Chapter 88
Upon hearing what Cora just said, William’s heart tightened in his chest, and his face twitched ever so slightly—but he caught himself quickly.
He could feel the wave of anger rising, threatening to cloud his thoughts, but years of dealing with rejection, of being misunderstood and judged before explaining himself, had taught him how to bury his emotions deep down and wear a mask like a second skin.
He stood there, surrounded by the soft scent of crushed rose petals, with staff watching and recording the moment like some rom-com gone horribly wrong. The bouquet still lay awkwardly at his feet, petals scattered around his shoes like fallen pride. And yet, Cora stood in front of him, unmoved, unaffected.
Her words echoed louder than the silent stares around them.
"Before I open my eyes, I don’t want to see you here."
But it wasn’t just the words. It was the way she said it, the coldness, the disgust in her eyes—as if he was filth, as if the gesture he thought would melt her heart was instead something shameful.
He clenched his jaw, his smile strained now, forced but steady.
Deep down, he knew who had polluted her mind.
Oliver, that name alone now felt like poison to his soul. He couldn’t prove it yet, but his gut was screaming. It had to be Oliver. That righteous, quiet, picture-perfect man who always appeared just when Cora needed someone. The one who played humble, innocent, respectful, the one who never overstepped. William could almost laugh. That type of man always got worshipped in the end.
And him? He was the one that women like Cora avoided.
He remembered clearly, he had told his family multiple times that he was willing to change for her. He had stopped doing things that would upset her. He had stayed away when she asked, respected her boundaries, cleaned up his act. He wasn’t the William of before. That man was gone. Buried.
But still, she looked at him like garbage.