Thorns Grow After Betrayal (Celeste and Chester) novel Chapter 228

Chester stood with his back to the sunlight, his face shrouded in shadow. Resting a steady hand on each child’s shoulder, he spoke in a level voice, “You’ll forgive them when you choose to. No one can force that.”

“Forgive them?” Celestine let out a sharp, mocking laugh. “Chester, who are you to make them beg for my forgiveness? Need me to remind you of all the disgusting things you’ve done?”

Chester pressed his lips into a thin, rigid line, struggling to find the right words. “I know… what happened with Joanna was a heavy blow. But you can’t expect me to cut off all my friends just because we got married.”

He paused, a visible struggle flickering across his face before he seemed to settle on a compromise. “If it bothers you that much, then from today on, I won’t see her again.”

“Dad! How could you do that to Miss Sinclair? She’ll be heartbroken!” Celia’s sobs stopped short. She stared at Chester in disbelief, clutching the sleeve of his coat.

“You hear that, Mr. Fordham?” Celestine’s smile was icy and thin. “Even your daughter’s showing withdrawal symptoms. Aren’t you worried your precious Miss Sinclair will take it even harder?”

“She’s not—” Chester’s hands balled into fists, denial coming quickly, too quickly. Words like those shouldn’t have come out of Celia’s mouth. Shooting his daughter a warning look, his brow furrowed deeply. “I keep my promises—believe it or not.”

Celestine folded her arms and studied him, her smile growing colder. “You sound so determined, Mr. Fordham. Almost like you really regret it. But…”

“But what?” Chester pressed, a note of desperation in his voice.

“If you really meant it, you wouldn’t have dragged them here, parading them in front of everyone, forcing them to kneel and apologize just for show. Who’s it for—me, or whoever happens to be watching?”

“If you really meant it, you’d divorce me as soon as possible and make a public apology with your precious Joanna—let it trend online for a whole month.”

“Celestine! That’s enough!” Chester’s fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles whitened. He couldn’t understand how she’d changed so completely in just a few months.

Back when she was pregnant with the twins, she’d never acted like this.

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