End Love, Discard Innocence

"We can't let the family find out, or Derrick will be upset."I wanted to stay silent, but Derrick approached me insistently. He stopped me and pulled me into his arms.

“Were you just on the phone with your dad?” he asked, his voice soft yet teasing. “Was he rushing you again to bring home your little boyfriend?”

I shook my head, unable to meet his eyes.

Derrick chuckled softly and buried his face in the crook of my neck.

“So, did you tell your dad that your 'little boyfriend' is actually me?”

I raised my eyes to look at him, but it felt as though a layer of fog had settled between us.

“Aren't you the one who doesn’t want to publicize our relationship?” I whispered.

Derrick lifted his head and pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead.

“It’s not reluctance, Aiselle,” he said softly.

“You know there’s a big age gap between us. If your dad found out I had 'claimed' his precious little girl, he’d probably cut me off. You’re still young; this can’t be rushed. We have to take our time.”

He exuded the same mature charm that had captivated me from the beginning. Even in moments like this, his words and demeanor were flawless. For three years, he’d told me the same thing—that it wasn’t the right time to make our relationship public.

I looked at Derrick’s serious face, focused expression and couldn’t hold back the question that burned within me. “The reluctance to go public... is it really just because of my dad and the age difference?”

The memory of the video replayed in my mind, the intensity in Derrick’s voice as he spoke to Claire

“Honey, as long as you’re willing to come back, you will always be my girlfriend.”

I had believed, for three years, that Derrick’s love for me was genuine and unreserved. But since Claire returned to France, she sought me out immediately. I still remembered the contempt in her eyes

“You’re nothing more than my stand-in. Why else would Derrick stay with you for three years and keep you hidden from everyone around him? To him, you’re just a little girl who happens to resemble me—a fleeting amusement.”

Her words pierced deep, leaving wounds I couldn’t ignore.

Now, I stared at Derrick’s seemingly perfect face. He suddenly laughed and playfully tapped my forehead.

“Dummy, if it’s not the age difference, what else could it be?”

He laughed, quickly changing the subject. “Try the pumpkin cake I brought you—you’ve always loved it.”

Derrick placed the cake in front of me. It was still warm, steam rising from it. This dessert, usually my favorite, tasted like wax in my mouth. After a few bites, I excused myself and went to bed.

After cleaning up, Derrick joined me, lying down beside me.

“Come here, cuddle,” he murmured, his voice deep and magnetic. He stretched out his hand toward me, smiling slightly with his eyes half-closed.

For three years, I had fallen asleep in his arms, finding comfort in his embrace. But tonight, I switched off the nightlight and made an excuse.

“My neck feels a bit stiff tonight. Go ahead and sleep.”

Derrick didn’t argue. Instead, he thoughtfully adjusted my pillow.

“Goodnight, my little girl.”

He soon fell asleep, his breathing steady and calm.

Memories flooded back to six years ago when I first came to Lyon for college. My dad had asked Derrick to look after me. In my early years, I avoided him, blushing at just the sight of him.

It wasn’t until the end of my junior year, during my internship, that things changed. I rented a place outside and ended up being scammed by a shady agent.