Pearl froze.
Tanner hugged her tightly and lowered his head.He pressed his lips on the top of her head and said in
a soft voice, "You’ve become thinner."
Before coming to her, he had imagined many different kinds of reunion scenarios.
Would he go crazy and express his longing for her? Or would he try to stop at nothing to trap her by his
side again? Countless thoughts flitted across his mind, but he was scared when he saw her.
He was afraid of her rejection.He was afraid that she would hate him.
Pearl stayed frozen stiff in his arms for a long while.She pressed her lips thin and pulled his arms away.
"Tanner," she said without turning her head back, "What are you doing here? There's no way we can
return to how things were."
His heart skipped a beat, and he froze.
"Do you still hate me?"
"Not anymore." Pearl turned around to look at him.
She forced herself to stay calm and said, "I’ve already let go of everything between us."
Tanner walked up to her and said, "But I can’t."
She was stunned for a moment, but she swiftly regained herself.
"That's impossible, Tanner.For you, I'm a blemish in your relationship.You and Sandy would have had a
happy life without that marriage contract, so you hate me."
"I've never hated you." Tanner stopped in front of her.
He gazed into her eyes and continued.
"Hate is nothing but an excuse."
He pulled her into his arms and stroked her cheek with his palm.
His breathing was becoming heavier as he said, "Pearl, I’m a jack*ss.By the time I realized how wrong I
was, I had lost you.I've been living in guilt for the past three years, and there hasn't been a day that
goes by without me thinking about you."
Pearl turned her head sideways and added, "I have a kid."
"But you aren't married yet."
Tanner’s finger stopped on her lips.
"You haven't been seeing any men for the past three years, and if you got pregnant that year, your kid
should be this big already, right?"
Pearl’s heart skipped a beat, and she pushed him away.
"Tanner!"
Tanner took a step back.He looked at her but did not say anything.
Pearl turned around and said, "The kid isn’t related to you.Don’t come back to me anymore."
After leaving that sentence, she ran into the house without turning her head back, leaving Tanner to
stand as stiff as a ramrod on the spot.
The sky was getting darker, and soon, rain fell.
Kamala looked out of the window with the kid in her arms.
Tanner was still standing in the courtyard, and he was wet thoroughly due to the rain.
She looked at Pearl and said, "Pearl, Tanner is still outside."
Although she did not want her daughter to have anything to do with the Hannigans, things would go
bad for them if anything were to happen to him in the rain.
Pearl was stunned and walked to the window.
Tanner was standing in the rain.He refused to go away despite being wet thoroughly.
Pearl turned away from looking.She was going to pay him no mind, but she did not know why she just
couldn't do it.She grabbed an umbrella and went outside.She placed the umbrella on top of him.
Water droplets were dangling on his eyelashes.
His face was pale as the rain slid down his head, and his shirt was wet to the skin.
Pearl couldn’t help herself anymore and shouted, "What the hell are you thinking? I already asked you
to leave.Why are you not leaving?"
Tanner smiled.
"I’m not leaving."
Pearl felt something had stung her heart.
She leaned the umbrella toward Tanner, allowing the rain to wet her shirt.
"Do you think you do this..."
Her eyes turned red, "And I'll forgive you? Tanner, I won’t forgive you.I’ll never forgive you!"
Tanner stretched his arms forward and pulled her into his embrace.
"I don’t need your forgiveness."
He chuckled and added, "I just want to stay by your side."
A tear fell from the corner of Pearl’s eyes, and she began to sob silently.
Suddenly, she felt something fall on her, and Tanner slid down her body.
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