Chapter 403, , The familiar scent was suffocating, yet I found myself frozen, unable to move until Conrad's soft voice broke the silence.

"Do you really care about him that much now?

", My fingers curled into fists at my sides. Once upon a time, I had cared for Conrad in the same way. A simple dinner with Fanny required his approval, yet he never cared for such gestures., Now that my attention and care had shifted to someone else, his irritation and questioning caught me off guard.,

"Yeah, he's my man. Why wouldn't I care about him?

" I met Conrad's gaze with defiance., I knew the power of words, how they could cut deeper than any knife. Though Conrad and I had drifted apart, it didn't erase the pain he had once caused me. Those moments of unintentional hurt still burned like a fresh wound., So, if I had the chance to bite back, to heal some of the scars he'd left behind, why shouldn't I? Of course, that was only if he still cared, if my words still had the power to wound him., Conrad's eyes narrowed, a sign of his rising anger. This reaction alone let me know he still cared, in some way., Ironic, right? Even though he made it official with someone else, he still had feelings for his ex. Just perfect., This meant I could prick at those old wounds whenever the opportunity arose, a small consolation for the pain I had endured for him., But at that moment, my priority was elsewhere. I needed to make a call to Ernest. He had left his recovering sister to be by my side, traveling miles to attend a game with me, only for me to vanish without a word... and with my ex, no less. Even if Ernest loved me unconditionally, this would undoubtedly hurt him., It reminded me too much of my past with Conrad, how he'd repeatedly left me for Haley Perez. I knew all too well the taste of such neglect, the sting of abandonment.,

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

" I couldn't bear the thought of putting Ernest through what I had experienced., As I turned to leave, Conrad's arm snaked around my waist, pulling me against his chest.,

"Conrad,

" I protested instinctively, pushing against him only to be held tighter.,

"Felicia, I know you're punishing me. This is all my doing, and I accept it,

" he said, his voice heavy with emotion., What?, He thought my relationship with Ernest was a form of punishment, a way to get back at him?, This was a side of Conrad I hadn't anticipated. I thought he understood that what we had was over, that he had accepted my relationship with Ernest and we had both moved on. , But here he was, under the impression that my love for him was still alive, that I was using Ernest to exact revenge.,

"Conrad,

" I laughed mockingly,

"have you lost your mind?

",

"Felicia, I know I've made mistakes, and I'm willing to endure the pain deserve. Just let me settle my debts, and then can we try again?

" he pleaded, his words laced with a desperate hope. , I was taken aback, pushing him away with renewed force.

"Conrad, are you delusional? We're over, there's no going back. What kind of fantasy are you living in?

" , Despite the pain, Conrad held on, even managing a laugh.

"See? You're still the same. Whenever I upset you, you react like this. It's your way of punishing me.

", I was speechless., It was true; in the past, when I was angry with him, I would stomp on his foot, an instinctive reaction even now., Search the website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.