Chapter 459: It Is My Fault For Being Born?
As Lariette was caught in a daze, Mr. Eastwood stood up. While straightening his coat, he said, "My part in this is done. Ask the rest from your dear brother and husband. They should know everything by now."
Lariette was startled, "Wait!"
Her voice cracked, begging him to stay, but he ignored it. As he turned away to the door, she hastily grabbed his sleeve, her hand shaking.
"Please... please tell me this isn’t true..."
Everything was enough to wreck her whole belief. How could he simply drop everything to her face and then leave? And he just told her to listen to the rest from others?
"Stop it!"
Mr. Eastwood yanked his arm free without hesitation. The force was enough to tilt Lariette’s body away.
His gaze lingered on her teary face. Not even the slightest remorse glinted in his dark eyes.
Once again, his chillingly calm voice echoed in the room.
"You can pretend not to believe me. It won’t change anything. My only regret is..." he murmured, his smile cynical, "That John and Samantha didn’t suffer when they learned the daughter they adored wasn’t theirs."
Mr. Eastwood longed to see Jonathan’s happy family break down when the truth came out. He thought he would feel better once he witnessed that.
But the opposite happened, as if the world mocked him for his grudges.
Jonathan and Samantha continued pouring their love and affection on their fake daughter, Stephanie. Instead of making up for the lost years, they kept their biological daughter, Lariette, at arm’s length.
Mr. Eastwood had heard of Jonathan and Samantha pushing Lariette to marry her cheating ex-boyfriend to appease Stephanie. It was enough to tell her that they were as despicable as him.
"If you want to blame someone," he sneered, "Blame yourself for being their child."
And with that, Mr. Eastwood walked away without wasting time, his steps hurried and heavy.
The door was slid closed with a mute click. Lariette was left frozen. The calm cruelty of his confession shattered her entire world.
For a long time, Lariette didn’t move from her chair. The world outside the private room felt distant. She barely caught the noise muffled by the walls.
Her body felt hollow, drained of all warmth as if she was trapped in everlasting winter. Her fingers curled around the edge of the table, and her knuckles turned white.
Lariette lowered her chin. A fresh tear ran down her cheek, and then another. She pressed her lips tight, trying to hold back her sobs.
As Lariette just sat there, the clock continued ticking. Her phone began to ring relentlessly. Even though she knew the caller was Ruediger, she didn’t pick up any of his calls.
Lariette’s gaze was fixed on the empty chair where Mr. Eastwood had sat, her tears falling silently, dripping from her chin.
She had never expected to know the truth in this way. What should have felt liberating now changed to grief.
She let out a shaky laugh as she whispered to herself, "All because of his twisted revenge."
Lariette shifted her eyes from the chair across from her, looking down at her clasped hands. Her shoulders trembled as she cried, but her crying was quiet.
It was the kind of sorrow too deep to make sound.
The minutes stretched, and the phone rang again. She didn’t know how long she had been here. Then...
The door slammed open, followed by a desperate cry, "Lettie!"
Lariette snapped her head up, looking abruptly at the doorway. A breathless Ruediger appeared there, eyes wide with panic. He clutched his phone in his hands.
After closing the door, he rushed to her side in three long strides. His expression tautened once he saw her teary-streaked face.
"Lettie, what happened?" he asked, his voice shaking as he crouched beside her. He gently reached for her hands, folding them as if they were fragile glass, "I called you many times. Mr. Eastwood... he met you, didn’t he?"
"Eddy, he... he said..."
Lariette tried to speak, but the words caught in her throat. A broken sob escaped from her lips. More tears rolled down her cheeks, and her reddened eyes were too blurry to see him clearly.
Ruediger’s eyes softened immediately. Without hesitation, he pulled Lariette forward, enveloping her in the safety of his arms.
He felt her body stiffen at first before melting into him.
The dam broke further as her tears soaked his coat. Some slid to his face and his neck. Each warm drop seemed to carry every piece of her broken heart.
She clutched at him desperately, her entire body shivering. He tightened his arms around her, hoping to reassure her with his presence.
"He... He was the one..." she choked out, "Mr. Eastwood. He said... He was the one who... who made it happen. The one... who changed the babies."
Ruediger’s face went ashen. Even though he had already guessed Mr. Eastwood would suddenly reveal everything to Lariette, he was still at a loss for what to do.
She pulled back slightly, looking up at him with swollen eyes. Her voice cracked, "You knew, right? Dec has found out?"
He admitted with difficulty, "Yes. That’s why Declan wanted to meet me just now. He... He found out about Mr. Eastwood being the mastermind."
Lariette sobbed, fresh tears spilling down her face.
"All because of his stupid revenge. I didn’t... I didn’t expect... Is it my fault for being born? For being the daughter of the man his fiancee was obsessed with?"
Ruediger held her shoulders, eyes searching her face. He softened his voice, "Lettie, as you said, it’s all for his stupid revenge. You did nothing wrong. None of this is your fault."
"I know... I know that, but..."
Unable to hold herself back, she buried her face in his chest again. The sound of her sobs grew louder. She felt his arms wrap around her protectively.
He didn’t try to hush her. He held her tighter, letting her cry until the storm within her eased by itself.