Hidden Desires - Family Secrets-Chapter 172 Can you try to forgive her just this once? Part 4

I sighed deeply, then shuffled my feet toward the couch.

Regardless of how tonight would unfold, there was plenty of time, and one more evening wouldn’t hurt.

Whether things with Betty went south or not, I wanted to cherish every moment a little longer.

The weight of reluctance was heavy in my heart.

"I’ll make some tea..."

As I moved, Betty had just returned to the dining table, cloth in hand, ready to wipe it down.

Seeing me step forward, panic flickered across her face.

She quickly placed the cloth on the table and dashed to the coffee table to grab the teapot, her eyes wide with turmoil as she glanced back at me.

The moment I moved, Betty must have thought I was about to leave.

In her flurry, she started making tea, perhaps as a way to keep me around even if just for a little while longer.

I hadn’t planned on leaving, so I settled down on the sofa.

Betty, busy with the tea, let out a small sigh of relief.

In the past, Betty often made tea for me.

In this house, I was treated like royalty; I did nothing after coming home.

After dinner, Betty would make tea, and I would relax in front of the TV while she tidied up.

Sometimes, when I was too tired, Betty would massage me, even wash and rub my feet.

Betty was all virtues with hardly a flaw, and she didn’t need to do all this, but she did.

All these acts were why I found it so hard to let go of Betty, and why her betrayal was unbearable.

During my lowest moments, I had even considered suicide.

My father had died early, and I had been alone for a long time.

Visit frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓ for the b𝘦st novel reading experience.

After stepping into society, I faced countless hardships and disdain, but I persevered until I met Betty.

She gave new meaning to my life.

However, our inability to conceive hit me hard.

The day we got the diagnosis, I ran to the riverbank, knelt in the pouring rain, and cursed the heavens.

Betty knelt behind me, her arms tightly wrapped around me.

We were soaked, but her warmth shielded me from the cold.

If she hadn’t held me then, I might have jumped off the embankment.

I couldn’t accept the reality, and the despair was deep.

Yet, it was Betty who pulled me back from the brink, offering care and love.

The next day, she caught a severe cold from the rain and was miserable for days before she recovered.

"Thud..." The sound of the teacup hitting the coffee table snapped me out of my reverie.

The scene was all too familiar, and the memories had me bewildered.

I picked up the cup, its familiar aroma of tea wafting up.

I looked up at Betty, who stood before me, her hands twisted together.

Part of it was nervousness, and I noticed her left hand’s fingers scratching the back of her right hand.

She quickly covered it up, but I still saw a patch of red, probably a burn from making the tea.

"Let’s talk..." I said, putting the cup to my lips.

Before the tea could touch my mouth, I glanced at the clock—it was 6:47 PM.

Time was pressing.

I set the cup back on the coffee table and turned to Betty.

Hearing my words, Betty stiffened, then slowly sat beside me.

Her expression was a mix of panic and fear.

From the moment I entered, she had been avoiding sensitive topics, trying to maintain our usual routine.

But this issue had to be faced, and now that I had brought it up, she could no longer avoid it.

Her greatest hope was that we could avoid these discussions and unknowingly return to normalcy, but that was wishful thinking.

"How long have we been married, Betty?" I picked up the teacup I had just set down, savoring the familiar rich aroma with a sip.

"Five years and eight days..." Betty’s voice trembled as she spoke, a deep resonance of emotion evident.

Five years and eight days.

That night at my house, the night I caught Betty with Michael, was our fifth wedding anniversary.

Eight days had passed since that night, and to me, those days felt as long as years.

"Over these five years, you’ve been my rock, my support. Without you, I might have given up on myself, become a castoff of society. I’ve always cherished how you’ve treated me, the kindness you’ve shown..." Today, I was ready to open up and really talk with Betty.

"No, I never wanted you to feel indebted to me. I love you, and everything I’ve done has been willingly, for you. I never wanted to leave you. Do you know how agonizing it was waiting for you to come home? "

"I hate that I couldn’t control everything. If I could turn back time, I wish it would have been just the two of us..."

Betty’s words sparked a flicker of hope in me, her tone laden with regret, and it seemed she had developed a distaste for Michael. What mattered most now was her stance, and our future hinged on tonight.

"If you had to choose between me and Michael, who would you pick?" I asked, voicing the question that haunted me every time I replayed that video in my mind. But before I could finish, Betty interrupted.

"I choose you, without a doubt..." She didn’t hesitate, her response immediate.

Hearing this, I felt a surge of relief and satisfaction. I had fantasized about this moment, wondering how she would respond. Even a hint of hesitation would have made me doubt her, but her immediate answer showed that I mattered more to her than Michael, giving me a reason to forgive her.

"You know, if we’re going to get back together, Michael can’t be part of our lives anymore..."

Now that Betty had given her answer, I steered the conversation towards a more practical issue.

Betty’s eyes dimmed slightly at my words, but she looked at me firmly, her expression saying it all.

She was a sentimental person; her brief time with Michael had given her a taste of motherhood, a bond she cherished, yet her resolute demeanor was enough for me.

"Aren’t you curious about what will happen to Michael if we get back together?" I pressed further to gauge Betty’s reaction. Her face showed confusion and worry, but it settled into resignation.

"I know you well enough to trust that you won’t hurt him. That’s why I won’t ask. From now on, let’s make Michael a forbidden topic, okay? "

"I don’t want to play mother anymore. I don’t need that kind of bond. I just need you by my side, nothing else matters, even if we end up penniless... "

"Honey, can you forgive me?" Betty leaned against my shoulder as she spoke, her approach cautious. When she realized I wasn’t pulling away, she rested fully, tears brimming in her eyes.

After hearing Betty’s words, I was deeply moved. Despite everything, Betty was still the most important person in my heart, the only thing I truly cared about.

With her, I had a complete home. The turmoil of the past days had subsided somewhat, and my heart was softening. But having been through this ordeal, my feelings towards Betty were mixed with resistance and fear.

If I forgave her, I wasn’t sure I could withstand another betrayal. Was it braver to give this relationship another chance, or was it better to end the pain once and for all by letting go?