She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 1012

Swain quickly pushed Molly's strange behavior to the back of his mind. Helena's calm, composed "I genuinely wish you both the best" was eating at him.

In his head, he had envisioned her looking devastated. He expected her to hurl insults, call him a jerk, or at least show a flicker of heartbreak upon seeing him with his new girlfriend.

Those reactions would have validated his ego. They would have proven that he meant something to her, making his guilt feel justified.

But she gave him nothing. No tears, no anger. She was so emotionally detached that he started to wonder if they had ever even been in love.

His pride couldn't handle it.

"You don't have to put on a brave face for me," he pushed, his tone hardening. "We're adults. Whatever you do is your business now. But I hope you take responsibility for yourself. Don't go looking for rich, older men just to pay off your family's debts. Those guys will never take you seriously. In the end, you're the one who's going to get hurt."

Having delivered his speech, Swain felt a surge of satisfaction. He had fulfilled his duty as the caring ex-boyfriend—he had pointed out her flaws without being excessively cruel. He waited for her mask to slip, expecting to see the shame in her eyes.

Helena found the entire display deeply amusing.

She stared at his self-righteous expression, marveling at how delusional a man could be. He had cheated on her, paraded his new girlfriend right in front of her, and now had the audacity to lecture her on morality?

The logic was so absurd it wasn't even worth getting angry over.

Realizing that silence would only fuel his savior complex, she decided to put an end to it. She had nothing to hide, and she certainly wasn't going to walk away wearing the label of a fallen woman.

"Is it really so impossible for me to just be in a normal relationship?" she asked, her voice steady. "I'm not as pathetic as you think I am."

Swain blinked, taken aback.

"In fact, my new partner..." Helena paused, a genuine smile curving her lips as she thought of Morris. "...is someone I've desired for a long time. I just had to take a long detour before fate finally decided to favor me."

The words struck Swain like a physical blow.

He had always felt that Helena was slightly emotionally distant during their relationship. Now she was standing there, openly admitting that she had always wanted someone else?

*Did she have someone else in her heart the entire time we were together?*

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