The servant respectfully said, “Mr. Stafford just got up.”
Clara nodded and went to the dining room.
In the dining room, she saw Benjamin sitting at the table drinking soup. Although he was still wearing yesterday’s clothes, he didn’t look disheveled; instead, there was a kind of messy charm to him.
Benjamin saw Clara and his expression stiffened for a moment.
“Morning…” Benjamin greeted awkwardly.
Clara replied coolly, “It’s not morning anymore.”
The servant served Clara her meal, and she sat down opposite Benjamin.
Besides the servants, only Benjamin and Clara were in the dining room.
Clara took a bite of her food before asking Benjamin, “Just woke up?”
Benjamin nodded, “Yes.”
Clara continued, “Do you remember what happened last night?”
Benjamin looked at Clara. Could she not start with such an embarrassing question?
“What happened last night?” Benjamin asked, deciding to play dumb. Otherwise, admitting he drunkenly called Clara to apologize would be too humiliating.
Clara said, “You don’t remember?”
Benjamin nodded, “I was drunk last night.”
So, did he black out? Did he not remember anything from last night?
Clara frowned.
Benjamin curiously asked, “I was drinking last night and probably had too much. How did I wake up in the Logan family’s guest room?”
Clara looked at Benjamin and said, “You called me after you got drunk. Ethan and I went to pick you up.”
Benjamin asked in surprise, “I called you?”
Clara nodded.
Benjamin was puzzled, “Why would I call you?”
Clara looked at him and said, “That’s something you should ask yourself. How do you have my number?”
Benjamin said, “Your WhatsApp number should be your phone number… but why would I call you? It’s really strange.”
She found it stranger than Benjamin did.
“You really don’t remember anything?” Clara asked.
Benjamin nodded, “No… I don’t remember.”
Clara made a sound of acknowledgment and said nothing more.
Seeing that Clara believed him, Benjamin secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, she believed him and didn’t press further.
“Then… what did you see the night before last?” Clara suddenly asked.
“Huh?” Benjamin was stunned for a moment and didn’t immediately understand what Clara meant by the night before last.
“I mean… when Nora fell into the water, what did you see?” Clara asked. After asking, she stared straight at Benjamin, not missing any subtle expressions or glances on his face.
Benjamin looked at Clara and pressed his lips together in silence.
His reaction made Clara realize that Benjamin had indeed seen it.
She was furious.
“Did you see it? You saw that Nora fell into the water by herself and that I didn’t frame her. Why didn’t you speak up? Why didn’t you clarify? Why did you watch as Nora falsely accused me?” Clara angrily questioned Benjamin.
She thought… she and Benjamin could barely be considered friends. Didn’t they chat on WhatsApp?
Moreover… even if Benjamin didn’t consider her a friend, as a person who saw someone being falsely accused and knew the truth, shouldn’t he stand up and speak out?
Didn’t he have any sense of justice or morality?
Benjamin remained silent.
Clara glared at him angrily.
Benjamin said, “I’m sorry.”
Clara scoffed coldly and said angrily, “Do you think a simple ‘sorry’ is enough? Is ‘sorry’ all it takes?”
Benjamin looked at Clara and said, “I’m sorry… I did see Nora fall into the water by herself. But in that situation, how could I stand up? Should I have said that Nora falsely accused you? That Nora was scheming against you? What would happen to Nora then? How would she live in this circle in the future?”
“And what about me?” Clara asked angrily. “Did you ever think about me? I was pointed at and considered a malicious woman and a murderer… What about me? How am I supposed to live in this circle in the future?”
Benjamin fell silent again.
After a long while, Benjamin said, “When faced with right and wrong… people are selfish and clearly distinguish between close and distant relationships. If it were me and Ethan in that situation, with Ethan deliberately falling into the water to frame me, and you saw it, would you stand up and say Ethan did it on purpose? That Ethan was trying to frame me?”
Clara was taken aback and instinctively retorted, “Ethan isn’t that kind of person.”
Although Ethan was cold, in Clara’s heart, he was very upright and proud, unwilling to do such scheming things.
“Before seeing the truth, I didn’t believe Nora was that kind of person either,” Benjamin said. In his mind, Nora had always been perfect and kind.
Although Nora liked Ethan, she had always pursued him openly.
But now… his world had collapsed.
The perfect and kind fairy in his mind was actually… a malicious witch.
“You men just can’t see through Nora’s facade,” Clara said disdainfully.
Benjamin wanted to retort but had no confidence.
Indeed… he had admired and pursued Nora for so many years without seeing her true nature. Clara’s criticism was accurate.
“Don’t change the subject,” Benjamin said. “You haven’t answered my question. If Ethan were like Nora and did what Nora did while I suffered injustice, would you stand up for me?”
She was stumped by the question.
In theory, if she saw someone being falsely accused in front of her, she should bravely stand up and tell the truth to clear their name.
But…
That was Ethan.
Just thinking about Ethan being scorned and cursed by countless people because of her made it impossible for her to do it.
Ethan was her husband.
And Benjamin… was just an acquaintance who wasn’t even considered a friend.
She wouldn’t put Ethan in a disadvantageous position for Benjamin’s sake.
Between Ethan and Benjamin, she wouldn’t hesitate to choose Ethan.
And she finally understood Benjamin.
If it were her, she would make the same choice as Benjamin.
Clara’s silence made Benjamin somewhat smug. “See… you can’t be completely selfless either. If you can’t do it yourself, why demand it from others?”
Clara glared at Benjamin angrily. “You’re proud of your despicable behavior? What’s there to be proud of? Yes, I can’t be completely selfless either… But you need to understand that there aren’t so many ‘ifs’ in this world. There are certainties. Your Nora is certainly a despicable person. And my Ethan… will never become like Nora.”
Benjamin was stumped by her words and didn’t know how to refute them.
“She’s… not my Nora,” Benjamin said.
Clara blinked in surprise and looked at Benjamin. “What? You’ve seen her true colors? Have you given up?”
Benjamin fell silent again when asked this question.
Given up?
How could he give up on a woman he had loved for so many years so easily?
Even knowing that Nora might not be as perfect as he thought and might even be a terrible person… taking back his heart wasn’t easy either.
However, he wouldn’t pursue Nora anymore.
The thought of spending his life with a scheming woman made him feel…
Unworthy.
Yes, unworthy.
Although he appeared carefree, he had always lived an honest life without doing anything wrong. He deserved an equally honest partner,
Not someone malicious toward others.
Not worth it!
Even if he liked her, he would gradually control himself and slowly take back his heart.
He would never again offer his once passionate and sincere heart to Nora.
“Sigh…” Clara sighed and comforted Benjamin. “Don’t be sad. In life, you’re bound to meet a few scumbags.”
Benjamin asked, “Have you met any?”