Chapter 178
Heather stood there, frozen. The weight of Byron’s words hung in the air like a heavy storm cloud. The silence stretched on, suffocating, as everyone in the room waited for her response.
Lola’s panic was palpable, her eyes flicking between Heather and Byron. “Byron, you can’t be serious! Don’t say such things in front of everyone.” She looked at Heather, her voice urgent, almost pleading. “Heather, this is just a momentary fit of anger. He doesn’t mean it.”
Heather’s heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing. She had spent so long trying to please Byron, to play the part of the perfect fiancée, and now it felt like it was all unraveling in a single breath. The shock from Byron’s words hit her like a cold wave, and for a moment, she was at a loss for words.
Byron’s cold eyes were fixed on her, unwavering. “You don’t have to pretend anymore, Heather. If you feel wronged, if you think this is not what you want, then break off the engagement. It’s that simple.”
Lola’s grip on Heather tightened, her voice desperate now. “Don’t listen to him! Byron’s just upset. He didn’t mean it like that. You’re his fiancée, you have a future together!”
But Heather’s thoughts were in turmoil. She had spent so much time trying to please everyone—Byron, her father, the Crawford family. But now, everything was hanging by a thread. And Byron’s words had struck a nerve. He had never been this blunt with her before. She knew there were cracks in their relationship, but hearing this now was something else entirely.
She turned to Byron, her voice trembling but steady. “Do you mean it?” she asked, the words barely escaping her lips. “You’re willing to let me go just like that?”
Byron’s gaze softened, just for a moment, but his words remained firm. “If you want to break the engagement, I won’t stop you. It’s your choice, Heather.”
A heavy silence fell between them as Heather’s mind whirled. She had never imagined that things would come to this point. She had always thought that Byron was hers, that their marriage was inevitable. But now, it felt like everything was slipping through her fingers. She looked at him, and for the first time, she wondered if she truly wanted to be with him.
Lola’s voice broke through her thoughts, sharp and frantic. “Heather, no! Don’t let him manipulate you like this. You’re better than this, you deserve better!”
But Heather’s gaze didn’t waver from Byron. The cold reality of the situation settled in. Her life, her future, was no longer a certainty. Byron wasn’t the man she thought he was. And maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t the woman he wanted either.
“I… I don’t know what to think anymore,” Heather whispered, more to herself than anyone else in the room. Her eyes searched Byron’s face, looking for something, anything, that could reassure her. But all she saw was the coldness she had always feared.
Byron sighed deeply, his expression unreadable. “I won’t force you, Heather. You’re free to choose whatever path you want. If that means we go our separate ways, so be it.”
The tension in the room was suffocating as Heather struggled with her emotions. She looked over at Lola, who was now practically begging her with her eyes. But all Heather could think about was what she really wanted. Was this engagement truly what she wanted, or had it always been about expectations and family pressure?
“I need time,” Heather finally said, her voice quiet but resolute. “I need time to think.”
Byron nodded, his face still cold, but there was a flicker of something else in his eyes—regret, maybe, or resignation. He turned away and started walking toward the door.
“Take all the time you need,” he said, his voice distant. “But know this, Heather: this decision is yours to make. Don’t let anyone else control it.”
With that, he left, the door shutting behind him with a quiet finality.
Lola was left standing in the middle of the room, her hands clenched into fists, her face pale with frustration. She turned to Heather, her voice shaking with anger. “You can’t let him do this to you, Heather! You have to fight for your future. You have to make him see reason!”
But Heather was no longer listening. She stood there, staring at the door Byron had walked through, her mind racing. What was she supposed to do now?