Matthew swiftly pressed on the brakes, narrowly avoiding hitting the person who suddenly appeared in front of the car.
Sampson stood defiantly in front of the vehicle, his gaze fixated on Dolores for a moment. It was undeniable that she and Matthew were together once more.
Despite his efforts to conceal the truth he had discovered this year, he had failed to prevent Dolores and Matthew from reuniting.
Sampson appeared crestfallen. “I need to talk to you.”
Dolores was taken aback by his sudden appearance.
Until now, Dolores had deliberately avoided thinking or asking about that matter.
His presence confirmed her worst fears-that what she had been trying to suppress had actually happened, and the brotherly Sampson she once knew had changed.
He had become someone unrecognizable.
He even frightened her.
“Move aside,” Matthew’s eyes darkened, his voice as cold as ice.
Sampson didn’t back down; instead, he stared at Dolores. “Lola, how many years have we known each other? I admit, this time it was my fault. I’m truly sorry, but to be fair, I treated you well before.”
“When we first met, you were a teenage girl. You showed bravery and strength for your brother and your mother. You displayed a maturity beyond your years that troubled people. Do you remember?”
Dolores tightly clasped her hands, holding her breath, rooted to the spot. In the past, there had only been pain and heartache. Her brother’s death remained a wound that never healed.
“Later, you returned here to get married. Do you know why I came back? Because of you,” he said with a bitter smile. “After your divorce and the car accident, I took you away. Do you remember those dark days? When you fought to keep your children safe, when you endured all that pain, who was there beside you the whole time? Who took care of your mother and looked after you?”
He recounted the fragments of their shared past, trying to remind her that he genuinely cared for her and held affection for her.
But his efforts only made her hate him.
“Do you really just hate me? Is there no trace of affection left in your heart?”
“Stop it,” Dolores closed her eyes. She couldn’t deny what he was saying.
He had hurt her, but she couldn’t deny the kindness he had shown her in the past and how good he had been to her.
She trembled uncontrollably. “What do you want to say? Just say it.”
They had reached this point in their relationship, and there was no turning back.
His words were merely an attempt to rekindle her emotional attachment to him.
He had once been kind to her.
Sampson smiled, knowing that if Dolores agreed to his request, everything between them would vanish like smoke.
But there was no way back. Not anymore.
“Let the Herbert family go,” Sampson stated.
Dolores furrowed her brow. Where did that come from?
“What do you mean?” Dolores questioned, puzzled.
Sampson sneered, looking at Matthew. “You may not know, but he does.”
Matthew’s thoughts were consumed by Sampson’s words. Upon reflection, even though he was destined to be with Dolores, he had only heard about her past and never truly experienced it.
He had always avoided delving into her past-what she had gone through and the kind of men she had encountered.
At this moment, he felt an urge to know.
Casually leaning back and resting his elbow on the car window, Matthew found Sampson’s actions rather contemptible. “What’s this? You dare to act but not face the consequences? And now you’re resorting to these methods to survive?”
“I am willing to take full responsibility. Let Maria go and let the Herbert family be. You did that to her; don’t you feel any guilt?” Sampson’s hands clenched into fists by his side.
In Sampson’s understanding, Matthew was not a good person; he had shown no mercy to the woman who had once been with him.
Dolores was bewildered. What was happening?
Why was she completely unaware of any of this?
Matthew sneered and didn’t respond to Sampson’s words.
His lack of empathy toward her was rooted in her repeated actions that erased his affection for her time and time again.
This time, she had truly crossed the line.
Perhaps some people could tolerate it, but others simply couldn’t!
Dolores furrowed her brow, unable to contain her confusion any longer. “What the hell is going on?”
Sampson gestured for her to look at the news headlines.
In an attempt to make sense of the situation, Dolores took out her cellphone and began scrolling through the news from the past two days. It was all about Samuel’s kidnapping.
Every headline pointed fingers at the Herbert family, accusing them of being bullies.
Dolores quickly pieced together the details of the situation.
That day, Samuel had mentioned that Matthew had instructed him to willingly be taken away.
It was all just a staged act.
Now the Herbert family’s reputation was tarnished, and Sampson had come to ask her to convince Matthew to let them off the hook.
Frankly, she hadn’t expected Matthew to go this far.
She was utterly perplexed.
“Lola…” Sampson began, but Dolores opened the car door, ready to step out. Matthew grabbed her hand, seemingly reluctant to let her go. Dolores smiled at him. “I’ll just have a few words with him.”
Matthew stared at her for a few seconds, then slowly released her hand.
Dolores exited the car and approached Sampson. She studied his face, which suddenly felt unfamiliar to her. Despite their long history together, she realized she never truly knew his heart.
“Have you changed? Or did I never know you?” Her eyes unknowingly grew misty. “You must think I’m heartless. You’ve known me for so long and taken care of me, yet I still can’t accept you… Actually, I have considered being with you, and you don’t know this, but your mother approached me. She believes we’re not suitable for each other and doesn’t want me to be with you. Your sister has shown animosity toward me. So, even if I agreed to be with you, we would still be separated by numerous obstacles.”
Her eyes disappointed him as they glistened with tears. “I’m telling you this, not as an explanation, but so that you don’t see me as a cruel and unrighteous person. Let’s be strangers if we meet again in the future. I also believe that we should part ways with a good impression of each other in our hearts. After all, we did exist in each other’s worlds.”
Sampson furrowed his brow, his heart in turmoil. His mother had sought her out?
“So, you don’t dislike me. It’s just because of my sister and mother…”
“No,” Dolores interrupted him firmly. “I don’t like you. Even if you didn’t have your mother and sister, I would have only agreed to try to be with you out of gratitude for your kindness to me. I don’t like you, let alone love you.”
She was well aware that she didn’t have any feelings for him.
Hope was shattered, leaving Sampson feeling utterly miserable.
“I’ll take your word for it,” Dolores made her decision.
After uttering those words, she turned away.
“Wait…” Sampson called out, attempting to stop her. “Do you remember-”
“Stop talking,” Dolores cut him off, not wanting to listen to his reminisces about the past again.
She had no desire to hear any more from him. It all ended here. There was nothing left to say.
Sampson had impulsively wanted to reveal the truth to her, but being interrupted helped him regain his composure. He glanced at Matthew, whose lips curled up in a mocking and sarcastic smile.
“Matthew, you’re no better than me.” How tragic was it to have one’s own blood standing before him and yet be oblivious to the truth?
Matthew couldn’t be bothered to respond, starting the car instead.
As the car drove past, Sampson turned his body to the side and, through the window, uttered, “Don’t keep giving your sincerity like a fool and be blind to what’s right in front of your eyes.”
Dolores turned to look at him.
What did he mean?