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His late and deep affection, I don't want it anymore
NovelShort
Hoàn thành
Five years after James Gilbert and I ended things, we crossed paths again at a mutual friend's wedding. Our eyes locked for a heartbeat before sliding away—a tacit agreement to pretend we were stra...
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第1章
Five years after James Gilbert and I ended things, we crossed paths again at a mutual friend's wedding.
Our eyes locked for a heartbeat before sliding away—a tacit agreement to pretend we were strangers.
After the reception, a tipsy old friend pulled me aside, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
"You know, after you two split, every girl he dated was a carbon copy of you. Everyone in our circle knew they were just replacements." She swayed slightly, gesturing with her wine glass. "But this Miss Walker... she's the only one who doesn't look a thing like you. And she's stuck around the longest."
She leaned in closer. "I think he's actually fallen for this one."
I offered a polite, practiced smile and said nothing.
Maybe the Layla Henson of five years ago would have gone mad trying to wring an answer out of him. But this was five years later. Time didn't wait for anyone.
Besides, I already had someone I was going to marry.
1.
As I walked out of the hotel banquet hall, a group of friends started heckling, insisting we move the party to a second venue. The chant went up: *No one goes home until they're wasted.*
Before I could voice my refusal, someone shoved James Gilbert right next to me.
"Old Gilbert! Layla came all the way back from Yunnan!" A friend slapped James on the back. "You two started from scratch together back in the day. You haven't seen each other in years—you need to catch up properly tonight!"
Maya Mason, standing closest to me, winked. Her expression was teeming with insinuation.
James didn't respond. He simply reached out and took the suitcase from my hand, his movement natural, automatic.
I glanced at my wristwatch. It wasn't time yet. I nodded and slid into the car.
I took the front passenger seat. James and Scarlett Walker sat in the back.
The engine had barely turned over when a voice, sugary and cloying, drifted from the rear.
"James, you still haven't introduced me to this older sister." Scarlett's fingers traced lazy circles on his sleeve. "At first, I thought you two were strangers. I almost made a fool of myself."
She was speaking to James, but through the rearview mirror, her gaze bored into mine. Naked provocation. Sharp with hostility.
His eyes flicked to the mirror, lingering on my reflection for a second.
I didn't wait for him. "Hello. I'm Layla Henson. Mr. Gilbert and I are old friends."
Scarlett covered her mouth, letting out a tinkling laugh. "What 'old friends'? The whole city knows you're James's ex-girlfriend."
She paused, her smile not reaching her eyes. "Don't worry, I'm not petty. I don't get jealous over stale history."
As she spoke, she hooked her arm through his, leaning in to plant a loud, wet kiss on his cheek.
A territorial mark. A declaration of sovereignty.
Scarlett chattered nonstop the entire drive. James, usually a man of few words, answered her with surprising patience.
"Are we drinking later? You know my tolerance is terrible. If I get tipsy, baby, you have to take me home."
"I've got you." His voice was low. "I won't let you get drunk."
"Today's wedding was so moving." She sighed, snuggling closer. "I really envy the bride. Marrying for love... it's beautiful. When we get married, I want a sea of flowers. Champagne roses everywhere."
"Okay. The wedding will be exactly how you want it."
I rolled the window down as far as it would go, letting the cold night wind scour away the stifling atmosphere inside the car.
When we finally reached the club, I pushed the door open. I turned just in time to see James effortlessly scoop Scarlett up into his arms.
As he lifted her, his eyes met mine.
For a split second, his movements stiffened.
Scarlett nestled into his chest, offering a shy, apologetic smile to the group. "I'm not used to heels. James is terrified I'll twist my ankle, so he carries me every time I get out of the car."
I nodded, keeping my smile polite. "Mr. Gilbert is very considerate."
Inside the private room, Maya immediately shoved a glass of wine into my hand. "You're late! The penalty is three glasses, straight down!"
I took the glass, but before I could lift it, James had already grabbed the other two and drained them in one breath.
"Scarlett can't handle her liquor." He set the empty glasses down with a heavy *thud*. "I'll drink her share."
第2章
The crowd jeered playfully, but the weight of their stares pressed on me like a physical thing.
Expressionless, I downed my glass. I reached for the bottle to pour another, but Scarlett suddenly stepped forward, blocking my hand.
"Hey, don't bully Layla." Her voice dripped with faux concern. "She's all alone. If she gets drunk, who's going to take her home? Or are you planning to let her crash at your place?"
I looked at her—really looked at her—then sidestepped her to pick up the glass again.
"I don't recall having a sister," I said coolly, "but I appreciate the concern."
I paused, letting the liquid swirl in the glass. "However, I'm not single."
The retort hung in the air. Scarlett's expression curdled instantly.
The room went dead silent. Every gaze that had been pinned on me shifted to James.
In the dim, pulsing light of the club, his hand tightened around his empty glass. Knuckles bleached white. Tendons straining as if he were seconds away from crushing the crystal into dust.
After a tense silence, he arched a brow. His voice was ice. "Then why isn't your boyfriend here?"
"He's picking me up at midnight."
The atmosphere shifted from awkward to suffocating.
Maya scanned the room, sensing the impending disaster. She sighed loudly, grabbed the dice cup, and slammed it onto the table.
"Hey! We agreed no one goes home until they're wasted! Come on, let's play!"
Scarlett tugged at the hem of James's shirt, pouting. "But my tolerance is so bad. 'No one goes home until they're drunk'? That's just bullying."
Maya choked on her drink. The rest of the room froze.
James reached out, smoothing Scarlett's hair with a gentle hand. "Don't be afraid. I'll drink for you."
"I can't bear to let you drink that much," she whined.
Then her eyes darted toward me. A sly glint flashed in them.
"Layla, I saw you down that wine without even blinking. You must have an amazing tolerance." She chirped the words like a compliment. "How about you drink for me? Please?"
Someone in the corner frowned, unable to watch anymore. "James, rein in your woman. It's rare we all get together—don't push it."
"She's always been the one controlling me." James held the wine glass out to me, his tone indifferent. "Your tolerance is good. Why don't we split Scarlett's share? Half and half."
I stood frozen.
My fingertips began to tremble.
When James and I first got together, he wasn't the owner of a high-end floral chain. We were just two kids at the flower base, squeezed into a cramped dorm room, dreaming of a future where we'd open a shop in the city center.
We lived like that for three years. We had a pact: once he saved the startup capital, we'd build our empire and put down roots.
Startups are brutal. Once, a supplier tried to sabotage us, threatening to cut off our stock. James didn't hesitate. He stood in front of me, shielding me from the fallout.
*Layla, I will protect you.* His eyes had burned with conviction. *Once we make it, we'll never be apart again.*
He made it.
But he couldn't keep the promise.
I looked at the man in front of me and took two steps back.
"Mr. Gilbert, Scarlett Walker is *your* girlfriend, not mine." My voice stayed steady. "Can you still not protect your own people?"
The awkwardness in the room deepened into something sharper.
Scarlett sniffled. Tears welled up in her eyes on command, her face a mask of grievance. "Layla, I know James dumped you back then, and I know you're bitter! But do you have to target us like this?"
A collective gasp went through the room.
Maya glared at Scarlett. "What do you mean 'who dumped who'? That was a complicated situation. Everyone had their reasons."
I let out a soft laugh. "There's no dark secret. Just two young people who fell out. That's all."
第3章
"There's no need to dig up the past." My tone went flat. Bored. "If Miss Walker is so bothered, maybe you should go home with Mr. Gilbert and settle the score in private."
Scarlett probably didn't realize that after I left the flower base, I'd spent years fighting tooth and nail in the flower fields of Yunnan. I wasn't the docile girl James remembered.
Leave me alone, and I'd ignore you. Come looking for trouble, and I wouldn't make it easy.
Even if it was just a war of words.
Scarlett bit her lip. A tear rolled down her cheek at the exact moment she wanted it to. But seeing James watch the scene with cold detachment, she stubbornly wiped it away.
"Fine. I won't drink." Her voice trembled. "Let's play Truth or Dare. I'll be the judge."
The tension broke slightly. No one wanted a fight.
Scarlett grabbed an empty wine bottle. "Whoever I spin to has to answer a truth question!"
The bottle spun, rattling against the glass table, before slowing to a stop.
The neck pointed directly at me.
A flicker of malice passed through Scarlett's eyes.
"Layla." She leaned forward. "Did you really come back from Yunnan just for the wedding? Or... did you have other motives?"
James's gaze locked onto me, heavy and suffocating.
I picked up my glass and took a slow sip. "I came back to get married."
Eyes darted back and forth between James and me.
Scarlett shook James's arm. "Oh no! Layla is getting married? Does that mean she can't be our bridesmaid?"
"It's fine." His tone was perfunctory, but his eyes never left my face.
I set down my glass, checked a message on my phone, and replied before looking up. "Even if I weren't getting married, I have zero interest in being a bridesmaid."
Rebuffed again, Scarlett pouted. She grabbed the bottle and spun it hard.
"Since the rule is 'no one goes home until they're drunk,' whoever it lands on this time has to finish this entire pitcher of beer!"
The bottle whirled and stopped precisely between James and me.
"How do we count this?" someone asked.
"Split it?" Maya suggested, grinning. She leaned into my ear, whispering, "Actually, I think there's still something between you and Mr. Gilbert. Did you come back to steal him because his new girl is a knockoff?"
My head was pounding. I rubbed my temples wearily. "No. I really came back to get married."
Maya clicked her tongue, clearly not buying it.
I didn't have the energy to explain. I reached for the pitcher, intending to pour half for myself.
Scarlett's hand shot out, stopping me.
"Layla, I'm not targeting you." Her voice went sickly sweet. "But I really don't like my *boyfriend* sharing a drink with another woman. Let's spin again."
She bit down on the word *boyfriend* as if to remind me of my place.
"It's just alcohol," I said. "It's poured into separate glasses. We aren't sharing a cup."
Maya finally snapped. "If you're so worried about your boyfriend, tie him up and keep him at home!"
Scarlett widened her eyes, putting on her best innocent face as she looked at James. "I just want everyone to have fun..."
A shadow crossed his face, but he nodded. "We'll do what you say."
The bottle spun again.
And very quickly, it stopped in front of me.
I accepted the loss without a word. Lifted the pitcher. Drained the beer in one long, burning go.
The game continued. Round after round, the bottle slowed, wobbled, and pointed its accusing neck straight at me.
I don't know if Scarlett had a trick up her sleeve.
But by the fifth round, I stopped caring.
第4章
Exhaustion and alcohol had already left me in a haze, my thoughts sluggish and disjointed.
A hand clamped over mine—the one clutching the wine glass. The touch was ice-cold, shocking me into instant sobriety.
James Gilbert.
"That's enough for today." His voice was low, brooking no argument.
Scarlett Walker glared at me, resentment burning in her eyes. "But the round isn't finished yet."
"Then we skip the drinking." James countered smoothly. "Let Layla answer one more truth instead."
I yanked my hand from his grip. The lingering coldness made my skin crawl. Ten minutes to midnight.
"Fine."
A calculated glint flickered in Scarlett's eyes. She whipped out her phone, pulled up a photo, and shoved the screen in my face.
"Layla, regarding the warehouse arson case back then… exactly how much of a kickback did you accept from the competition?"
The image hit me like a punch to the sternum.
My body began to tremble as the nightmare I had buried clawed its way back to the surface.
It had been a critical period for James. He was preparing to open his first branch store, and we had secured a massive order from a tycoon in Yanjing—the storage and transportation of a batch of rare, priceless flowers.
During the handover, someone sprang a trap. Forged arson tools. Falsified transfer records. All planted in the warehouse. By the time I sensed something was wrong, the jaws had already snapped shut.
The "evidence" spread like wildfire. I was accused of deliberately torching the warehouse for the insurance payout. Overnight, I became a pariah in the industry—despised by everyone.
I remembered James holding me back then, his grip desperate. *"Layla, I believe you. I'll find the truth! Don't be afraid!"*
I had screamed my innocence until my throat was raw, but the chain of forged evidence was seamless. No one listened. The rumors in our circle grew more vicious by the day.
Some claimed I had slept with a competitor. Others whispered I was a corporate spy planted by James's rivals.
The pressure on James was suffocating. The investors gave him an ultimatum: cut ties with me, or go down with the ship.
I spent those nights staring at the ceiling, my spirit fracturing piece by piece. I couldn't drag him down with me.
So I made the choice for him.
I left the local base, fleeing all the way to Yunnan to start over as a floral design instructor.
And James? In the end, he chose his future.
We lost contact. Just like that.
Five years had passed. I thought the wound had scarred over.
Scarlett had just ripped it open in front of everyone.
James's expression darkened instantly. He reached out to snatch the phone from Scarlett's hand.
*Smack!*
My palm connected hard with Scarlett's cheek before he could intervene.
The room went silent.
"I don't know where you dug up that forged evidence," I said, my voice shaking with suppressed rage. "But spreading false information and defaming someone carries legal consequences."
That scandal had nearly driven me to suicide. Depression had swallowed me whole. But the woman standing here today wasn't the fragile girl from five years ago. I had learned to face the pain, and I was done proving my innocence for a crime I never committed.
Scarlett touched her cheek, stunned. Then the tears came. She grabbed James's arm, playing the victim perfectly.
"James! I was just playing the game… Layla, she…"
"I have things to do. You all continue."
I didn't let her finish. I grabbed my suitcase and headed for the door, desperate for fresh air.
James moved faster than I expected, blocking my path.
"Scarlett was just messing around. Don't take it so seriously." His tone was dismissive. "You slapped her. Call it even."
I looked up at him, a cold smile touching my lips. The man in front of me felt like a stranger.
"I've always taken things seriously, James. You know that."
I tried to brush past him, but he caught my wrist.
"Where are you staying? I'll drive you."
"Let go." I tried to wrench my arm free, disgust rising in my throat.
Before I could speak again, I was pulled backward into a familiar, warm embrace. The scent of rain and earth enveloped me.
A low, dangerous voice rumbled from behind me.
"My fiancée lives with me. Naturally."