Chapter 215: How Can I Trust You?
"What about Yonina Collins?" Wendy looked Michael straight in the eye and pressed him for an answer. "Is she also like a sister to you? Michael, you seem to have many sisters."
"No...," Michael tried to explain. "Yonina and I only met a few times. There is nothing between us."
"The relationship between you and Yonina isn’t as simple as just having met a few times, am I right? Weren’t the two of you planning to get married?"
"My mother told you that, didn’t she?" Michael was frustrated with his mother.
He had no idea why his mother kept trying all means to break him and Wendy up.
"So do you admit it?" Wendy smiled bitterly. She felt like a fool.
"What did I admit?" Michael walked over to Wendy and sat beside her.
He tried to hold her hand, but she pulled it away.
Michael did not force it. He explained, "I really met Yonina just a few times. There was nothing more between us. Even though you have lost your memory, after spending these two months with me, surely you know what sort of person I am, don’t you?"
Wendy laughed. She looked at Michael with eyes filled with disappointment and scorn. "It is precisely because I trusted you. That’s why I find it so hard to accept the truth."
"What did my mother tell you? Why are you so suspicious of me?"
Michael knew that Wendy had gone out with Winnie today, but he chose not to meet them. Because he knew that even if he had confronted them and stopped Winnie today, he could not do it every time.
Another thing that held him back was somewhere deep inside his heart, he still held hopes for Winnie as his mother.
He thought that maybe Winnie had only wanted to go shopping with Wendy.
He would definitely be very happy if Wendy and his mother got closer.
Sadly, Winnie had dashed his very last hope.
Michael looked into Wendy’s eyes and felt a little afraid.
He had intended to ask Wendy about those photographs.
He believed that Wendy could not have been unfaithful, but yet those photographs were real.
So he wanted to talk to Wendy and find out what was going on.
He did not expect Wendy to have such a huge emotional reaction.
If Michael were to take out those photographs now, she might become even more defensive and think that Michael distrusted her.
By now, it was clear to Michael that everything should have been orchestrated by Winnie.
If Michael were to expose Winnie now, she would surely deny it, and Wendy would also not believe him.
Michael lowered his head and was silent for a while, and then he spoke, "Wendy, I have already explained all that I could. If you insist on holding on to these things, then it is really meaningless."
"I am holding on, and it’s meaningless?" Wendy could not help but laugh at what he said. "Do you think that I am stirring things up on purpose? Michael Lucas, tell me, do you not wish for me to regain my memory?"
"Yes," Michael answered. This time he did not argue but simply admitted it.
"So, what did you do in the past that hurt me so much that you’re so afraid?" Wendy laughed in disdain. "Are you afraid that when I regain my memory, I will want a divorce and ruin your image as a devoted and passionate man, and cause your company’s shares to plunge?"
Michael found Wendy’s words more and more ridiculous.
When did he ever create a persona?
And when was he ever afraid that his company’s share prices would plummet because of this?
"Wendy..." Michael felt very helpless. He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked straight into her eyes. His eyes were filled with sincerity. Taking a deep breath, Michael continued, "I am afraid that you will leave me. I also don’t want you to remember the past.
"I don’t know what my mother told you, but you can’t believe everything she said.
"My mother had never liked you and wants me to marry Yonina Collins.
"I am sure she has her reasons for trying to get close to you."
Wendy gave him a sardonic smile and brushed aside Michael’s hand on her shoulder.
"I did not trust everything she said, but can I trust you?" she asked. "You not only did not wish me to regain my memory about the past, but you also instructed everyone around me not to talk about it.
"Michael, you cannot be so selfish.
"Those are my memories. Eight years of it, eight years!"
Michael admitted that he was being selfish.
He had not expected that the one to betray him would be his own mother.
If Winnie had not tried to mess things up, their relationship should still have been fine.
At least, it would not have turned into this.
"Wendy, you don’t have to believe anything about me, but I am true to you," Michael said, still trying to convince her. "I treasure our days together as a family of four. I don’t want to lose anyone of you."
"A family of four?" Wendy raised her head when she heard Michael say that. She laughed coldly, "So you are already aware that Leah is your daughter?"
Michael looked down in silence and then nodded his head.
"So how am I supposed to trust you?" Wendy closed her eyes. She felt her chest tightening.
"You had put on an act in front of me then, telling me that you’d let Leah call you Daddy. You knew all along that she is your daughter. If you want to acknowledge her, you could have told me. Why did you have to act and deceive me?
Or have you always thought of me as a fool whom you could easily deceive with a few words?"
"I..." Michael did not know how to explain himself.
At that time, Wendy had lost her memory.
Before that, she had asked Todd to pose as Leah’s father and brought Leah to Lake City. Wendy had done that to hide Leah’s identity as Michael’s daughter.
Under those circumstances, Michael did not dare to let Wendy know that he already knew that Leah was his daughter.
Wendy saw that Michael had nothing more to say and let out a scornful laugh. She shook her head in disappointment and walked away.
"Wendy..." Michael pulled her hand. He did not want her to walk away misunderstanding him. But no matter how he tried to explain, Wendy refused to listen.
Wendy shook off his hand and bent over to pick up her car key from the table. It was obvious that she wanted to leave.
However, as she picked up her car key, Wendy saw the photographs that were placed on another table.
She had been so caught up in arguing with Michael that she had not noticed anything else.
Wendy walked to the table quickly and reached for the photographs.
What she saw made her stay rooted to the ground.
They were all photographs of her.
Wendy held up the photographs and looked at Michael. "What are these?" she asked him, slowly enunciating every word.
Michael had decided not to bring this up with Wendy today after seeing how emotional she was. But since she had seen them, Michael could not hide them anymore.
Before Michael could say anything, Wendy said, "You sent someone to follow me?" She shook her head. "No, not just to follow me. I don’t know that man in the photographs. Did you send that man?"
