Chapter 16
shifted my gaze lightly, not even bothering to answer Easton’s words.
His face hardened instantly, turning a shade of iron blue. In a flash, he stormed toward me eaching out to seize my hand.
Debbie! What do you mean by this? You dare choose Martin just to provoke us?!”
frowned at him–he looked more like an enraged beast than a man–and without hesitation, stepped back, hiding behind Martin.
A triumphant smile spread across Martin’s face.
He blocked me completely with his body, shielding me from view, then caught Easton‘:
utstretched hand in his grip.
I don’t see how Debbie’s choice concerns you,” he said coldly. “She is my fiancée now. Ou ngagement ceremony doesn’t welcome you. You may leave.”
aston’s complexion turned a mix of green and pale, his eyes blazing with fury as he glared a
Martin.
Impossible! Debbie would never choose you! To her, you’re nothing but a shallow playboy. Di ou force her into this?”
Martin scowled, as though bewildered by Easton’s nonsense.
quickly peeked out from behind him and said firmly, “My fiancé’s words are my words. This i: Our engagement ceremony, and noisy guests like you are not welcome.”
And as for my choice–yes, it was genuine. It has nothing to do with you. Didn’t you already see he engagement tokens I returned? That should have made my intentions clear enough.”
My gaze toward them brimmed with impatience.
The four of them flinched as if struck by lightning. They had never expected that in just a day or wo, my gaze toward them would grow colder than toward strangers.
Easton glared at me, forcing words through clenched teeth. “Debbie! I know you would never ruly choose him. Don’t ruin the rest of your life just because you’re angry!”
After he spoke, Connor and the others stepped closer, surrounding me.
Debbie, I know we hurt you before,” Connor said, his peach–blossom eyes filled with familiar leading tenderness. “But no matter how angry you are, you can’t gamble your whole future. Come back to us. Even if you only choose one of us–we’ll treat you well. Isn’t that enough?”
Kenji and Hayden stayed silent, but from their expressions, their agreement was obvious. They weren’t pleading out of love–they were panicking. Their carefully controlled “toy” had slipped out of their grasp, and they weren’t ready for the loss.
But why, I thought bitterly, should I have to choose among such rotten men?
The moment Martin heard their words, the smile vanished from his eyes, replaced by a dangerous glint.
“Are you deaf?” His voice cut like a blade. “I already said it–Debbie is my fiancée. She has nothing to do with you anymore. If you don’t leave now, do you want me to throw you out
Ditching My Four fie
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myself?”
His eyes on them were as cold as if he were staring at trash.
But Easton and the others weren’t cowed in the slightest. They stood their ground, refusing to move, their eyes still fixed on me–as though I owed them an explanation.
Connor even extended his hand toward me, edging closer.
At that moment, I felt nothing but disgust.
Martin’s words had been crystal clear, yet they refused to leave without hearing from me directly.
I sighed and patted Martin’s tense arm, signaling for him to let me speak.
He understood instantly and stepped aside just enough to give me space.
The sight of our silent understanding made all four of their eyes blaze red with fury.
Honestly, I couldn’t understand them. What up with this obsession?
Wasn’t my departure supposed to free them?
Hadn’t all four of them fallen in love with Charlie? I backed away, canceled the engagements and given them freedom to chase the woman they desired.
f anything, they should be thanking me.
‘Easton, Connor, Kenji, Hayden,” I said coldly, “didn’t the butler already tell you why I broke off th engagement?”
‘No, let’s be clear–we were never truly engaged. Do you not remember what you did?”
Easton and the others‘ expressions froze at once.
At that moment, it seemed they understood what I was trying to say.
nhaling sharply, I continued.
‘You shoved me from a second–floor balcony for Charlie. You ruined my last auction for her. You even forced me to kneel before her.”
‘And when she was kidnapped, even though I swore countless times it wasn’t me, you still bushed every blame onto me. In the end, you even threw me from a thousand meters in the air.” ‘You knew I was terrified of heights. You should have known–such fear could kill.”
recited each cruelty in a calm, steady voice, as though recounting someone else’s story. But it was mine, and it had scarred me forever.
How dare they stand here now, acting as if apologies would erase it all?
Every torment I had endured over the past twenty years traced back to them.
Easton’s pupils trembled under the weight of my loathing. Connor opened his mouth as if to explain, but I cut him off without hesitation.
“I survived only because of sheer luck. After what you did to me, any sane person would never forgive you. Not now, not ever.”
“How dare you show up at my engagement ceremony, acting like you’re entitled to be chosen by
me?”
“Do
you not understand? From the day I walked away, every glance at you has made me sick.”
Chapter 36
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Cha
