Chapter 1649 His Disappointment
"Okay." Laura stood up stiffly. "Godmother, if Derek and I insist on being together no matter what, will you hate me?"
"I won't hate you, nor will I go to great lengths to break you up. My pride and upbringing don't allow me to do such things."
Violet said solemnly, "I just want to tell you, some things leave no room for regret. One decision can change the fate of many people. As for the future, whether you will find happiness after hardship or end up resenting each other, no one knows."
With that, Violet left.
Laura sat there in a daze.
She didn't know how much time had passed when the door to the private room was kicked open. Derek walked in anxiously. "Laura, I'm late. Did my mom say anything harsh?"
Laura looked up at him blankly.
This was the man she loved now.
He was so young, handsome, smart, and clean.
Would their future be happiness after hardship? Or would they end up resenting each other?
"What's wrong? Say something. Did my mom say something hurtful?" Derek, seeing her bewildered look, got anxious and pulled her up from the chair, hugging her tightly.
"No, didn't you say last night that your mom wouldn't say anything harsh?" Laura forced a smile. "Do you suddenly not believe that now?"
"That's right. From what I know of my mom, she wouldn't." Derek cupped her small face, his handsome face full of tension. "But my mom can be very persuasive. I was afraid she would convince you to leave me. I wanted to come over early, but I got caught up with work at the office."
Laura smiled bitterly inside. He really did know his mom well. "Don't you have work today? Is it okay for you to come out like this? Go back to work."
"I'm not going back. Something's off with you." Derek stared at her intently.
"Derek, can you not let work be delayed because of me?" Laura just wanted to be alone for a while. "You work for the country; work should come first, and love second."
"It's a critical time right now. To me, you're the most important at the moment." Derek gripped her arm tightly, his tone becoming agitated. "Don't talk to me about working for the country. I'm not the president; I'm just an employee."
"But this will make your parents even more disappointed. They'll think I'm affecting your career," Laura pushed him. "Go, go to work."
"If you don't tell me what my mom said to you, I'm not leaving."
Derek sat down on the chair, his stubborn demeanor making Laura frown tightly.
"Godmother said there are many people online like Michael. Derek, even if your family can't do anything about us, how will the outside world view us? Will they think like Michael, assuming I was involved with you before my divorce?"
Laura looked at him with particular fear. "There are many people in this world with dirty minds. You haven't experienced the feeling of being accused of the worst things when you've done nothing wrong. No matter how you explain, it doesn't help. That feeling of helplessness and despair is awful. I don't care about myself. For you, I can face it, but I have parents, I have children, and I'm the founder of DreamDazzle Beauty Co. If something goes wrong, how can I face Cassie and the passionate employees? Even Maeve might be pointed at when she grows up."
Derek's dark eyes gradually darkened. "Laura, you promised me yesterday. It's not even a day, and you don't believe me?"
"Can you stop the online rumors? Can you keep our relationship from getting out? That's impossible."
Laura said with a pale face, "Sooner or later, people will find out. Not just me, but others might say you seduced a married woman."
"So you're planning to give up?" Derek's eyes were filled with anger.
"I don't know. Can you give me a few days to calm down?" Laura looked at him with red-rimmed eyes, pleading. "I admit I'm scared, I'm weak, I'm not as strong as you. That's because I've been betrayed over and over again. I'm afraid, I don't have that much confidence."
Derek stared at her for a long time, his eyes filled with pain, disappointment, and a hint of anger.
It seemed that in this relationship, he was always the one charging forward recklessly. He had everything planned and reached out to her, but she still didn't dare to be brave.
The two of them silently looked at each other for a while.
Derek stepped back with a cold, handsome face.
"Fine." He nodded. "I'll give you time, but if I take ninety-nine steps towards you and you still don't take even one step, there's nothing I can do."
With that, he turned and slammed the door as he left.
Laura closed her eyes, and tears instantly streamed down.
It wasn't that she didn't want to take that step; she was afraid that even if she did, they would still face public condemnation, and there was Michael, the ticking time bomb. With Michael's crazed behavior yesterday, would he let it go?
Laura wasn't sure at all.
When Laura returned to the company in a daze, she didn't go to the lab but to the CEO's office.
Cassie was startled by Laura's lost look.
"Cassie, they all know about Derek and me." Laura hugged Cassie and cried, telling her what had happened in broken sentences. "I can feel that Derek is very disappointed in me. Actually, I'm really selfish. When I was dating him, I was happy, but I didn't dare to think about the future. I just wanted to enjoy the present. I didn't dare to think about the future."
"That's normal. You just got divorced and started a new relationship. Who dares to think about the future, especially marriage? It should be taken seriously." Cassie comforted her. "Actually, your concerns are valid. Given Michael's agitated state yesterday, he definitely won't let it go. He might even do something extreme."
"Yes, I always feel like he's changed after being provoked by Megan." Laura suddenly shivered. "Cassie, if you were me, what would you do?"
Laura asked, then immediately dismissed it herself. "Forget it, why am I asking you? Your mom is the richest woman in the world, and your stepfather is even wealthier. You have power and money. If you want to date any man, just a beckon of your finger, and even his parents would want to please you."
Cassie laughed. "If I were you, I'd go public with the relationship first."
Laura stammered, "What?"
Was there something wrong with her ears, or was she hallucinating?
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