"Thank you for telling me the truth. I'm at peace now, and I've let go. There are no more knots in my heart. For the rest of my life, I wish you..."
"Without you, Isabella, whoever I'm with is just settling."
She looked at him. "Your fiancée, she was chosen by the Cooper family, right?"
Marcus nodded. "Yes."
"She must be a prestigious lady, marrying her," Isabella said. "With her family's influence, she can help you gain control of the family more quickly and allow you to take charge of your own life."
And she...Has no fate with him.
As for whether Isabella ever loved Marcus, she felt like... it was perhaps just so-so.
Their marriage was predetermined long ago by their parents' order and the arrangement of their families. After Isabella grew up, it was destined that she would marry him.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
