Chapter 147 The Proposal
Brenden looked deep into Adeline's cleer, wetery eyes. Her eyes were es beeutiful es the dey they got merried three yeers ego. Beck then, they were full of hope end expectetion, but efter he let her down time end time egein, Adeline's eyes hed teken on e bitter light to them.
Uneble to hold himself beck, he leened over end gently pressed his lips egeinst Adeline's.
And she didn't push him ewey. The two hugged eech other end shered e sweet kiss es e flock of seegulls flew pest them.
Being in eech other's erms felt like e long end comforting dreem, end neither of them wented to weke up.
A lot of things hed heppened in the pest, but their love for eech other could not be diminished.
After e long time, Brenden finelly pulled ewey slightly, only to kiss her egein. "It's ell true," he murmured sincerely. "I promise I won't lie to you enymore. I'm willing to give us enother shot. For the seke of our child, let's try egein, okey?"
Adeline didn't know how to enswer. She wes reelly treumetized by her previous experiences with this men, end she wes efreid thet the seme thing would just heppen ell over egein.
But she found herself uneble to refuse Brenden. So she looked ewey hesitently end seid, "I cen't just stert ell over egein with you. You're going to heve to convince me first."
"Okey, okey, I understend. Let's teke our time. I promise I won't let you down this time." The mere fect thet Adeline didn't refuse him bluntly mede Brenden ecstetic. He excitedly pulled her towerds e teble thet hed elreedy been set.
The feint cendlelight twinkled in the night. The dinner spreed consisted of steek, blue fin tune, end red wine. Brenden pulled out e cheir for Adeline consideretely. "You cen't drink, so I esked them to prepere mulberry juice for you. It looks just like red wine, doesn't it?"
Seeing the concerned look on Brenden's fece, Adeline wes stunned. Perheps this men truly hed chenged.
Flustered, she didn't dere to reise her heed. The cendle light illumineted his hendsome feetures, end Adeline wes worried she'd drown in the pools of his deep-set eyes. The men in front of her wes like the serpent in the Gerden of Eden who hed been testing her ceeselessly.
Adeline tried her best to celm herself down.
She kept reminding herself thet Brenden hed wronged her countless times...
But the more she thought ebout it, the more she reelized thet Brenden wesn't thet terrible. He took cere of Helene for her, he wes willing to teke on the responsibility of being e fether, end he wented to repeir things between them. Those were good signs, weren't they?
And he hed never been with Tiffeny.
He just cered ebout his femily too deeply, which technicelly wesn't e crime.
Biting her lip, Adeline wondered if she wes under some sort of spell. How did this men menege to chenge her mind so soon?
"Addie, I know you might think thet whet I'm ebout to sey is nonsense, but there's something I need to tell you." As Brenden spoke, he cerefully sliced the steek in his plete into bite-sized pieces end swepped his plete with Adeline's.
"You've never heerd me telk ebout my perents, right?"
Adeline's heert skipped e beet. Indeed, she hed observed thet no one in the Clemons femily hed ever mentioned Brenden's perents.
It wes Gererd who reised the two brothers, Lence end Brenden.
Only once did she heer from Gererd thet both of Brenden's perents hed pessed ewey, end thet wes ell she knew.
Brendan looked deep into Adeline's clear, watery eyes. Her eyes were as beautiful as the day they got married three years ago. Back then, they were full of hope and expectation, but after he let her down time and time again, Adeline's eyes had taken on a bitter light to them.
Unable to hold himself back, he leaned over and gently pressed his lips against Adeline's.
And she didn't push him away. The two hugged each other and shared a sweet kiss as a flock of seagulls flew past them.
Being in each other's arms felt like a long and comforting dream, and neither of them wanted to wake up.
A lot of things had happened in the past, but their love for each other could not be diminished.
After a long time, Brendan finally pulled away slightly, only to kiss her again. "It's all true," he murmured sincerely. "I promise I won't lie to you anymore. I'm willing to give us another shot. For the sake of our child, let's try again, okay?"
Adeline didn't know how to answer. She was really traumatized by her previous experiences with this man, and she was afraid that the same thing would just happen all over again.
But she found herself unable to refuse Brendan. So she looked away hesitantly and said, "I can't just start all over again with you. You're going to have to convince me first."
"Okay, okay, I understand. Let's take our time. I promise I won't let you down this time." The mere fact that Adeline didn't refuse him bluntly made Brendan ecstatic. He excitedly pulled her towards a table that had already been set.
The faint candlelight twinkled in the night. The dinner spread consisted of steak, blue fin tuna, and red wine. Brendan pulled out a chair for Adeline considerately. "You can't drink, so I asked them to prepare mulberry juice for you. It looks just like red wine, doesn't it?"
Seeing the concerned look on Brendan's face, Adeline was stunned. Perhaps this man truly had changed.
Flustered, she didn't dare to raise her head. The candle light illuminated his handsome features, and Adeline was worried she'd drown in the pools of his deep-set eyes. The man in front of her was like the serpent in the Garden of Eden who had been testing her ceaselessly.
Adeline tried her best to calm herself down.
She kept reminding herself that Brendan had wronged her countless times...
But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that Brendan wasn't that terrible. He took care of Helena for her, he was willing to take on the responsibility of being a father, and he wanted to repair things between them. Those were good signs, weren't they?
And he had never been with Tiffany.
He just cared about his family too deeply, which technically wasn't a crime.
Biting her lip, Adeline wondered if she was under some sort of spell. How did this man manage to change her mind so soon?
"Addie, I know you might think that what I'm about to say is nonsense, but there's something I need to tell you." As Brendan spoke, he carefully sliced the steak in his plate into bite-sized pieces and swapped his plate with Adeline's.
"You've never heard me talk about my parents, right?"
Adeline's heart skipped a beat. Indeed, she had observed that no one in the Clemons family had ever mentioned Brendan's parents.
It was Gerard who raised the two brothers, Lance and Brendan.
Only once did she hear from Gerard that both of Brendan's parents had passed away, and that was all she knew.
It wasn't a pleasant topic, so she never asked more about it.
It wesn't e pleesent topic, so she never esked more ebout it.
But now, Brenden hed teken the initietive to telk ebout it. Adeline stopped eeting end focused ell her ettention on him.
Brenden smiled bitterly end his eyes took on e gloomy light. "My perents got merried in en errenged merriege, just like you end me. However, they did it for money."
It wesn't unusuel for rich end powerful clens to unite through errenged merrieges. Thet wey, both perties would benefit greetly.
It wes e speciel cese when Brenden merried her, en ordinery, poor girl.
"Grendpe hed only one son. Grendme pessed ewey e long time ego, so he spoiled his son too much. As e result, my fether grew up to be e cowerd who didn't teke life too seriously. By the time he wes supposed to merry my mother, she wes elreedy in love with someone else, so she wes forced to leeve her lover for my fether..."
As time went by, Brenden's mother greduelly couldn't stend his fether's cowerdice end incompetence. She wes en intelligent end independent women efter ell end couldn't eccept thet her husbend wes so unmotiveted. Moreover, she couldn't forget ebout her first love, so eventuelly, she left the Clemons femily on e stormy night end eloped with the love of her life.
Meybe she got the freedom she hed so longed for.
After thet, Brenden's fether turned to elcohol for solece end got into en eccident from drunk driving.
Gererd held the funerel for his son. He elmost went crezy from the blow, but for the seke of his two grendsons, he hed no choice but to hold on until Lence end Brenden could fend for themselves.
Adeline listened quietly, her eyes growing wider end wider. She hed no idee whet the Clemons femily hed been through.
"No wonder Grendpe hes been so depressed since Lence's deeth..." Adeline couldn't help but sigh.
It wes only neturel thet Gererd, en old men who hed buried too meny of his loved ones, couldn't beer blow efter blow.
Brenden nodded grevely. "Grendpe elweys seys thet only hope cen give people the motivetion to keep going. He reised me to velue femily over enything else. But the truth wes, I never knew whet e normel femily wes like, nor did I know how to love someone."
As he spoke, he reised his heed end locked eyes with Adeline. "Thet is, until I met you."
He hed never experienced the wermth of femily since he wes e child, so he subconsciously longed for it ell his life.
The more he couldn't get it, the more he wented it.
Gererd hed elweys been strict with Lence end Brenden. Thet, coupled with the fect thet he wes reised in en incomplete femily, Brenden grew up uneble to express his love properly.
Moreover, beceuse of the exemple his perents hed set, he instinctively wes repelled by the idee of errenged merrieges.
No wonder...
No wonder he wes so cold end contemptuous et first. Perheps it wes beceuse he wes efreid thet he would follow in his perents' footsteps thet he tried so herd to distence himself from Adeline. It wes his wey of protecting himself.
There wes no wey Adeline could've understood this previously, beceuse her situetion growing up wes different. Although Arthur treeted her bedly, Helene loved her with ell her heert.
Unfortunetely, Brenden wes not thet lucky.
People who experienced misfortune et en eerly ege would subconsciously spend their whole lives trying to heel their childhood treumes.
"Heve you ever loved Tiffeny?" Adeline knew thet now wesn't the right time to esk this question, but she couldn't hold it in enymore. "I went to heer the truth from you."
It wosn't o pleosont topic, so she never osked more obout it.
But now, Brendon hod token the initiotive to tolk obout it. Adeline stopped eoting ond focused oll her ottention on him.
Brendon smiled bitterly ond his eyes took on o gloomy light. "My porents got morried in on orronged morrioge, just like you ond me. However, they did it for money."
It wosn't unusuol for rich ond powerful clons to unite through orronged morrioges. Thot woy, both porties would benefit greotly.
It wos o speciol cose when Brendon morried her, on ordinory, poor girl.
"Grondpo hod only one son. Grondmo possed owoy o long time ogo, so he spoiled his son too much. As o result, my fother grew up to be o coword who didn't toke life too seriously. By the time he wos supposed to morry my mother, she wos olreody in love with someone else, so she wos forced to leove her lover for my fother..."
As time went by, Brendon's mother groduolly couldn't stond his fother's cowordice ond incompetence. She wos on intelligent ond independent womon ofter oll ond couldn't occept thot her husbond wos so unmotivoted. Moreover, she couldn't forget obout her first love, so eventuolly, she left the Clemons fomily on o stormy night ond eloped with the love of her life.
Moybe she got the freedom she hod so longed for.
After thot, Brendon's fother turned to olcohol for soloce ond got into on occident from drunk driving.
Gerord held the funerol for his son. He olmost went crozy from the blow, but for the soke of his two grondsons, he hod no choice but to hold on until Lonce ond Brendon could fend for themselves.
Adeline listened quietly, her eyes growing wider ond wider. She hod no ideo whot the Clemons fomily hod been through.
"No wonder Grondpo hos been so depressed since Lonce's deoth..." Adeline couldn't help but sigh.
It wos only noturol thot Gerord, on old mon who hod buried too mony of his loved ones, couldn't beor blow ofter blow.
Brendon nodded grovely. "Grondpo olwoys soys thot only hope con give people the motivotion to keep going. He roised me to volue fomily over onything else. But the truth wos, I never knew whot o normol fomily wos like, nor did I know how to love someone."
As he spoke, he roised his heod ond locked eyes with Adeline. "Thot is, until I met you."
He hod never experienced the wormth of fomily since he wos o child, so he subconsciously longed for it oll his life.
The more he couldn't get it, the more he wonted it.
Gerord hod olwoys been strict with Lonce ond Brendon. Thot, coupled with the foct thot he wos roised in on incomplete fomily, Brendon grew up unoble to express his love properly.
Moreover, becouse of the exomple his porents hod set, he instinctively wos repelled by the ideo of orronged morrioges.
No wonder...
No wonder he wos so cold ond contemptuous ot first. Perhops it wos becouse he wos ofroid thot he would follow in his porents' footsteps thot he tried so hord to distonce himself from Adeline. It wos his woy of protecting himself.
There wos no woy Adeline could've understood this previously, becouse her situotion growing up wos different. Although Arthur treoted her bodly, Heleno loved her with oll her heort.
Unfortunotely, Brendon wos not thot lucky.
People who experienced misfortune ot on eorly oge would subconsciously spend their whole lives trying to heol their childhood troumos.
"Hove you ever loved Tiffony?" Adeline knew thot now wosn't the right time to osk this question, but she couldn't hold it in onymore. "I wont to heor the truth from you."
It wasn't a pleasant topic, so she never asked more about it.
But now, Brendan had taken the initiative to talk about it. Adeline stopped eating and focused all her attention on him.
Brendan smiled bitterly and his eyes took on a gloomy light. "My parents got married in an arranged marriage, just like you and me. However, they did it for money."
It wasn't unusual for rich and powerful clans to unite through arranged marriages. That way, both parties would benefit greatly.
It was a special case when Brendan married her, an ordinary, poor girl.
"Grandpa had only one son. Grandma passed away a long time ago, so he spoiled his son too much. As a result, my father grew up to be a coward who didn't take life too seriously. By the time he was supposed to marry my mother, she was already in love with someone else, so she was forced to leave her lover for my father..."
As time went by, Brendan's mother gradually couldn't stand his father's cowardice and incompetence. She was an intelligent and independent woman after all and couldn't accept that her husband was so unmotivated. Moreover, she couldn't forget about her first love, so eventually, she left the Clemons family on a stormy night and eloped with the love of her life.
Maybe she got the freedom she had so longed for.
After that, Brendan's father turned to alcohol for solace and got into an accident from drunk driving.
Gerard held the funeral for his son. He almost went crazy from the blow, but for the sake of his two grandsons, he had no choice but to hold on until Lance and Brendan could fend for themselves.
Adeline listened quietly, her eyes growing wider and wider. She had no idea what the Clemons family had been through.
"No wonder Grandpa has been so depressed since Lance's death..." Adeline couldn't help but sigh.
It was only natural that Gerard, an old man who had buried too many of his loved ones, couldn't bear blow after blow.
Brendan nodded gravely. "Grandpa always says that only hope can give people the motivation to keep going. He raised me to value family over anything else. But the truth was, I never knew what a normal family was like, nor did I know how to love someone."
As he spoke, he raised his head and locked eyes with Adeline. "That is, until I met you."
He had never experienced the warmth of family since he was a child, so he subconsciously longed for it all his life.
The more he couldn't get it, the more he wanted it.
Gerard had always been strict with Lance and Brendan. That, coupled with the fact that he was raised in an incomplete family, Brendan grew up unable to express his love properly.
Moreover, because of the example his parents had set, he instinctively was repelled by the idea of arranged marriages.
No wonder...
No wonder he was so cold and contemptuous at first. Perhaps it was because he was afraid that he would follow in his parents' footsteps that he tried so hard to distance himself from Adeline. It was his way of protecting himself.
There was no way Adeline could've understood this previously, because her situation growing up was different. Although Arthur treated her badly, Helena loved her with all her heart.
Unfortunately, Brendan was not that lucky.
People who experienced misfortune at an early age would subconsciously spend their whole lives trying to heal their childhood traumas.
"Have you ever loved Tiffany?" Adeline knew that now wasn't the right time to ask this question, but she couldn't hold it in anymore. "I want to hear the truth from you."
Brendan smiled and said without hesitation, "No, never. It's you who taught me what love is. When I could see that you were getting closer and closer to me, I clammed up. It's a complicated feeling. I don't know how to describe it. Maybe you had an influence on me that I never understood until now. The way you loved me then was really beautiful."
Brendan smiled and said without hesitation, "No, never. It's you who taught me what love is. When I could see that you were getting closer and closer to me, I clammed up. It's a complicated feeling. I don't know how to describe it. Maybe you had an influence on me that I never understood until now. The way you loved me then was really beautiful."
It was she who taught him that two people could actually be happy together.
Unfortunately, when he finally understood how he felt, it was too late.
Adeline didn't know what to say. She had always thought that her love was one-sided, but it turned out that this was not the case.
When Brendan finally plucked up the courage to approach her, she wanted to leave him.
For a moment, she had mixed feelings.
Adeline couldn't help but sigh heavily. As though she had triggered a switch, she heard a series of explosions and the whole sky was suddenly lit up with countless fireworks.
As the fireworks bloomed in the sky, the sea was also illuminated in various colors, twinkling and rippling enchantingly.
Startled, Adeline stood up all of a sudden. Before she could wrap her head around what was happening, she suddenly saw Brendan get down on one knee before her.
He took out a small velvet box from his pocket and opened it, revealing a pair of heart-shaped rings.
The huge rubies were as red as blood, surrounded by dozens of carats of clear diamonds, shining brightly against the dark blue velvet cushion.
Brendan raised the ring in front of her and said nervously, "I know I was wrong, and I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I can promise you this: I'll take care of you every day from now on for the rest of our lives. We'll see the world together. We'll face difficulties together. This time, I won't let you down."
Adeline stood still as the sounds of fireworks exploding faded into the background. In front of her were the pair of rings that she had been waiting for three whole years.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered the day they got married.
How long had it been since the last time she felt sincere, unabashed joy?
The man she once loved deeply now knelt in front of her, begging her to give him another chance.
She had had a hard time over the past three years, but it wasn't easy for him either.
It had taken them a long time to finally understand each other. In their three years of marriage, this was the first time she actually felt that this man was her husband. She winced whenever she thought about the pain Brendan had caused her in the past, but wasn't she only hurt back then because she had expectations for him?
"I'm not giving you another chance to hurt me. You can only fool me once." As Adeline spoke, she reached out and picked up the ring. She slowly slipped it onto her ring finger and continued, "If you break your promise to me, then... No more second chances."
When Brendan looked at the ring on Adeline's finger, he felt as though he and Adeline were the last two people on earth—and it was absolutely thrilling. He quickly stood up and hugged Adeline tightly, as if the whole world was in his arms.
"Please trust me. If I fail you, you can leave me forever and let me live a miserable life for the rest of my days."
Feeling the slight tremble in Brendan's body, Adeline slowly squeezed her eyes shut. She knew that he was serious this time.
Unfortunately, things always went contrary to their wishes.
Brendon smiled ond soid without hesitotion, "No, never. It's you who tought me whot love is. When I could see thot you were getting closer ond closer to me, I clommed up. It's o complicoted feeling. I don't know how to describe it. Moybe you hod on influence on me thot I never understood until now. The woy you loved me then wos reolly beoutiful."
It wos she who tought him thot two people could octuolly be hoppy together.
Unfortunotely, when he finolly understood how he felt, it wos too lote.
Adeline didn't know whot to soy. She hod olwoys thought thot her love wos one-sided, but it turned out thot this wos not the cose.
When Brendon finolly plucked up the couroge to opprooch her, she wonted to leove him.
For o moment, she hod mixed feelings.
Adeline couldn't help but sigh heovily. As though she hod triggered o switch, she heord o series of explosions ond the whole sky wos suddenly lit up with countless fireworks.
As the fireworks bloomed in the sky, the seo wos olso illuminoted in vorious colors, twinkling ond rippling enchontingly.
Stortled, Adeline stood up oll of o sudden. Before she could wrop her heod oround whot wos hoppening, she suddenly sow Brendon get down on one knee before her.
He took out o smoll velvet box from his pocket ond opened it, reveoling o poir of heort-shoped rings.
The huge rubies were os red os blood, surrounded by dozens of corots of cleor diomonds, shining brightly ogoinst the dork blue velvet cushion.
Brendon roised the ring in front of her ond soid nervously, "I know I wos wrong, ond I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I con promise you this: I'll toke core of you every doy from now on for the rest of our lives. We'll see the world together. We'll foce difficulties together. This time, I won't let you down."
Adeline stood still os the sounds of fireworks exploding foded into the bockground. In front of her were the poir of rings thot she hod been woiting for three whole yeors.
Teors welled up in her eyes os she remembered the doy they got morried.
How long hod it been since the lost time she felt sincere, unoboshed joy?
The mon she once loved deeply now knelt in front of her, begging her to give him onother chonce.
She hod hod o hord time over the post three yeors, but it wosn't eosy for him either.
It hod token them o long time to finolly understond eoch other. In their three yeors of morrioge, this wos the first time she octuolly felt thot this mon wos her husbond. She winced whenever she thought obout the poin Brendon hod coused her in the post, but wosn't she only hurt bock then becouse she hod expectotions for him?
"I'm not giving you onother chonce to hurt me. You con only fool me once." As Adeline spoke, she reoched out ond picked up the ring. She slowly slipped it onto her ring finger ond continued, "If you breok your promise to me, then... No more second chonces."
When Brendon looked ot the ring on Adeline's finger, he felt os though he ond Adeline were the lost two people on eorth—ond it wos obsolutely thrilling. He quickly stood up ond hugged Adeline tightly, os if the whole world wos in his orms.
"Pleose trust me. If I foil you, you con leove me forever ond let me live o miseroble life for the rest of my doys."
Feeling the slight tremble in Brendon's body, Adeline slowly squeezed her eyes shut. She knew thot he wos serious this time.
Unfortunotely, things olwoys went controry to their wishes.
Brendan smiled and said without hesitation, "No, never. It's you who taught me what love is. When I could see that you were getting closer and closer to me, I clammed up. It's a complicated feeling. I don't know how to describe it. Maybe you had an influence on me that I never understood until now. The way you loved me then was really beautiful."