I Forgave You, But I Forgot Me

Chapter 1

The first time Christopher Gardner cheated on me, he came to me while dragging his mistress along. His eyes were red when he told me I could do anything I wanted to her.

Since I loved him deeply, I had decided to forgive him for his unintentional mistake.

The second time he cheated on me, I sent the woman overseas, warning her to never come back.

On the night of our engagement, Christopher choked me and pressed a dagger against my belly. His eyes were bloodshot as he questioned, "Where's Lyn? Did you know she's pregnant?

"I didn't control myself, so you can take it out on me if you want. But Lyn is still young. She shouldn't be putting up with all this.

"I'm begging you. As long as she can give birth to the child safely, I'll never see her again.

"Aren't you afraid of labor pain? We'll only have the child Lyn is carrying now, okay? Don't worry. You'll be the child's only mom. You have my words."

The tip of the dagger pierced through my belly, blood trickling down.

I stared at him, smiling, as I revealed Evelyn Smith's whereabouts.

As the door slammed shut, I took out my phone with my trembling hand and called a particular number. "You're right this time. Could you still help me?"

On the other end of the line, the man cursed while sounding helpless. "You should've said this earlier. I've already left the country, so how am I supposed to help you?

"Ms. Sullivan, you've always been smart, but you got cheated by the same man twice. Is it because you're too intelligent that you lose the ability to control your feelings?"

I pressed hard on the wound on my belly, and my voice grew increasingly hoarse. "I'm sorry. I owe this to you. I'll offer you 30 percent of the profit in our next collaboration. Is that fine?"

The man on the other end of the line was instantly intrigued. "Send me the time and location. I'll make sure to be there on time Come to me if you ever have this kind of deal next time! It's a fair deal."

Then, I sent the full wedding proposal to Samuel Howell.

The next instant, he replied with an "okay" emoticon.

The room we had prepared for the wedding was now a mess after Christopher crashed it. The messy room reflected my mood.

After taking care of my wound, I staggered my way out of the villa.

Just as I finished checking into the hotel, Christopher called again. The sound of an airplane's engine was loud, but through his tone, I could still tell that he was trying to suppress his anger.

He said, "Wen, I'm now on a flight overseas. I can't stay with you tonight, but you should get a good rest. I'm sorry that I got too worked up just now. I didn't mean to hurt you. Is the injury bad? Should I get the private doctor to check on—"

"It's fine." I cut him off coldly.

Christopher's tone instantly became solemn. "Wendy, didn't I tell you that what happened between me and Lyn was an accident? Someone spiked my drink, and I thought she was you. Now that it has happened, I can only go find her. I can't let the Gardners' child be born outside the country, right?

"Didn't you forgive me once in the past? Why do you have to throw a fit over it this time? The wedding will be held in a week. You'd better calm down tonight."

I stared at my chat history with Samuel and apathetically said, "Forget about it. I'm not marrying you. Christopher Gardner, I told you I have zero tolerance for anything that's wrong."

Just as I was about to end the call, he infuriatingly said, "You're not marrying me? Are you kidding me? The engagement party just ended. The whole world knows the arranged marriage between the Gardners and the Sullivans. Why are you bringing this up now? Are you using our marriage to threaten me?

"Wendy, we grew up together. You know me well. I wouldn't have betrayed you if someone hadn't framed me!

"They said we shouldn't make the same mistake thrice, but I only did it twice. Once the child is born, I had swore that Lyn will never show up around you again. Is this still not enough?"

Chapter 2

Tears trickled down as a bitter smile crept across my face. "So? Do you want me to stare at the child you had with another woman every day so I can be constantly reminded of your mistake? Christopher, I can't do this. I'm sorry."

As soon as I finished speaking, I could hear him bellowing from the other end. "Great! Remember what you've said. You'd better not regret this! Any man who comes from a family background such as mine would have mistresses out there!

"I let Lyn be at your mercy, so I've already done what I could. If you can accept my suggestion, we'll get married. If not, you can just get lost. It's all up to you."

Then, the call was disconnected. I could see my miserable reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window.

The 13520 suite used to be his favorite place for dates. He had said that the room was full of the memories of our love.

We spent Valentine's, birthdays, and anniversaries here. The room had almost become a space specially dedicated to us.

But now, I was the only one who still remembered this.

Christopher informed my parents that we had called off the wedding. So, they immediately called and asked me about it. "Wen, what happened? Why did Christopher say you're calling off the wedding? This is something serious. You can't mess around like this."

I hid myself under the covers completely as I choked up a little. "His mistress is pregnant."

"All men make mistakes. Just get rid of the baby," my parents responded.

"I'm not calling off the wedding. It's just that I'll be marrying someone else. And you know him, too. He's Samuel Howell," I said.

My father, Tommy Sullivan, had his words stuck in his throat before he could give further advice. My mother, Natalie Albom, was also speechless.

Tommy said, "Samuel Howell? The two of you have been enemies for a long time, no? Did you forget that he almost burned your hair when you were still a kid?"

I chuckled and replied in a rather cheerful tone, "That's why I want to marry him and torture him for the rest of his life."

I kept tossing and turning. For the whole night, I couldn't even sleep because of the pain from my wound.

The next morning, I contacted an agent to sell off the house we had prepared for our marriage. When I went back to pack things up, I saw Christopher's private jet on the lawn.

As I pushed the door open, I was greeted with a wall full of heartwarming photos. However, it wasn't me in the picture but rather Evelyn.

I saw photos of the glacier in the north, Aville Tower, and the famous cathedral that had been burnt down. We had been to all these places together, but he had brought Evelyn there again.

He used to say that he hated taking photos. Since he was a prominent figure, he wouldn't know what the reporters and his competitors would do with his photos.

No matter how I had begged and promised to keep the photos well hidden, we hadn't taken any photos together. But now, Evelyn has become the exception.

The two stood in front of the wall of photos. Evelyn was touching her bump that was barely visible and smiling sweetly. "Christopher, once the baby is born, we'll bring him there again. What do you think? He'll surely like these places. Feel this! He's kicking me!"

The sound of the door opening caught the two's attention. They turned around and saw me.

Just then, Evelyn went down on her knees in front of me, holding my waist as she apologized. "Wendy, it was my fault. I didn't keep my promise to stay abroad. Please don't blame me. I really like Christopher. I swear I'll leave once the baby is born. I won't get in your way."

Before I could say a word, Christopher sneered. "You don't have to apologize to her. You only met me because you had also been drugged. I'm the one who wronged you."

He raised his eyes and looked in my direction. "Wendy, I've already found out who drugged me. Their company will shut down in a month.

"Lyn is innocent. She made a mistake that was out of her control. You shouldn't blame her. I'll let this matter slide, and I'll consider this over once you apologize."

Chapter 3

I looked over, my gaze devoid of emotions. I found his request ridiculous and said, "Did you just tell me to apologize? Christopher, are you out of your mind?"

The next instant, I could feel Evelyn's arms around my waist tighten, hurting my wound.

I gasped from the pain and broke out in a cold sweat. So, I quickly pushed Evelyn away.

I didn't use much force, but Evelyn slammed into the cabinet.

"What are you doing?" Christopher pushed me away forcibly, and my forehead hit hard against the door frame, blood gushed out immediately.

He yelled, "I think you're the one who's lost your mind! Lyn has given in, and I've already explained to you. What else do you want? Apologize. If not, don't blame me for what's going to happen!"

I gritted my teeth as I swallowed all my grievances. Then, I enunciated every single word as I said, "That is impossible! Do you want me to apologize to your lover? Christopher, dream on!"

"How ungrateful!" Christopher was boiling with rage, and his eyes turned bloodshot. He swiftly carried Evelyn into the bedroom to rest.

When he left the room, he summoned all the maids in the villa. "Where is the chain? Bring it over. Mrs. Gardner is crazy. Make her kneel in the garden to clear her mind! She can't get up without my permission!"

My eyes reddened instantly as I stared at him in disbelief. "Christopher, are you insane? She's merely a mistress. How could you do this to me? I bought this house!"

"But I'm the man of the house." Christopher only shot me a cold look without saying another word.

The maids hastily dragged me out of the villa, leaving a trail of blood on the floor.

When the villa door slammed shut, a thunderous sound suddenly rang out, even when the sky was still clear. The next instant, rain started pouring down, and I was drenched in no time.

Kneeling in the rain, I could feel the wounds on my forehead and belly burning. My vision gradually became blurred.

I looked at the maid, who was keeping an eye on me by the side, and said feebly, "Let me go… Get Christopher here for me. Please…"

The maid glanced at me, as if she was watching a show. She stood under a roof, her expression full of mockery. "Don't waste your effort. I've seen this kind of pitiful act multiple times.

"Mr. Gardner has just called the private doctor, and he is busy taking care of Ms. Smith's wound right now."

Mustering all my strength, I looked up and vaguely saw the two figures on the balcony of the second floor. Then, my vision went dark, and I collapsed on the ground.

When I was barely conscious, I heard the maid call out anxiously, "Oh no! Ms. Sullivan passed out! There's blood on the floor. Get the doctor here to check on her. Quick!"

I heard familiar footsteps approaching, and an umbrella was held over my head.

Christopher's voice was exceptionally cold. "Have you done pretending? I would've thought you're the one who's pregnant. Wendy, it's time to tame your temper. This is for your own good."

As the sound of footsteps faded away, he and Evelyn hugged each other under the roof before they looked at me.

Evelyn fell into his embrace weakly, her voice laced with grievance. "Christopher, Wendy doesn't seem like she's pretending. Have we gone too far? She's your fiancée, after all. If the Sullivans find out about this…"

Christopher's face turned icy cold instantly. "I've been working hard for years. I don't need to consider the Sullivans. Besides, she was the one who threw a fit first.

"You'll only give birth in another eight months, and she can't be bullying you all the time. It's time for her to control her temper."

A smug look flickered in Evelyn's eyes, but it was soon replaced with an innocent expression. "I heard that people who get married through arranged marriage have no feelings for one another. Is it the same for you and Wendy?"

The heavy rain poured relentlessly, flushing down my pale face, over and over again.

Chapter 4

For a moment, I seemed to feel my heart stop pounding.

The next instant, Christopher's emotionless voice rang in my ears. "With great power comes great responsibility. I was born a Gardner, and I can never escape from an arranged marriage. Since I have no choice, I can only accept it.

"Wendy Sullivan is pretty and pure. Compared to other arrogant daughters of rich families, she's the best option."

Tears trickled down from the corners of my eyes, then seeped through the soil.

Christopher stared at Evelyn dotingly, his gaze full of affection. "I thought I would have to live the rest of my life that way. But you're like a blessing. Thank you, Lyn."

Those words pierced right through my heart. I couldn't tell if the physical torment or the pain deep down felt worse.

All those memories of us during our younger days gradually faded away.

I thought that we had known each other since we were kids and that we loved each other deeply. Yet, everything turned out to be a complete lie.

For 20 whole years, I was such a fool to hold on to one dream—to marry him. I had wanted to help him thrive in his career and rise to the top.

The young man under a tree who had broken the tree branches to make a crown for me in my memory had now disappeared.

I was overwhelmed with a wave of tension, and the blood couldn't stop gushing out of the wound on my belly.

Christopher finally sensed something amiss and yelled at the maids, "What are you waiting for? Go ahead and check on her! If anything happens to Mrs. Gardner, all of you will be fired!"

When I was unconscious, someone kept shaking my body. The next instant, I fell into a warm embrace.

The familiar pine scent led me back to the past moment shared between the two of us.

When I opened my eyes, I had already been moved into the guest room.

Christopher was sitting on the bedside, his face full of both anger and indifference. "Why didn't you tell me that you're injured? Wendy, do you have to be so stubborn? When can you do something about your temper?"

I couldn't be bothered to care about his feelings as I swept my gaze around the room. It was shabby and messy, much worse than the maids' accommodation. I didn't even need to ask about who was now staying in the master bedroom that used to be mine.

I sneered without sparing him a glance. "My temper has nothing to do with you. The person you should care for now is Evelyn."

I propped myself up and tore the bandage around my belly. "By the way, I shall remind you that I bought this house. Please have your lover move out as soon as possible."

Christopher was infuriated by my nonchalant response. He stood up instantly and roared, "That's enough! Why can't you be more accepting? I let Lyn stay here because I wish you girls could take care of each other. I don't expect you to make a fuss!

"Forget it. There are still eight months before Lyn gives birth. You'd better cool down during this period. I don't want the child to have a lunatic as his mom after he's born."

With that, Christopher left without looking back.

I lifted the covers and saw that the injuries on my knees had been taken care of by the doctor.

I couldn't help but scoff. I had gone through all this because of him, yet he tried to act like the nice guy now.

I could hear their laughter from downstairs. So, I took out my phone and once again reduced the selling price of the villa. I never want to see this place full of sorrow and pain again.

That night, the maids laid out a spread of food. But most of them were seafood, which Christopher was allergic to.

I stood on the second floor and stared at those dishes. Then, I recalled how Christopher had refused to give in for me when he was ordering in a restaurant. Whether someone loved you or not, it showed.

I returned to the master bedroom that used to be mine, and all my luggage had been thrown away. That actually saved me a lot of work.

I booked a cab with my phone and turned around, wanting to leave.

Evelyn was holding some food when she came to me, smiling sweetly. "Wendy, are you here to check out your room? I'm sorry. Christopher said a pregnant lady should be prioritized, so he gave me this room.

"If you're looking for some trash, you might have to check the trash can. There's nothing here."

The trash that Evelyn had mentioned were gifts Christopher had given me.