Chapter 272
Effie said, “When the love is gone, so is the hate. There’s just… nothing left.”
Mrs. Butler sighed wistfully. “I envy you. You’ve really moved on, haven’t you?” Neither Effie nor Mrs. Butler realized someone was trailing behind them.
Mitchell had spotted Effie at the hospital and, almost without thinking, followed her out. He hadn’t expected to overhear a conversation like this.
His hands clenched into fists, his eyes flickering with a storm of complicated emotions.
He muttered under his breath, “No… That’s impossible. How could you fall out of love so quickly? You’re just telling yourself that, just trying to fool yourself!”
After Effie helped Mrs. Butler check into her hotel, she headed downstairs and waited by the curb for a ride.
Suddenly, a figure sprinted toward her.
She instinctively took a step back, but the man barreled forward with the force of a bull and grabbed her shoulders.
Effie struggled hard. “Mitchell, have you lost your mind?!”
Instead of letting go, Mitchell pulled her into a desperate embrace.
“Effie, let’s get back together. I miss you I’ve missed you so much it’s driving me insane!” Mitchell’s voice was raw with longing.
Effie squirmed in his arms and shouted, “Mitchell, it’s over! We’ve been done for a long time!”
“No, we’re not done! You’re just mad at me, that’s all. You still care-if you didn’t, you wouldn’t be so angry, right? That just proves you still love me, doesn’t it?”
Effie was so disgusted she could barely find words. Her stomach twisted as if she’d been force-fed something vile.
“Mitchell, do you really need a reminder? The moment you cheated-when you started sleeping with Suzan-that was the end for us. And now she’s having your child, for God’s sake!”
Mitchell didn’t seem to hear anything except the word “child.”
He said, “Effie, I don’t love her. I never did. It’s always been you. Suzan, basketball, soccer, golf—they’re all just things I do to unwind, distractions. But I always come back to you in the end!”
“Why can’t you just be patient? Once Suzan has the baby, I’ll make sure she goes away and leaves the kid with me. I’ll tell everyone you’re the mother. We’ll be a family-you, me, and the baby, together forever.”
Effie had met shameless men before, but nothing on this level.
Did he really just compare women to basketballs and golf clubs, like we’re all just toys for him to play with? It was beyond disgusting. The utter lack of respect made her wonder how she’d ever fallen for someone like this.
“Mitchell, your love is worthless. The only person you’ve ever loved is yourself. Everyone else is just an accessory to you. You never appreciate what you have until it’s gone, and there’s no magic cure for regret.”
She paused, then added coldly, “And for the record, I have no interest in raising someone else’s child.”
Mitchell’s voice wavered. “No, Effie, listen to me. I only love you-really, only you. If you don’t want that baby, then let’s have one of our own! Wouldn’t that fix everything?”
He glanced over at the hotel entrance, and suddenly tightened his hold on her, trying to drag her toward the lobby.
At that moment, a sleek black Maybach cruised past the entrance. The driver leaned out the window, honking, and called out, “Hey, buddy can’t you keep your hands to yourself in broad daylight?”
He peered again, frowning. “Wait a second-something’s not right here!”