Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled

Chapter 476

My words had barely left my mouth when Russell’s demeanor noticeably shifted, his entire presence exuding a powerful intensity. I seemed to have provoked him, as his face was

painted with an anger I had never seen before.

However, he didn’t lash out at me. He merely clenched his fists, staring at me with a restrained fury.

“Did you visit Neil today?” Russel asked suddenly.

“Yes,” I confirmed, neither denying my actions nor explaining why I had gone. If Russel wanted to misunderstand my intentions, then let him. I was perfectly content to let him think I was still hung up on Neil, so he could finally let go.

As expected, Russel’s eyes darkened at my admission. His gaze, sharp as a knife, cut through me like a hot blade through butter.

But I wasn’t afraid. If we didn’t have this confrontation, we would only be wasting more time.

“Where exactly do I fall short compared to Neil? Anything he can provide, I can offer you even more!” Russel’s emotions finally started to flare up. I knew he had been holding back for far too long.

Seeing his emotional unrest, I found myself oddly calm. My voice softened considerably, “It’s not a matter of you being less than Neil, but me being unable to fall in love with you. Being with someone you don’t love is agonizing, and I think you understand that.” Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

Russel had been forced into an engagement with Chloe in the past. During that period, he didn’t even have the intérest to look at her.

Perhaps because he understood that feeling, he couldn’t respond to my words. The disappointment and unwillingness in his eyes were painfully apparent.

I had seen that look before, when he told me that Bonnie didn’t love him.

Unconsciously, I had become the second Bonnie, his unattainable goal. In the end, it was hard to tell whether his pursuit was born out of love or a distorted desire to win.

Our voices must have carried, as my mother came out looking for us again. Seeing Russel’s distressed expression, she immediately shot me a warning look.

“Mrs. Finch, I need to take my leave,” Russel managed to say in a controlled voice, before swiftly leaving.

“Russel, wait!” my mother called out, but to no avail.

Once Russel had left, she turned to me, her brows furrowed in anger. “Rena, what did you

say to Russel? I’ve never seen him this upset before. I couldn’t even call him back!”

09:24

‘Mom, I’d rather keep things complicated with Neil than force myself to accept Russel. You and dad should give up on that idea,” I said firmly, leaving no room for negotiation.

My mother looked stunned, likely not expecting my resistance towards Russel to be this strong, to the point where I was willing to overlook the potential danger of Neil.

I was too exhausted to argue with my mother any further that day, so I quickly went back to my room to sleep.

My mother knocked on my door a few times, but I didn’t respond. She probably didn’t want to wake the kids, so she left it at that.

For several days, my mother tried to persuade me to stop rejecting Russel, even suggesting the idea of us getting married.

The more she pushed, the more I resisted, creating a tense atmosphere in the house.

“Your father will be back in a few days, and he has always hoped you could be with Russel. Since you’ve made up your mind, you should explain it to him yourself!” my __mother said coldly, clearly disheartened by my stubbornness.

Regardless of her attitude, I would not back down. If my father was coming back in a few days, then it was the perfect opportunity to clear things up.

I didn’t respond to my mother’s words, focusing instead on trimming Serena and Brandon’s nails. My phone rang, and seeing that it was Faith, I set down the nail clippers and walked out into the yard.

“Irene, could we meet tonight?” Faith’s voice was as gentle and kind as always.

“Yes, I’ve been quite busy these past few days and haven’t been in touch. If you’re free tonight, let’s catch up,” I agreed, not wanting to stay at home in the suffocating atmosphere.

We decided to meet at a nearby private café, Bloom & Brew. Faith enjoyed gardening and the café had a lovely ambiance, perfect for a chat.

After entrusting Serena and Brandon to Norah’s care, I set out to meet Faith at the café.

Faith was already there when I arrived, dressed in a simple yet elegant navy blue dress. Her hair was neatly pinned up. The violet bracelet on her wrist, also a gift from me, added a touch of sophistication to her attire.

“Irene, have a seat,” Faith greeted me warmly.

Seeing Faith’s friendly smile eased the tension I had been feeling from my mother’s pressure.

I sat down opposite Faith, “Faith, have you been waiting long?”

“No, Neil had a dinner party nearby tonight, so hitched a ride with him. He left just five minutes ago “Faith checked the time on her phone and shared with a smile.

Was Neil in the area? I was surprised to learn that he had been the one to drop Faith off.

I nodded and ordered two cups of coffee for us. We sipped them slowly, chatting casually. Despite my divorce from Neil, we had once shared five years of marriage. During that time, I had genuinely loved him and strove to be a part of his life, even when he ignored me and didn’t reciprocate my feelings, I was somewhat familiar with the happenings in the Whitmore family.

So, Faith and I found ourselves in an engrossing conversation, which eventually veered

towards her health issues.

“Don’t worry about me, I’m fine,” Faith quickly quipped when the topic of her illness came up, a hint of evasion in her voice. She took a sip of her coffee, her gaze drifting away from me,

“Is it because of my divorce from Neil? You still haven’t come to terms with it, have you?” I asked softly, heaving a sigh. “Or is it because of the child? You can always talk to me about it. Maybe getting it off your chest would help. I don’t want you to be mentally tormented because of these things.”