After five years of marriage, there was no doubt that Evangeline bore Soren’s mark in every way.
How could any other man possibly pretend none of it had happened and love her wholeheartedly?
Soren watched as the color drained from Evangeline’s face.
She met his gaze, her fingers clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her heart felt as if it were pricked by a thousand tiny needles—not exactly painful, but heavy and suffocating.
She knew Soren was telling the truth. Even if he hadn’t said it out loud, she suspected Finn might have, at some point, felt the same disgust.
But hearing the words spoken aloud still left her with a deep sense of shame and sadness.
Once, she’d loved Soren with every fiber of her being, enduring all his humiliations. Aside from breaking up him and Poppy, she truly believed she’d done nothing to wrong him.
Once she realized he’d loved Poppy, she chose divorce, giving him and Poppy another chance.
She only wanted a peaceful separation.
All this time, she’d been tolerating his anger.
But she could never have imagined Soren would humiliate her like this, in front of everyone.
All the love she’d poured out had twisted back into weapons, stabbing straight into her heart.
She bit her lip, fingers digging deeper into her palm.
Just then, a gentle but firm hand closed over her fist, softly coaxing her fingers to uncurl.
Finn looked down at her palm, wincing at the crescent-shaped marks left by her nails. “Hey,” he murmured, his voice tinged with concern.
Holding her hand, he said with quiet conviction, “Why would you ever think you’re tainted? To me, being able to love someone with your whole body and soul—that’s the purest thing there is.”
“I love you for it.”
He spoke softly, then lifted his gaze to Soren. “If anything, the real shame is on those who cheat while in a relationship and then try to trample on their exes after breaking up. Isn’t that right, Mr. Whitmore?”
Winston, who’d been silent for a long time, suddenly heard his name and stiffened.
Why did Finn’s words make him so uncomfortable?
But he understood—Finn’s words were aimed squarely at Soren.
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