His Knees, His Pleas, But Our Son's in Peace

25

I stood up, disgust twisting in my chest. I pushed him away, his desperation clinging to me like a weight. "Nathan, the only thing I want from you is for you to leave me alone." His tears fell freely now, his voice breaking. "Doris, I-".

"It's over, Nathan!" I interrupted, my voice rising. "The sight of you

makes me sick now. If you truly care about me, if you want what's best for me, then leave. Let me live my life without you. That's the only thing you can do for me."

Nathan collapsed to his knees, his face a mask of misery. "Please, don't hate me," he whispered. "I'll do anything. Just don't hate me."

But I was done. There was nothing left to say. I turned my back on him and walked out of the office, leaving him sobbing on the floor. I felt no pity, no remorse-just the weight of relief that I was finally free.

After that night, Nathan continued to show up every day. He sent expensive gifts, cooked meals for me, and even tried to get friends to plead his case. But each gesture only deepened my resolve. He could wait from dusk till dawn, beg all he wanted, but I would never go back to him. I was finally moving forward-without Nathan.

Nathan's desperation grew as he picked up on hints that I was

planning to move my company overseas and cut ties with him for good. He became terrified, his fear showing in his every word when he approached me one last time.

"Doris, don't leave... please, don't go away, okay?" he pleaded, his voice trembling. "I promise I won't bother you anymore. Just stay, and if I can look at you from afar, that's enough for me. I'll be satisfied."

His sincerity was clear, but my heart had already turned cold toward

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True to his word, he stopped chasing me, but he didn't sever the business ties.

The Johnson Group continued supporting my company, offering valuable resources, and I accepted them without hesitation or guilt. If he wanted to help, it wasn't my problem.

Since Nathan backed off, I didn't fold my company as originally planned. Instead, I joined Issca and we launched an overseas business, diving into new markets together.

Life moved forward smoothly, and soon Nathan became a memory I barely wanted to recall.

One day, we crossed paths at a major conference. I felt his eyes on me, filled with emotions I no longer cared to decipher. He noticed Issca beside me, sitting comfortably in the chair, confident as ever. His curiosity and jealousy boiled over. "Why are you with him?" Nathan asked, his voice strained.

Issca chuckled, finding the whole situation amusing. "Does it really matter to you who Doris chooses?" he quipped casually.

Nathan, however, was relentless, refusing to let it drop. "Doris," he

said, "I need to understand. Why him? Why not... me?"