Chapter 947 Conflict, How to Choose?
After a quick moment of feeling down, Charles suddenly burst out laughing.
Hannah shot him a surprised look, totally clueless about what was so funny.
Charles couldn't help but mess up her hair, like she was his favorite pet. "So, you're dumping me over this video?"
Hannah blushed, feeling like she was making a mountain out of a molehill. But seriously, it was his fault.
Hannah said, "You've made it pretty clear. No point in hanging on."
Charles grinned and pulled her back into his arms. "That video? It's fake, totally edited to mess with us."
"What?" Hannah was stunned. She didn't push him away as much and looked up from his arms.
Charles explained, "Violet got a brain injury from a kidnapping seven years ago and lost all her memories. When Carter found her, she didn't remember squat. After some treatment, she started remembering stuff, but only about me. So now she's super dependent on me. This afternoon, after I ran after you, she thought I ditched her and was so wrecked she wanted to jump off a building. She has severe breakdowns and can't handle stress! Given our childhood bond, how could I just let her do something crazy? So, when Lassie said you were just a friend, it was to calm her down. I had no choice but to go along with it. The person who sent you the video clearly filmed it secretly and cut out all the parts that made me look good to drive a wedge between us. Do you really think I'm the kind of guy who'd ditch you for someone else?"
Hannah stared at him, unsure whether to buy his story or not.
Hannah thought, 'He says the video was edited. Where's the proof? I want to believe him, but I don't trust myself! I don't think I'm good enough for a guy like Charles. My resemblance to Violet is the only explanation. Even though I'm plain-looking and come from a poor family, I will never be Violet's stand-in. Even if leaving him will break my heart, I'll never settle.'
Seeing her not respond, Charles got a bit desperate. "Believe me! I really only like you now."
Hannah asked, "What about Violet?"
Charles replied, "Once she's stable, I'll explain everything to her! She's super fragile right now, and I can't be honest with her at this moment. If she can't handle the shock and something happens to her, I'd feel guilty forever."
He never thought he was so important to Violet, nor did he think she would be so fragile.
But now the situation was different.
Violet had lost her memory and suffered from nervous breakdowns.
To be honest with her now would undoubtedly push her to the brink.
Hannah said, "I'm not asking how long you need. I just want to ask, have you ever thought about how I feel watching you be with Violet every day? Isn't that too cruel to me?"
Her words left Charles speechless.
Hannah understood him but couldn't be that selfless. "I know you feel responsible for Violet. When she was kidnapped and then went missing, you always felt it was your fault for not noticing in time. You feel guilty, so you want to make up for it."
Charles didn't expect her to see through his thoughts so clearly.
Hannah continued, "Do you know how terrifying guilt can be for a man? From today's actions, it's clear that you've already placed Violet as your top priority. You keep saying you like me and only see her as a sister. I can believe you for now. But you can't put me first. From your actions today, I can already see that you prioritize her in everything. I leave, while she wants to jump off a building. You go to her. For her, you admit we're just friends. For her, you didn't contact me all day and only came to find me after she fell asleep. Isn't that enough to explain everything?"
Her words were mature and insightful, not something a twenty-year-old would typically say.
It was as if she had experienced countless things and seen through everything, like an old soul.
Charles had thought it through before coming.
They were gonna stick with Violet through her treatment, and once she got better, he'd lay it all out for her.
But after hearing Hannah's words, he suddenly felt like a total jerk, realizing he'd been all about himself and hadn't thought about Hannah's feelings.
Charles sincerely apologized, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so selfish and not considered things from your perspective."
Hannah felt a lump in her throat and held back her tears as she turned away. "Let's just chill for a bit!"
After saying that, she started walking towards the dorm building.
Thinking she was heading back, Stella immediately stood up to follow, but saw Charles grab her and step in front of Hannah.
"Hannah, give me some time, at most six months! A top-notch psychologist just came to town. No matter what, I'll find a way to help Violet and then explain everything to her. Will you wait for me?" His tone was desperate, and his eyes were pleading.
Hannah looked at him quietly for a moment, didn't answer, and walked past him back to the dorm.
Stella quickly followed, glancing back at Charles while keeping up with Hannah, afraid of losing her.
Charles clenched his fists tightly at his sides. The veins on the back of his hands bulged from the effort and his nails dug into his flesh, but he didn't notice.
Back in the dorm, Hannah changed her shoes and went straight to bed.
Stella climbed up the ladder to her bed, lay on it, and asked curiously, "Hannah, what did you guys talk about? Charles didn't look right. Did you not clear things up? Are you still not reconciled?"
Hannah lay with her back to her, not responding.
Even if Stella was slow, she could sense something was off. Just as she was about to climb down, Hannah suddenly turned over and calmly said, "I broke up with him."
Stella paused mid-climb, her eyes widening in shock. "You broke up with him? Did Charles agree?"
Stella thought, 'Oh, please no! Even though I'm super pissed at Charles's behavior today. And I know that continuing like this is unfair to Hannah. But they are such a good match! It'll be such a shame if they break up just like that.'
Hannah said flatly, "He didn't agree."
She recounted her conversation with Charles to Stella in a calm tone.
Stella blinked at her, momentarily confused. "Hannah, do you really like Charles? Why aren't you crying? You just broke up with him."
Last time when something happened to Charles, Hannah cried so hard that she almost ran out of tears. But this time, she was unusually calm.
Hannah gave a self-deprecating smile. "Cry? Why should I cry? Crying over betrayal? I'm not that pathetic."
How could she not want to cry?
Any woman in her position would be crying their heart out, and Hannah was no exception.
But Hannah kept telling herself not to cry. 'I'm not the one at fault in this relationship; I'm the victim. If I cry, I'll not even respect myself.'
Even though she kept mentally telling herself this, Hannah's eyes were still red, tears welling up but stubbornly refusing to fall.
Stella felt a wave of panic. "Hannah, are you really planning to break up with Charles? Actually, if you think about it, Charles is right. Given Violet's current condition, if he explains everything to her, she might not be able to handle it. If something happens to her, the long-standing relationship between the Langley family and the Moore family would be ruined. From any perspective, it can't be done."
Hannah turned away from her again, showing her back. "I don't know. My mind is a mess right now! Stella, let me be alone for a while!"
She needed to sort out her thoughts and figure out what to do.
'If I choose to face it together with Charles, I might face even greater hurt. If we don't face it together, can I bear to give up this hard-won relationship?' Hannah's mind was in turmoil and her head was also a mess.
Stella looked at Hannah with a pained expression, climbed down the ladder, and returned to her own bed.
Hearing Stella leave, Hannah slowly opened her eyes, and tears silently fell, continuously streaming down.
Afraid she might cry out loud and worry Stella, she pressed her fist tightly against her lips, swallowing all the sounds.
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