Called Off the Wedding, Left Him Bankrupt novel Chapter 17

Benedict stood frozen, his entire body tense. The flicker of calm he'd managed earlier vanished in an instant, replaced by a burst of anger that bled through his clenched teeth.

"You'd better keep worshiping money like this for the rest of your life! Go ahead—hug your precious cash and see how far it gets you!"

Cynthia only offered a cool, sarcastic smile. "Thanks for the blessing. I'll keep that in mind."

The room fell silent—so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Benedict's face was ice-cold, the dim light of the old house casting sharp angles across his features as he stared at Cynthia, who sat in the worn armchair looking utterly unbothered. He pressed his lips together, saying nothing.

It was a long time before he finally broke the silence, sounding defeated.

"What happened to you? How did you become like this?"

Cynthia met his eyes, her gaze steady and silent.

"Maybe you should be asking yourself what you've done lately."

Letting go of a seven-year relationship felt, to Cynthia, like scraping flesh from bone—agonizing, piece by piece.

All this pain traced back to him.

He was the one who cheated. And now he had the audacity to ask her why she'd changed. The irony was almost laughable.

He'd been the one to throw away everything they had, yet somehow he managed to shove the blame onto her. It was disgusting.

"Cynthia! Are you really going to keep harping on about some imagined offence just to pick a fight?"

Her calm, detached demeanor only infuriated him more.

Cynthia simply raised a finger to her lips and shushed him. "Keep your voice down. You'll wake my grandmother."

Benedict fell quiet for a moment, collecting himself.

"I'll come get you tomorrow. I'll clear my schedule and stay with you as long as you need."

Cynthia didn't answer. The silence stretched between them as Benedict finally turned and left.

The next day, he didn't come.

The neighbors had all moved away long ago; there was no one to call for help. Gritting her teeth, Cynthia tried to push herself up, but the pain was overwhelming. She collapsed back onto the wet ground, letting the rain pelt her as she lay there, helpless.

Eventually, the pain dulled enough for her to crawl back inside. She fumbled for her phone and dialed for an ambulance.

While she waited, Benedict called.

She answered, holding the phone to her ear.

"Cynthia, something came up at work, I—"

Another lie. She hung up before he could finish.

He didn't call back.

Cynthia closed her eyes, disappointment pressing heavy against her chest.

She'd given him so many chances to be honest. All she ever got in return were more lies.