Lost Me Gained Regret

If that were the case, she was even more terrifying than I had imagined.All rights © NôvelDrama.Org.

Teresa gave a weak smile, her lips still a bit too pale. "It's all thanks to Bry's devotion. Even though I've been bedridden for years, I've been well cared for. And it's precisely because of this, you see, that I felt completely at ease entrusting Margaret to him."

"Oh." I couldn't help but twitch the corner of my mouth, pretending not to catch the hidden meaning in her words. "That's nice."

She had played the other woman herself and then set up her daughter to play the same role. Sadly, her daughter got a taste for it and didn't even spare her marriage. With that, I planned to head back to my room.

"Ms. Webster." But Teresa stopped me. "We came because Margaret received some rather peculiar photos, and you're involved, too. It wouldn't be right to show them to Bry without you, so please join us."

I frowned, sensing it wasn't going to be good news.

With one hand casually in his pocket, Bryant spoke calmly, "Let's go downstairs. Jane must be starving."

Once downstairs, Margaret couldn't wait to speak, but Bryant gave her a chilling glance. "I already mentioned Jane's skipped breakfast. What's the matter so urgent it can't delay a bit?"

With that, he patted my shoulder, signaling me to go and have breakfast. Margaret pouted, frustrated. "You're still defending her! Wait till you see the photos, and you'll know I was only looking out for you!"

"Enough, Margaret." Experience always has the upper hand. Teresa didn't rush. "Let Ms. Webster have her breakfast first. Bry, you haven't eaten, either. Go on now."

Indeed, my stomach was growling, so I made my way to the dining room. Gary instructed the staff to serve breakfast. Despite the Ferguson family's wealth, Timothy always frowned upon wastefulness, a tradition maintained at the Ferguson Mansion. Thus, breakfast was for two, including vegetable salad, pancakes, bread, milk, and oatmeal, accompanied by seasonal fruits. "Do you like it?" Seeing me enjoy the meal, Bryant, sitting nearby, paused and asked with a smile.

"Glad you like it." He smiled faintly, his voice soft, "I can have them cook for you every day."

"Yeah." He also paused, his emotions unreadable, before responding with a word.

Then, we ate our breakfast in utter silence.

Bryant had finished his meal long before me, waiting patiently, albeit reluctantly, "You shouldn't always think the worst of them."

With breakfast done, we rejoined the others. Teresa and Margaret were waiting, a sinister anticipation in their eyes. Margaret clutched the envelope tightly, ready to unleash whatever bombshell she had. As I took my seat, Teresa began, "Now that we've all eaten, let's address the matter at hand."

Margaret's eyes gleamed with a mix of triumph and malice as she handed the envelope to Bryant. He took it, his jaw tightening as he pulled out the photos inside. The room fell into an uneasy silence as he examined them, his expression growing darker with each passing second.

"These photos," Bryant began, his voice low and dangerous, "need an explanation."

I leaned forward, my heart pounding in my chest. "Bryant, you have to believe me. This is a setup. I would never betray you."

Margaret's laugh was cold. "Isn't it convenient that you claim it's a setup? How predictable."

I ignored her, focusing on Bryant. "Remember that business trip I had overseas? I was drunk and someone dropped off hangover medicine for me. That person was Mark, but it was purely innocent. Christine had arranged for him to deliver it. Someone took these photos to make it look like something it wasn't."

Bryant's eyes flickered with uncertainty. "And you're sure that's all it was?"

"Yes," I pleaded. "You know me, Bryant. I would never do something like this to you."

Teresa, however, wasn't convinced. "It's easy to claim innocence, but these photos are damning. How do you explain the timing and the context?"

"I was set up," I repeated, my voice firm. "Someone wanted to create a wedge between us."

Bryant sighed heavily, the weight of the situation bearing down on him. "I don't know what to believe anymore."

I reached out, taking his hand in mine. "Believe in us. In our love and trust. We can get through this together."

The room was thick with tension, but there was a glimmer of hope in Bryant's eyes. "Alright. We'll get to the bottom of this. But if there's any more deceit..."

"There won't be," I vowed. "We'll face this head-on and prove the truth."

Margaret's smirk faltered, realizing her plan wasn't going as smoothly as she had hoped. Teresa remained stoic, but I could see the doubt creeping into her expression.

"Fine," Teresa said finally. "We'll investigate further. But this isn't over."

Bryant nodded, squeezing my hand. "We'll figure this out."

As the meeting ended, I felt a mixture of relief and determination. This was far from over, but I was ready to fight for my marriage and clear my name, no matter what it took.