Chapter 241

Sarah's POV

"How did we end up like this?" Philip suddenly broke the silence,his voice hollow. "Back in college. I truly loved you..."

I feigned surprise, my fork suspended midair. "But I thought you said Annie was the one who pursued you?" I injected my tone with confusion and a hint of hurt, making my sincerity impossible to doubt.

Philip shook his head, his eyes reflecting nostalgia. "That wasn't true. In fact..." he paused, seemingly weighing his words, "Annie never pursued me. It was the opposite-I was the one constantly chasing her."

"Really?" I displayed just the right amount of surprise, my fingers frozen in mid-air as if stunned by this revelation.

"Yeah," Philip laughed softly, the sound laced with self-mockery. "Annie had just graduated then, completely absorbed in her illustration work. She'd barely spare me a glance."

I watched as his expression softened. "Unlike you, she wasn't outgoing or vivacious. She'd always sit quietly in the corner of the library,working on her illustrations. I deliberately chose seats near her just to be close."

"What happened next?" I asked softly, while mentally calculating the value of this information.

"Later... a senior made inappropriate comments to her, and I rushed to punch the guy. Ended up with broken ribs myself and spent a week in the hospital," Philip unconsciously touched his chest, as if the scar

remained. "Annie didn't visit me even once."

"Not only that," he continued, his voice dropping lower, "I once waited in the rain outside her apartment all night just to return a paintbrush she'd forgotten in my car. I planned a surprise birthday party for her, but she just said I was wasting money. And that time... I was driving her to meet a client and got into an accident. I nearly died..."

I nodded perfunctorily, maintaining an attentive facade while inwardly rolling my eyes. He droned on about ancient history,but at least his guard was down-that was good.

"Then why did she eventually end up with you?" I asked, deliberately adding curiosity and puzzlement to my voice, just to keep the conversation flowing.

Philip sighed. "I guess just because I persisted long enough."

I smirked inwardly. Just harassment dressed up as romance. These men always glorify their persistence as romantic when it's really just stalking.

"I wasn't a good person," he continued, voice low. "After winning her,I started... taking our relationship for granted."

As Philip described how he betrayed Annie's love, valuing only her appearance while ignoring her talent, I noticed his eyes growing moist.Perfect. A man's tears always signal complete defensive collapse.

"If not for me, Annie might be a successful illustrator now," Philip said,voice heavy with regret. "I pulled her off her path, then didn't cherish her."

I gently patted his hand, my eyes conveying tender understanding. "That's all in the past." The statement was both comfort and a test-to see if he still dwelled on what happened.

"Annie was so naive." Philip continued, tears now flowing freely. "It took less than six months to win her over. Those things I did for her, honestly,were just ways to cope after losing you. But she thought I loved her and stayed by my side for years, loving me without complaint." His voice began to shake. "Why was she so innocent? If she'd seen through me earlier, left sooner, she wouldn't have suffered so much."

He cried harder. Inwardly. I despised his tears, but outwardly, I could only offer comfort: "Maybe she realized early on but wanted to give you a chance because she loved you."

"But I never changed, did I?" Philip looked up, eyes red.

I remained silent-a silence more powerful than any words. Let him draw his own conclusions.

"When you came back into my life, I thought I still loved you..." he continued brokenly. "That's why I reconnected with you, despite you having Max. The time we spent together was enjoyable... but that was because Annie was still my wife. Had I known... that being with you would make me lose her... I would have controlled myself."

I nearly rolled my eyes but restrained the impulse. He was still deluding himself.

"Why did I wait until losing her to realize how much I loved her?" Philip asked,choking on his words.

I responded coolly: "Because when you were together, you were certain Annie loved you and would never leave. You knew she had no family or friends in New York. You believed that even if she wanted to go...she had nowhere to go."

Hearing this, Philip completely broke down, sflently sobbing on the couch.I mentally counted to ten before moving beside him, gently wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"It's okay," I whispered in his ear, my voice silk-soft. "Annie doesn't want you anymore, but you still have me. I'll always stay by your side,never abandon you."

I felt his body relax under my touch. This sense of control intoxicated me.He lifted his head, uncertainty filling his swollen eyes: "Are you sure you're not lying to me?"

"Of course I'm sure," I answered without hesitation, fingers lightly stroking his hair. "How could I lie to you?"

When Philip collapsed completely in my arms, muttering "You're all I have now," I nearly laughed aloud. Instead, I embraced him tighter,displaying complete acceptance and affection.

"It's alright." I comforted Philip, my voice honey-sweet against his ear."I'll always be by your side."

As long as you remain useful, of course.