Fickle Hearts, Shifting Ties

"Dad,I agree to the engagement with the Harrington Family."

Her father,Gregory Morrison,looked at her in surprise upon hearing her words."Anya,you refused before.And you love that guy from the Roswell Family."His tone was hesitant.

Anya's voice was hoarse as she replied,"You were right,Dad.Chris was never sincere."

Her father had warned her long ago,but it took her three years to truly see what kind of a man Chris was.

Three years ago,when her relationship with Chris became public knowledge,her father,who was an expert in reading faces,had taken one look at one of his photos and advised,"Anya,trust me.This man is cold-hearted,extreme and ruthless.He is completely not husband material."

At the time,Anya knew her father’s abilities were well-respected,so much so that nearly every engaged couple sought his guidance.And time had proven him right again and again.

Almost every time,the marriages he disapproved of always ended in disaster.She did believe in her father’s wisdom,yet she still could not stop herself from falling for Chris Roswell.

At the beginning of their relationship,he was gentle and considerate,doting on her as if she were the only one in his world.With each passing day,she fell deeper in love with him.

Until not long ago...

Anya suddenly received a call from a hotel asking her to come over.However,when she arrived,she found Chris lying in bed with another woman and her body covered in intimate,unmistakable kiss marks.

At that moment,it felt as if her heart had been wrenched from her chest and crushed.A bone-deep chill seeped into her veins.She had never imagined that one day,Chris would betray her like this.

When he woke up,his face went pale.He kept apologizing."Anya,I was just drunk.This was nothing more than an accident because I thought she was you.Please,believe me.I promise this will never happen again."

Anya stared at his regretful expression,her voice hard and unyielding."Do you think I would believe you?"

Chris panicked and his eyes filled with desperation."Anya,I beg you!Please,don’t leave me!"

And yet,it was not long before he showed up at her house.

That day,the rain poured relentlessly over Ashbourne City.Chris knelt in the downpour for as long as the rain fell.

Anya finally approached him,holding an umbrella.His eyes were bloodshot and the moment he saw her,he instinctively tried to stand.But his legs were numb from kneeling for too long and gave out beneath him,so he collapsed before her once more.

A groan of pain escaped his lips,but he paid it no mind.He looked up at her with desperation in his red-rimmed eyes,his voice flustered as he kept apologizing,"Anya,I swear,I don’t remember anything.That woman climbed into my bed on purpose.Please,believe me.I beg you!"His voice was trembling uncontrollably as he pleaded.

Anya clenched and unclenched her fingers,feeling as if a heavy stone was crushing her chest,making it difficult to breathe.

She took a deep breath,forcing down the storm of emotions within her."How do you expect me to believe you?"

Chris gazed at her with deep affection,raising his hand to the sky."Anya,I swear,there will never be a next time.If I break this vow,may I be struck by lightning."

At that moment,a bolt of lightning split the sky,illuminating his handsome yet sorrowful face.Unfortunately,no amount of sincerity in his expression could erase the image that burned the sight of him in bed with another woman in Anya’s mind.

A sharp,unbearable pain tore through her chest as if a knife was carving out her heart,leaving her in utter misery.

Blinking back the sting of tears,Anya stared at his pale face,torn between love and hate.

After what felt like an eternity,she reached out and traced his cold,handsome features.Her voice was soft as she accepted his apology,"Chris,promise me that there will be no next time."

"If you ever break this promise,I will never love you ever again."Her voice was cold and firm,but the pain in her eyes was undeniable.

Chris’s eyes turned red as he pulled her into a careful embrace."No,I swear.I will never let this happen again."

And Anya,against all reason,chose to believe him one more time.

Yet,not long after,one of her friends sent her a message accompanied by a photo.[Anya,don’t be mad when you see this.I never thought Chris would be this kind of person!]

In the image,Chris was lounging on a sofa at a bar,a woman nestled in his arms.The two of them whispered to each other,their postures far too intimate to be innocent.

At that moment,Anya's entire body trembled as an unbearable cold spread through her heart.She had trusted him time and time again,only for him to shatter that trust over and over.

Her father had been right all along.Chris was heartless and she never should have believed in him from the start.

Now,she had finally reached her limit.Anya was done.This time,she would end it for good.