Resent, Reject, Regret

Chapter 849

Chapter 849

Chapter 849 I Can’t Stand a Second of Being Near You

“No, that’s not true," said Brendan, battling his impulse to pull Deirdre into his arms.

He poured his sincerity out as he declared, "I mean it when I say I love you."

Deirdre sneered.

"You really think I’m going to believe you the second time? You're only going to throw another gut punch over and over again! Get away from me, Brendan.I can’t stand a second of breathing the same air you do!"

She gnashed her teeth and descended the stairs hurriedly.

Mrs.Engel, mortified, hurried after her.

Brendan rubbed his brows tiredly.

No matter how accustomed he had grown to the caustic words she said, it still hurt him like a knife sinking into his chest.

Sam was rueful.

"I'm so sorry, Mr.Brighthall! I shouldn’t...I didn’t know she was standing behind the door...I shouldn’t have said that n "It’s not your fault."

Brendan opened his eyes.He felt as though his body was crumbling.

"Even I couldn’t have predicted her return at this time, let alone someone like you.The real fault lies with me.I was the one who decided to lie."

No matter how convincing that lie was, one day, someone would still find out the truth.

Any gains made from mendacity would never last.

Sam’s eyes reddened.

"But it wasn’t a lie.You were hurt for Miss McKinnon in a way.You had to shoot yourself to gain information on Ophelia McKinnon, even though you could just bide your time!"

"It’s enough, Sam.Lying is wrong, that’s that.You can go now."

Sam hesitated, but Brendan’s tone and manner clearly brooked no defiance, so he acquiesced.

Gritting his teeth, he left.

Brendan went through a couple of cigarettes as he bade for time, waiting for Deirdre to calm down enough.

He called Mrs.Engel, his fingers slightly trembling out of unease.

Before his call connected, he heard footsteps echoing from the living room.

Deirdre reappeared at the front door.

She looked mostly the same as before, but her face was visibly tense from being exposed to the nipping wind outside.

Brendan clenched his fists and descended the stairs.He reached out to her in an attempt to gauge her temperature.

"Dee?"

Deirdre ducked with a scowl and marched past him before ascending the stairs.

It was Mrs.Engel who explained, "Miss McKinnon was exposed to the winds outside for a while and got a little sick.She gagged for a bit.We should let her rest."

"Gagged?"

Brendan’s eyes twitched.

"Is she okay?"

Mrs.Engel chuckled dryly.

"She’s fine.It’s just another typical behavior a pregnant woman might show.Her emotional state was unstable, so it probably triggered it."

Brendan’s eyes darkened.

"I’m sorry to have troubled you, Mrs.Engel," he said sincerely.

That took the older woman by surprise.

An upper-crust elite, who always seemed way above plebeians like her, was apologizing to her? "Mr.Brighthall, please! T-Think nothing of it! I was only doing my job.

Besides, we...We wouldn't have met that strange woman if I didn’t enter that baby clothing shop, and then none of this would have happened."

"A strange woman?"

"Yes."

Mrs.Engel looked remorseful.

"She claimed to be the sister of some guy named Henry Walker, and she then told Mrs.Brighthall a whole lot of stuff I don’t really get.The point is, she was telling Miss McKinnon that you lied to her, and at first...Miss McKinnon wouldn’t believe it.She wanted to hear you explain it, so we came back early and...And that was when she overheard your conversation."

Brendan felt a momentary but sharp sting in his chest.

Deirdre had chosen not to believe Henry’s sister—that meant she was hoping it was not true.

She was hoping she could believe Brendan over the stranger, was she not? Only for her to return home and have her whole world shattered once again.