Black Roses for Her

Lara then asked, "There's no reason to go that far, alright? I've forgiven Ms. Smith already, and those flowers look quite nice. We could just leave them be."

Seeing her ashen face, John had a vague feeling that something was strange. "What's gotten into you? What's the issue with uprooting those flowers and planting your favorite moth orchids instead?"

Lara took a deep breath, feigning calmness as she said, "That's not what I mean… Ms. Smith has been with you for years, and I don't want to ruin your relationship…"

John looked downwards and continued mincing the ginger then. "Relationship? Well, it's a relationship, but not a romantic one—one that comes from sympathy.

"To me, she looked like a pathetic stray. When one looks at you with those wet puppy eyes, you can't help throwing it a bone.

"But then it would cling to you and refuse to leave, and all you feel is annoyance.

"I never loved Claire Smith—I was just allowing her to stay with me.

"It was only when I met you that I felt that heart-pounding, relishing taste. That's love."

My heart skipped a beat.

I would never have believed it until John said it out loud, that he had just been treating me like a tool.

When Garnett Corp needed partners, I would go with him to social drinking events with potential partners, enduring the itch and migraines despite my alcohol allergy.

If he so much as said he felt cold, I'd brew soup overnight for him.

If he said his stomach hurt, I would hire the most expensive private doctors.

But after so many years of that, I ended up no more than a pathetic stray to him.

All of my sacrifices were trampled over as if it was only right, treated ever so cheaply.

Nonetheless, the kitchen was swirling with steam, and a plate of pasta was soon finished.

As John brought it to Lara, he then remembered and asked quietly, "Did Claire really leave the other day? Didn't she say anything?"

Lara tensed up, but quickly hid it as she purred, "You still don't believe me, John? I tried to reason with her when she left, but she refused to listen.

"She said she's going to leave you, so that you'd regret it for the rest of your life… I then watched her run out into the street like she was crazy, but didn't chase after her."

John raised a brow. "Crazy woman. Who does she think she is? She's not even fit to lick your shoes! Who would want her aside from me? She's just trying to make herself look sympathetic, and in the end, she just wants me to feel for her!"

He rubbed his chin, his eyes sweeping across the drawing room at everything that belonged to me, and called Alfie, "Send people to the villa. I want everything belonging to Claire Smith thrown out and burnt."

As he hung up, he huffed, "She thinks leaving is her way of getting back at me? I'll show her that I don't need her—that means she wasn't the one who dumped me!

"She can disappear all she likes. And since she has left, she should never come back!"

Lara pretended to look shocked, tugging on John's sleeve as if taking my side, "Just forget it, John. Ms. Smith will get upset with me when she comes back and sees that her things are gone…"

John's gaze turned even more sinister. "She'd never dare! I burnt all of it, and that means I'm cutting all ties with her! From this moment on, Claire Smith is never to set foot in Garnett Villa! She will be left wandering outside, just like a stray!"