Thought It Was 'The End', Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 63
It was a complete defeat.
“Oh… what more can I do… Even my best efforts are useless…”
She clung to the little conscience she had left and tried her best to push him away, but this barrier was impenetrable. Why did he make her look like she was the bad person, this kidnapper…
According to plan, Adeline should have been fighting with Shane and feeling distant from him by now.
But Adeline couldn’t even manage to fight, let alone create any distance. Instead, she had only received a more certain confession.
In the end, she had gained nothing.
âWho would have known he would go that far.â
Who would have thought heâd be so persistent and still be happy after being treated like thatâŠ
Adeline never doubted that Shaneâs persistent confessions from their childhood were genuine.
But she thought his feelings had sprouted from just a shallow imprint or habitual feelings.
Even if she generously accepted that young Shaneâs love was real, how could he continue this way after being deceived?
Doesnât he have any pride? Canât he calculate the situation? If Shane were her younger brother, Adeline would have packed lunches and told him to break up with a woman like herself.
âThat woman is a fraud, donât go near her.â
But the fraud is me.
Shane Blanchard was a kind and gentle fiancĂ© to her, but objectively, he was a proud and cold person. He was clear about what he liked and disliked, and he wouldnât give a glance to things that didnât interest him. In short, he was rather unsociable.
He was so talented and smart that he didnât even consider incompetent people as human. So, it wasnât that he couldnât calculate gains and losses.
â…Why did I firmly believe he was kindâŠâ
Because he had always been so kind to her, acting as if he would offer his liver and gall to her. No matter how much she pushed him away, he remained gentle.
Adeline recalled a very old memory.
It was shortly after their engagement.
*
Initially distant, Shane had started to follow her closely. He was four years younger, so saying he followed her might be a stretch, but his actions were just like that.
It was quite troublesome.
âBut heâs so pretty and cute. Heâs like a human puppyâŠâ
An 11-year-old boy looked like a puppy.
In fact, Adeline found the clingy Shane burdensome.
At a young age, she didnât think deeply about their engagement. She just saw him as a childhood friend that their families had paired them with. But no matter how good a friend, meeting too often was quite… honestly annoying.
âDo I have to play with a child at my age?â
But Shane, consistent as ever, continued to follow her.
She couldnât understand how he always knew to find her, even when she tried to avoid him.
When Adeline made excuses that she was busy or had other things to do, he started showing up unannounced.
Realizing that unplanned encounters were more bothersome, Adeline stopped refusing his visits after several failed attempts. She thought he would get bored if she spent some time with him.
After meeting him a few times, she discovered that Shane, whom she had only considered a cute child, had quite a cynical side.
âHe seemed to have a bad relationship with his parents, especially his motherâŠâ
He didnât even cry at his motherâs funeral.
Rumors circulated in various places. Adults would talk as if they wanted the child to hear, saying that because he didnât act like a child, he wasnât lovable.
Of course, Shane was exceptionally intelligent and capable for his age.
Because he was too smart and outstanding, he had a tendency to look at the world like itâs easy. After all, he could have anything he wanted and couldnât fail at anything.
But finding everything too easy was a bit irritating, so she tried to tease him.
“Must be nice to have everything from birth. Having a lot makes life easier, doesnât it?”
“Isn’t it more like having a lot of burdens from birth?”
“……”
“It seems easier to be someone who can just pass the decisions and responsibilities onto others. If things go wrong, you can just blame and resent the decision-maker. Of course, it’s unfair that what you passed on was your life, and you didnât choose it yourself.”
What must it feel like to have others’ lives depend on your choices and decisions?
“It’s not like I willingly took on others’ fates either, so it’s the same for me.”
