After all, I was the one who had spent the most time with him. To everyone else, he would be her brother-in-law.
I was just about to speak when the door slammed open.
Nathaniel walked in and stopped right in front of Catherine, his eyes overflowing with tenderness.
“Mrs. Brown, I’m here today to propose to Catherine! I fell deeply in love with her from the very first moment I saw her. Please let us be together.”
His gaze locked with Catherine. No words were spoken, but the tension between them was undeniable.
The shock hit me so hard I bit my lip, my nails digging into my palms until I nearly drew blood. Even though I had known in my last life that he never loved me, watching him propose to Catherine still felt like someone had ripped my heart out.
I opened my mouth, ready to speak. “Mom—”
“Shut up!” Nathaniel turned his head toward me, his face stripped of all warmth. Those cold, merciless eyes were the same ones that had watched me die without a shred of pity.
“Bella, I’ve already told you I don’t love you. The only reason I ever treated you well was because of Catherine. In this life, even if I never marry at all, I will never marry you!”
I felt like someone had slashed my throat open, leaving a gaping wound.
“Mom, then why not just let Catherine marry Nathaniel and fulfill the agreement between our families?”
Catherine lifted her chin, smugly looking at me. “Finally, you know your place.”
I didn’t say another word. But inside, I was already torn apart. Seeing them now, I realized they must have been entangled long before.
And I had been the fool, left in the dark all along.
