Chapter 3
Benjamin's hand gripped her shoulder firmly through the fabric, as if he was trying to make her nod yes, right now.
Calista let out a bitter laugh and turned to watch the rain-swept waves.
Three days after Calista ran away from the orphanage at eight, Benjamin brought her home.
He told her to call him "Uncle Thorpe" whenever there were other people around.
Even at eighteen, she still couldn't tell family affection from romantic feelings. She was the only woman who ever stuck around Benjamin.
She thought being his one and only was what love meant.
It wasn't until the night after her birthday party that Calista truly felt the suffocating grip of Benjamin's possessiveness.
But to her shock, the very next day, Benjamin publicly announced he would marry the Bishop family's daughter.
"Congrats! The Thorpe and Bishop families are finally tying the knot. Who would've thought the Bishops would agree so fast?"
Benjamin held a cigar to his nose and took a slow, deliberate sniff.
He never missed when it came to getting what he wanted.
A few of his friends crowded around, gossip written all over their faces.
"So what are you going to do about the girl living with you? I swear, the older she gets, the more she looks like your first love, Valencia Hart..."
Benjamin gave him a cold glare, and the guy clammed up, forcing a sheepish grin.
He said, "She's just a way to pass the time. Once I get tired of her, I'll personally find someone reliable to take her off my hands..."
They all shot each other teasing, knowing grins.
Calista heard every word, and for her, it felt like her whole world just crashed down.
'So it was just me, all along, fooling myself into thinking it was love,' Calista thought.
Once you've run away once, it gets easier to keep running.
Calista asked Harper for help and picked somewhere Benjamin would never go, just to start fresh.
But she never imagined that the new life she thought she'd found would let her down all over again.
The rain over the sea kept pouring down, soaking the edge of Calista's clothes where it brushed the railing.
"Mr. Thorpe, I'm nobody's substitute," Calista said.
She glanced at his hand gripping her shoulder, then peeled his fingers off one by one and stuffed his coat back into his arms.
"What I want, you're not able to give me, and you never will be," she said coldly.
"Tristan gets a pass, but I don't? Why is that?" Benjamin growled.
His brows furrowed as he growled under his breath, but Calista just met his gaze and gave a faint, mocking smile.
Benjamin's breath caught, and he crushed her into his embrace.
Their lips met for a fleeting moment before Calista struggled to break free, but his large hands pinned her firmly against his chest.
Her heartbeat drowned out everything, even the raging storm outside.
"Calista, I know why you're angry. Come home with me. You're the only one I'll ever marry," Benjamin said.
But his love, arriving so late, was nothing but poison. Calista stopped fighting back, her arms falling limply to her sides.
"Benjamin, let her go!" Tristan's voice cut through the storm.
Calista stared at Tristan, rain-soaked and dripping, her face utterly indifferent.
Benjamin shot Tristan a cold, dismissive look, but only tightened his possessive grip around Calista, making it clear he had no intention of letting her go.
"Mr. Calloway, looks like fate just can't keep us apart..." Benjamin said.
Benjamin planted a deliberate kiss on Calista's head, staking his claim, but Tristan didn't even glance his way. He simply took Calista's hand and started to lead her away.
Benjamin's eyes narrowed dangerously as he seized Tristan's wrist.
"Think you can just steal her away from me?" Benjamin growled.
"Mr. Thorpe, this cruise ship belongs to the Calloway family. Are you sure you want to pick a fight here?" Tristan shot back.
Right then, a row of bodyguards lined up behind Tristan, ready for action.
"Calista, come on, let's talk somewhere private, alright? Whatever you want after that, it's your call," Tristan said softly, his tone full of genuine care.
Calista quietly brushed Benjamin's hand off her shoulder, her expression calm, while Benjamin clenched his jaw, barely holding back his frustration.
"Alright, I'll give you this chance. Maybe then you'll finally realize the truth," Benjamin spat out.
Tristan brought her into a guest room, but Calista put out her hand to stop him from closing the door.
"I'm just here because I wanted to hear what you had to say. I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea, least of all your wife," Calista said.
Tristan gave a sheepish smile, sat down on the couch, and lit a cigarette.
Tristan said, "Calista, you've misunderstood me. My feelings for you have always been genuine.
"There are things I just can't talk about, no matter what. You're the reason I ever thought about breaking free, the reason I wanted to start living for myself again..."
"I'm not asking you to be irresponsible, Tristan," Calista cut him off.
'He's so childish, it's almost pathetic,' Calista thought.
Tristan stubbed out his cigarette and let out a long, heavy sigh.
"Calista, it's not that I'm shirking responsibility. It's just... it's not like that between me and her. Besides that piece of paper, what I feel for her is more like friendship than love," Tristan said quietly.