Lost Me Gained Regret

Chapter 4

“Fine.” I pursed my lips, ultimately deciding to leave a shred of dignity for him before Margaret. Or perhaps it was for my own sake.

For the moment, I couldn’t quite pin down Margaret’s purpose for her visit. Was she genuinely feeling she shouldn’t accept the necklace? Or was she there to declare. something?-

A flicker of emotion passed across Margaret’s face too swiftly to be caught. She smiled. “I was worried this necklace might cause some misunderstanding between you two. Seems like it hasn’t, so I’ll be heading back now.”

Emma escorted her out.

As soon as the front door closed, I stepped away from Bryant’s embrace, “You said it was for Steven, right? And Margaret’s married, isn’t she? Since when did she become one of Steven’s flings? Hmm…”

Bryant silenced me with a kiss, fierce and urgent, almost as if venting some frustration.

Only when I found it hard to breathe did he slightly loosen his hold, caressing my head as he admitted his fault. “I lied to you.”

#

He pulled me close. “Margaret’s divorced. I was worried about her, so I gave her the gift.”

I was startled. Then I got what Bryant meant by “Congrats on your fresh start” in the video.

I bit my lip, half-doubting, “Is that all?”

Margaret’s mother saved my life at the cost of her own. I couldn’t just ignore her.”

had heard about that from Emma. Bryant’s biological mother died during childbirth, and when he was five, his

being a stepmother, she was kind to Bryant, treating him as her child. She even went so far as

for that reason, it made sense.

but gently remind him, “Bryant, I believe you just wanted to repay a debt of gratitude, and you only see

necklace eventually ended up in

hadn’t completely vanished. They were just temporarily

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Chapter 5

Chapter 5

as if I needed to double-check to ensure what I read in the

was no mistake. Margaret, who parachuted to become the head of the Design Department, would be my direct

her?” Christine noticed my offbeat reaction, waved a hand before my face,

my phone, replying, “Yeah, Margaret is Bryant’s half-sister, the one I mentioned to you before.”

to the winds, but Christine and I, having been thick as thieves since college, had made a pact to stay in RiverCity, come hell

clicked her tongue. “Damn, talk

to what she

never even heard of her in the design circles.