âSheâs got a husband, a kid on the way, and a comfy life, how do you think sheâs doing here? There isnât much that Ophelia wants â a happy family consisting of a man who loves her and a healthy baby is all she needs. And now, they are exactly what she has. So please, get the hell away from her life,â said Madeleine.
Tassach felt a slight pang of hurt, but he wouldnât admit defeat just yet. âBut Zach is seeing another woman! Howâs that a happy family for Ophelia?
Are you even her best friend?â
âSo,â retorted Madeleine, âas long as Zach doesnât file for divorce, she will always be the young Mrs. Chambers.â
âHow can you even say that?â
âWhat else am I supposed to say then?â
About four years ago, in order to pay off her debts, Ophelia had married Zachariah under a set of extremely stringent rules, which stipulated, among other things, that even if Zachariah cheated and got some other woman pregnant, Ophelia, still, would have no right to object, and could only swallow her pain.
âNow level with me, Madeleine. Did Ophelia sign some kind of a prenup before she married Zachariah?â
âWhy do you have to such a smartass?â thought Madeleine.
âWhat prenup?â asked Madeleine, feigning ignorance.
âI donât buy it for a second that you donât know,â replied Tassach, âIâve looked into it. Zachariah wouldnât have married Ophelia if Cora Fletcher hadnât run away from the altar. Since the Chambers are a prominent family, and since Zachariah doesnât really fancy Ophelia at all, there must have been a prenup in their marriage. And youâll know since youâre her best friend.â
âSo what if I do know? Will it make a difference if I tell you?â
Staring into the sky, Tassach spoke, his voice deep. âI just really hope sheâs doing well. I had to disappear for reasons I couldnât control, but now, now Iâm powerful enough to offer her protection, and so Iâm thinking...â
âThen stop thinking,â Madeleine cut in bluntly, âbecause even if she does divorce Zach, she wonât choose to be with you.â
âWhyâs that?â
âBecause what could have been between the two of you ended more than four years ago, when sheâd had feelings for you all that time and you never once confessed how you felt about her. And now, sheâs married with children, so itâs over between you and her.â
Tassach froze. What did she just say? Did she really say that Ophelia had had feelings for him? Could that really have been true?
âOphelia...liked me?â Tassach asked as he gulped, his voice hoarse.
Madeleine glanced at him with a weird look. âIs that really that much of a surprise?â
âDid she really use to like me, as in romantically?â
âSince college,â confirmed Madeleine with a nod. âWell, unrequited feelings, anyway. Shouldnât a smart guy like you be able to tell if a woman is into you?â
Tassach was completely stupefied. Madeleine wouldnât understand how much of a shock that piece of information was to him.
Madeleine waved a hand before his face. âHey, are you okay?â
Taking her hand instantly, Tassach asked with a sharp stare, âIs she really into me?â
âNo,â denied Madeleine, âI said that she used to be into you â but not anymore. Youâre just a guy from the past to her now.â
But Tassach decided to interpret that as Ophelia still having feelings for him, and his heart and mind were alight with an infinite amount of hope. As long as he persisted, he could, and would, one day win over Ophelia.
Grabbing Madeleineâs hand tightly, Tassach asked expectantly, âThere is a place for me in her heart, isnât there?â
Madeleine stared at him as if he were a lunatic. âDidnât you hear what I just said? Ophelia is happy with her current life, and youâre a guy from her past. Get it?â
âNope,â answered Tassach stubbornly, âshe has feelings for me, Iâm sure.â
Madeleine felt helpless.
âAlright, then let me spell it out for you one more time: you are in her past. Wanna know why? Well, ask your parents what they did to Ophelia. And if you know exactly what it was they did, you wouldnât be able to look her in the eyes, either.â
Tassach was flummoxed. What did she mean? And why would she bring up his parents?
As he was thinking to himself, Madeleine shook off his hand and took flight with her trash bag.
Unsure what to make of the whole situation, Tassach walked back to his car, opened the door and walked in.
Billionaire Lost to His Surrogate In A Love Game ï¤Chapter 180 Asking About the Past Say You Will Be Mine ï¤Chapter 38 Pay You Back for the Rest of My Life (The End)
The Vixen's Man ï¤15 When she got away from Tassach, Madeleine threw the bag into the trash can, and fished out her phone to send a text to Ophelia, which read:
âDearie, Tassach Conduibh came to see me today, and I let it slip that you used to like him. Iâm afraid this ornery dude will interpret it as you still having feelings for him, so Iâm giving you a heads up.â
A short while after the text was sent, she received a call.
Picking up, Madeleine greeted, âHello, dearie.â
âTassach came to see you today?â
âYup. I was surprised to see him too,â answered Madeleine, âand he asked me about your married life with Zach and such. I think heâs still into you, so watch out.â
âWeâre just friends,â said Ophelia, âdonât worry, Maddy, Iâll know how to handle him.â
âThatâs good to know. Still, try not to be bothered by the little things like this and focus on your health, what with you being pregnant and all that.â
âMessage received. Have a good night, bye.â
After she hung up, Ophelia was still fondling her phone, her mind cluttered with various thoughts.
âWho were you speaking to?â asked Zachariah as he came out of the bathroom, towel-drying his hair.
The Vixen's Man