?Chapter 508:


    Brian hesitated, then asked, “Did she… say a lot of unpleasant things to you in private before?”


    Rachel didn’t flinch. “Yes.”


    A brief, concise response, but the subtle tremble in hershes said far more than her words ever could.


    His jaw tensed. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”


    Before he could stop himself, his hands gripped her shoulders, his voice edged with frustration.


    Rachel lowered her gaze, hershes fluttering faintly. “I did… a long time ago. But you forgot.”


    Her voice was steady, but a trace of bitterness lingered beneath it. “When we first met, I could already tell your mom didn’t like me. But I figured she was your mother, so I told myself to be more understanding. I thought if I could win her over, you wouldn’t have to feel torn between us.”


    She exhaled softly, her smile faint and self-deprecating. “But it didn’t work. She despised my background and never hid her disdain. She constantly made things difficult for me.” She paused briefly, but her tone remained light—as if the pain had long dulled. “I told you about it back then… but you just said she was your mom and asked me to put up with it. So I did. I endured it, hoping you’d see it one day.”


    Her voice cracked slightly, but she caught herself. “But I realized you didn’t believe me. And the person you wanted to protect was never me.” She let out a soft chuckle, void of any warmth. “After that, I just stopped hoping altogether.”


    It was strange. What once brought her so much anguish now seemed so trivial to talk about. Time really did have a way of numbing pain.


    Brian’s chest tightened, her words striking a deep chord in him. His mind reeled, recalling those thoughtless remarks he had made. But what she didn’t know was that he had confronted his mom multiple times in private. He just never told her about it.


    But now, exining himself would only sound like a weak excuse.


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    “Then why didn’t you…” He swallowed hard, his voice rough. “Why didn’t you bring it up againter? I thought my mom had… backed off a little.”


    Rachel’s smile deepened,ced with mockery. “And what would that have changed?” Her tone was tinged with quiet pain. “Was I supposed to keepining, hoping you’d eventually take my side? What was the point when I already knew you wouldn’t?”


    Her smile twisted bitterly. “I knew from the beginning—I never stood a chance with you. So what would’ve been the point in bringing it up?” Rachel’s voice was low, but the hurt beneath it was undeniable. “It wouldn’t have changed anything. You’d only think I was trying to stir up conflict between you and your mom… or worse, that I was scheming to turn you against her.”


    Brian’s chest tightened, the weight of guilt bearing down on him like a crushing force.


    “Rachel… I’m sorry. I really am. I let you down—I was selfish and blind.”


    Her expression didn’t waver. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”


    Her tone was light, void of any lingering attachment, and that shattered Brian even more.


    Ovee with emotion, he instinctively reached out and grasped her hand. “Let me make it up to you… in any way you want.”


    Rachel simply shook her head, her indifference piercing deeper than any harsh words ever could. “There’s no need for that. We’re no longer engaged, Brian. We’ve already ended things. Any conflict between me and your mom doesn’t matter now.”


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