Chapter 4
The third time we ran into each other, he was in the middle of shooting a commercial.
Once the shoot was over, Sean made a point to come over and say hi.
With a smile, he said, "Hey, I'm Sean Bennett. Nice running into you again."
He looked at me with that calm, unreadable gaze, and suddenly I realized that he didn't recognize me at all.
He had no memory that I was the woman who'd completely broken down on that snowy night.
After that, I kept finding myself hanging around Sean more and more.
At first, I was just curious. Maybe because it was so rare to meet someone who was actually that real and pure.
Or maybe when I'd got more money than I knew what to do with, life just started to feel empty, and I ended up looking for something to make it interesting.
Back then, Edward had found himself a new flame—a bold, honest girl with a fire in her soul.
He was so caught up with her, and I barely ever saw him around.
Sometimes, he'd even let her name slip when talking to me.
I bottled up my anger, kept my cool, and just played the perfect Mrs. Carter.
Edward put his arm around my shoulders. "Anna, none of them are like you. You're irreplaceable to me."
Of course, I got what he was saying, and I knew he was being real with me.
After all, what we had was truly one of a kind.
I never doubted a single thing he told me.
We came from similar backgrounds, clicked in every way, and matched each other in pride.
There was a time when we truly loved each other.
On that crowded beach, I'd carelessly toss my hat away, race through the salty wind, and jump around under the sun like nothing could hold me back.
He'd trail behind, picking up everything I dropped, his eyes always lingering on my smile, soaking in every bit of my laughter.
At our wedding, he promised he'd love me forever.
But he never said how long forever would actually last.
Sean was reserved and always straight-laced.
He was already into me before I even noticed.
Whenever he looked at me, his eyes seemed to spark.
Later, I dropped by his set, and we ended up just hanging out in a nearby old town.
It was summer, the lotus flowers were blooming everywhere, and the streets were pretty quiet—barely any tourists around.
We strolled side by side through a narrow alley, and at the end, there was a little river with covered boats gliding past.
That evening, with the sunset casting a warm glow, sunlight played in his hair while the sound of the river murmured softly in the background.
Sean reached out and took my hand, as if he was afraid those rowdy kids nearby might bother me.
His hand came to rest on my shoulder, gentle and reassuring.
His touch was warm.
While I was lost in thought, he leaned in and whispered to me.
I came back to myself and asked him what he'd just said, but Sean just gave a little shake of his head.
Later, when I got home, I started to water the flowers on the balcony, and out of nowhere, a smile tugged at my lips.
Actually, I heard every word he said that day.
If I heard him right, what he said was, "I love you."
His crush was so innocent and genuine, but all I felt was guilt.
He had no idea I was already someone's wife.
Someone as clear and pure as him would he ever grasp the unspoken truth of high society, where sharing a bed didn't mean sharing a life.