Lost Me Gained Regret

Chapter 728



Seeing Dailey's figure nowhere in sight as she turned around, Christine felt a pang of sadness.

The elevator ascended, and Merritt chatted away, trying to distract her. She only half-listened, nursing a headache and responding with little enthusiasm. But Merritt didn't seem to mind; he was just happy to be there for her. He supported her back to her room, gently helped her sit on the couch, and went to make her a cup of honey lemon tea, a small gesture of care.

He then proceeded to make the bed for her, while he resigned himself to the couch in the living room, grabbing a blanket for himself.

Suddenly, Christine felt sobered up by the reality of their situation. "Merritt, I can't keep pretending," she said.

A long, heavy silence followed.

Merritt stood there, clutching his blanket, just looking at Christine. His eyes were filled with hurt.

Christine rubbed her face, "I appreciate everything you've done for me, and you've been really great, but we can't go any further. I don't want to lead you on."

"You're always in character for your job, let's not do that in real life. Just be yourself."

Merritt hugged the blanket tighter, his lips quivered slightly.

He wanted to ask why, but it seemed pointless. The answer was painfully clear.

He had hoped to find a reason, any reason, to keep playing Christine's boyfriend, thinking maybe, just maybe, she would eventually fall for him. But deep down, he knew it was wishful thinking.Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

Initially, Christine had approached him out of boredom, and he, eager for any connection, had played along with her game, pretending to be the experienced, carefree lover.

But the truth was, from the moment he saw Christine, he was smitten. Not just by her looks but by her fiery spirit and vivacious personality. It was infectious.

Merritt had been carrying the weight of his family's expectations for as long as he could remember, working tirelessly to pay for his education and his grandmother's medical bills. His youthful spark had dimmed early on, and just when he thought it might reignite, it was snuffed out once again.

"You should take the bed. This room is yours. I'll get another one. You've had a long day, get some rest," he said, prepared to leave but feeling an invisible weight anchor him in place.

Christine rose to leave, but as she

reached the door, Merritt caught the hem of her dress. "Do you think I'm

useless, is that it?" he choked out

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e

after a brief silence, his voice laden with unshed tears. "I couldn't protect

you from Dailey, couldn't do anything but watch you get hurt. I don't have his background, his strength."

"You're right not to like me. There's nothing noteworthy about me."

When Christine first met Merritt, she hadn't thought much of him. He was the one who had approached her, putting on the facade of a worldly man. It was amusing to her at the time.

But as they spent more time together, she realized he was nothing like he pretended to be. He was just a decent guy, struggling under life's pressures. For a moment, she had even considered giving a real relationship with him a chance.

But the heart doesn't follow commands, and love doesn't listen to reason.

"Merritt, you are a good person,"

et

Christine turned to face him, her expression earnest. "Don't sell yourself short. You are wonderful, but you're not right for me. I'm sorry,

I can't give you what you want. This is where it ends for us." Content

She pulled her dress out of his grasp, opened the door, and walked out without looking back. The door clicked shut behind her, a definitive sound that seemed to put an imprable barrier between them.

Merritt thought that was the end of their story.

Little did he know, fate had other plans...