Chapter 126
Chapter 126: “Kristopher!”’ Belinda struggled in his grasp, glaring with furrowed brows. “Let me go!”’ she demanded. Previously, Belinda had watched dramas where the hero swept the heroine off her feet and carried her in his arms romantically. She had secretly wished for Kristopher to embrace her like that, imagining it as pure bliss. Now, however, as he held her not out of love but urgency, forcing her to apologize to another woman, the experience left her heart filled with bitterness, not joy. “Don’t move!”’ Noticing her attempts to break free, Kristopher tightened his hold and spoke with stern urgency, “Cathy’s situation is critical; we can’t delay!”’ He swiftly opened the car door, ushered Belinda into the backseat, secured the door, then dashed to the driver’s seat and ignited the engine. From the backseat, Belinda frowned deeply. “Your efforts are futile. I won’t apologize to Cathy, even at the hospital.”’ It seemed she was always the one hurt and, invariably, the one to concede. Why should she apologize now? “Just apologize. It’s not like it costs you anything! When did you become so stingy?”’ Kristopher, hands white-knuckled on the steering wheel, responded, his brows furrowing deeper. “Cathy is truly unwell!”’ He had seen Cathy’s medical records from abroad en route to the hospital. The details of her illness were alarming. Initially skeptical, he couldn’t believe such a vibrant girl could be so ill until he read the stark words on her medical history. Imagining Cathy, fragile and weak, enduring such intense pain daily was almost beyond him. Don’t miss it: Glancing at Belinda through the rearview mirror, he saw her massaging her wrist, her head bowed. Though slender, she appeared robust compared to Cathy, who lay in the hospital’s emergency room. He sighed deeply. “Belinda, Cathy has struggled immensely abroad these past years. It’s been a tough road for her.”’ Belinda scoffed, lifting her head to meet Kristopher’s eyes in the mirror. “So, because she struggled abroad and it was hard, she gets to hurt me repeatedly and demand apologies from me, is that it?”’ Kristopher’s brows knotted into a deep V yet again. Each of Belinda’s words pierced his heart like a sharp needle. Despite this, he found himself at a loss for words. Following a prolonged silence, he frowned and said somewhat helplessly, “You weren’t like this before.”’ The Belinda he remembered was open-minded, dignified, and virtuous, never prone to harsh speech. Belinda’s laugh was cold. “Then tell me, what was I like before?”’ Kristopher narrowed his eyes, looking straight ahead. “You used to take responsibility, to apologize when necessary. Even if you were wronged, you didn’t create drama.”’ Belinda adjusted herself on the leather upholstery of the backseat, her smile tinged with bitterness and sarcasm. “So, Mr. Cox, you recognize that I endured many grievances in the past?”’ Every time she encountered trouble from Rosie and Maggie, Kristopher was present but remained silent. She had assumed it was because he, being a man, was insensitive to a woman’s feelings and couldn’t grasp the pain in her heart. It turned out that he had been aware all along. He knew she had been wronged and often should not have been the one to apologize. Yet, he always chose to overlook it, silent as if he were mute. Kristopher stiffened slightly at her words. After another moment of silence, he spoke in a lowered voice. “I thought you were used to it.”’…