Filed to story: A Second Chance with My Billionaire Love
“Am I pretentious?” Quinton sneered and looked at Flossie with disappointment. “I thought my sister would take my side and understand my thoughts and pain… but instead, you think I’m pretentious?”
“I understand your pain, but I understand Joanne’s too. You’re not the only one who got hurt in this. She’s hurt too, and she’s suffered more than you in some aspects because she’s a weak and young woman that went through so much misfortune… but does she blame everyone else and act like she wants to destroy the world?” Flossie asked firmly. She was done trying to be gentle with Quinton; all that did was spoil him. He only ever cared about his feelings and how things would affect him. Joanne, or any other woman for that matter, wouldn’t be able to handle such a self-centered person.
“You’re saying that she’s the victim even though she’d betrayed me?’ Quinton never expected Flossie to take Joanne’s side, and it hurt. “I have to admit that she’s good. You only met her a few times, but she already managed to get you on her side. She made you think I’m a sinful man with her innocent looks. Well, if she really was that pure and harmless, my face wouldn’t have been ruined and I wouldn’t have almost died in the sea!” “You brought it on yourself!” Flossie’s gaze turned sharp. “You should have never harmed her child!”
“What do you know?” Quinton’s eyes turned bloodshot. “Do you know that child’s background?”
“What background?” Flossie dragged Quinton to the side and whispered, “How could you say that? Wasn’t that child… yours?” As a woman and mother, she could empathize with Joanne. The man Joanne regarded as family and admired as a brother imprisoned her and took advantage of her. In the end, he even cruelly aborted their child … It would be devastating for any woman.
“Hmph! Did she tell you that?” Quinton’s gaze darkened with anger as he tried to suppress his emotions.
“Halston said that, so I guess Joanne must have told him about it,” Flossie answered honestly. She knew that was the main reason behind Quinton and Joanne’s resentment towards each other, but she couldn’t bring it up in front of Quinton because it was a sensitive topic. If she spoke about it, she might end up cursing him or beating him up, which would affect their relationship as siblings. There were all kinds of scumbags, but Quinton was the worst.
“That useless piece of trash!” Quinton clenched his fists, his hatred for Halston growing. “I shouldn’t have gone easy on him… I should have just killed him!” He had a million opportunities to take revenge, but he didn’t do it because of his Flossie. Halston had hurt Flossie and brainwashed the woman Quinton cared about the most, and it filled Quinton with regret for not killing him earlier.
“What does this have to do with Halston? You told me you both made peace. Don’t find fault with him again!” Flossie panicked when she saw Quinton’s loathing for Halston. In the past, Quinton would do outrageous and inhumane things to take revenge on Halston, and Flossie would suffer from being caught between them. Finally, they had stopped fighting, and Flossie had been enjoying the peace. She didn’t want to start mediating their fights again.
“That scumbag hurts you time and time again, but you’re still defending him!” Quinton added indignantly, “I chose to let go of my hatred and not sink to his level because you and him were a couple. I hoped you all could live happily as a family of four, but now he’s betrayed you and your children… It’s unforgivable!”
At first, Quinton could forget about his hatred though he had forced himself to do so, but now he felt it bubbling up again when it came to Joanne. Because he had suppressed those emotions for so long, he became even more extreme and cruel. He wanted to do the things he had always wanted to do.
“This is my business, so stop meddling in it. After so many years of loving and hating each other, we’ve finally parted on good terms and stopped being a part of each other’s life. I’m liking the way things are right now. If you go to him again, you’ll get Halston involved in my life again, and that won’t be good for me.” Angry, Flossie glared at Quinton. “If you want to see me in pain again, go ahead and attack him. I’ll probably get killed from protecting one of you, then maybe you two will learn to behave.”
“Calm down!” Quinton did not want to see Flossie get hurt, and her teasing hurt him enough to make him regain his sanity. He hurriedly said, ‘I won’t go to him if you don’t want me to. I also don’t want to fight anymore, but I really hate him. He’s trapped both you and Joanne with his charms, and you both always defend him.” The reason for Quinton’s hatred toward Halston was jealousy. They had both been born into similar families, but one of them had lived a superior life while the other was forced to struggle in hell at a young age. The only light for Quinton during those gloomy days was Joanne, but even that had been snatched by Halston. He had even used her as a weapon to harm Quinton, and Quinton wouldn’t let it go so easily.
“No, you got it wrong.” Flossie seemed to understand what bothered Quinton. Heartbroken, she hugged him. “We defended the both of you, and it doesn’t have to be one or the other. I don’t want to see anything bad happen to him, and I feel the same about you. I think Joanne feels the same too…
“I believe you, but I don’t think Joanne feels the same…” Quinton leaned into Flossie’s arms, his body going limp as tears ran down his cheeks. “She hates me very much. All she wants is to leave me, through her death or mine… but it’s different when it comes to Halston. She just escaped death, but she insists on going back there because she doesn’t want to burden Halston. I can tell how important Halston is to her. What… am I to her?” Quinton rarely showed his vulnerability, but he would only do it in front of his sister because he knew she would not judge him or use it against him.
“I know that Joanne’s betrayal made you hate Halston very much, but her revenge on you is understandable considering the things you did to her.” Flossie gently patted his back to comfort him. “First, you were cruel and made Joanne hate you, so she chose to turn to Halston to survive. Later, things didn’t end well for the two of you. Do you think that makes things even? You two should stop hating each other and look for a happy ending instead. It doesn’t mean you two have to get married; just stop hating each other and live food lives. You two can even become close friends.” Flossie just wanted them to let go of their hatred. “It’s like how things are for Halston and I. Yes, we had a hell of a romance and fought a lot, but it’s all over now. We no longer love or hate each other, and I’m glad it’s like this. I think he feels the same too,” she said lightly with a laugh, but her smile seemed somewhat bitter.
Quinton gazed at Flossie, sensing the sadness behind her smile. It broke his heart. “I’m sorry.” Feeling guilty, Quinton apologized to Flossie. “It’s my fault for letting you recall those things, but don’t worry. I won’t find fault with Halston or force you to pick sides.” Although he never truly forgot about his hatred toward Halston and dreamed of hacking him into pieces, he could suppress his feelings when he recalled how Flossie suffered because of it. For now, he could only dream of making Halston’s life miserable.
“Thank you… I mean it.” Flossie’s eyes were watery too. She knew how hard it was for Quinton to let go of his resentment for Halston, and understood how he was compromising for her. Yes, he was a bad person, but he was trying hard to change for her sake. She hoped that he could one day become a truly nice person.
“What’s your plan now?” Flossie asked Quinton curiously after she had calmed down.
“I don’t really know…” Quinton spread his hands, looking helpless. “You know how it is. Yes, I hate Joanne, but I would hate seeing anything happen to her. I hope she can be happier and forget about the past, but I can’t control myself sometimes. When I face her, I’ll always say things I don’t mean, especially when she looks at me with so much fear and loathing. It really upsets me, and I don’t know what I should do. I’m a fool when it comes to relationships-I’ll only make things worse and push her further away from me!”
Everyone had their shortcomings, and Quinton’s was how he communicated with others. He didn’t know how to foster or maintain relationships because he grew up in a crazy and cold family. All he saw was hatred, disgust, and oppression, so he showed others those same emotions too. “I’ve never felt love, so I don’t know how to express love…” Quinton’s eyes gleamed with misery. “So, I deserve to be lonely. You don’t have to worry about me. I’ve come so far on my own, so I’ve learned to enjoy being alone.”
“Oh, please. You’re exaggerating. Flossie sighed helplessly. It broke her heart when he behaved like a pitiful child, and she felt like pampering him unconditionally. At least when he was behaving aggressively, she could be mad at him and knock some sense into him.
“Did I say something wrong?”
Quinton smiled bitterly. “Do you think it’s suitable for me to approach anyone given my condition? I’ll only hurt them if I get close. It’s been so many years since we last met, but she would rather die than be near me. What do you think I can do?”
“I know Joanne’s actions made you feel hopeless, but both of you are too extreme. You both have serious issues you need to settle.” Flossie patiently comforted Quinton. “But you’re a man. If you want to make things better, you can only start from yourself.”
“What can I do?” Quinton shook his head. “I told you-I have no love and don’t know how to show love. All I ever do is harm others.”
“You don’t have love, but I do. You don’t know how to show love, but I do!” Flossie smacked her chest and said confidently, “Honestly, I’m an experienced kiss-ass. Halston was the only man I loved back then, and when I married him, I tried my best to please him for many years. However, his reaction was worse than Joanne’s-he didn’t take me seriously and even ignored me…” Flossie felt like slapping herself when she recalled how pathetic she was back then. “But eventually, I came to my senses and stopped fawning over him. After that, he started pestering me instead, then we ended up like this. We’re separated now.”
“But I don’t think you two have moved on from each other.” Quinton tore down Flossie’s pretense. “You’re still all over him, even if it’s not obvious. As for him… I can’t really understand him. It looks like he loves you very much, but it seems like he’s hiding something. I don’t think he’s a good person. It’s good that you guys are separated.” As an outsider, Quinton could understand the romance between Flossie and Halston better than his romance with Joanne. He never doubted the love between Flossie and Halston; he just felt that there were some obstacles between them they still had to overcome. That was why they couldn’t be together even though they still cared about each other.
“Let’s not talk about that. What should we do about you and Joanne…” Flossie tried to divert the topic, wondering how they had started talking about her and Halston instead.
“You and I have different lives. I lived in a loving family. I felt love, so I was good at expressing love… but sometimes wonder if I received too much love. Is that why I became a kiss-ass? My show of love seems never- ending.” Flossie laughed at herself, but recalled those memories fondly. The love her parents, grandpa, friends, and children showed her was fulfilling and unconditional, so she had never been afraid of getting hurt. Undeniably, loving someone was an ability too. That pure love was what supported every time she boldly approached Halston. She hoped that Quinton could feel that too.
“Tell me what I should do then.” Quinton saw her confidence and wanted her guidance. He had never experienced love, but he wanted to learn how to show it.
“It’s simple-don’t be fierce to her, and think about how to be nice to her.” Flossie rubbed her chin and considered it for a moment. “You grew up with Joanne, so I’m sure you know her better than I do. What does she like best?”
“What she likes best…” Quinton frowned and tried to recall it. “The thing she used to love the most was… nice food.
“What?” Flossie’s eyes grew wide in surprise. Joanne was such a sensitive, timid, and world-weary person now… but maybe she used to be passionate and lively back then.
“When she was young, she loved eating and was chubby. Her favorite food was s’mores pops, Quinton recalled slowly, unable to hide the smile on his face. “My foster mother doted on her back then, and she would sometimes bring Joanne to the market to buy Joanne her favorite s’mores pops. Joanne would always enjoy them, and she’d stuff her mouth full of them. Even though it was her favourite food, she would always keep some for me in her clothes. When she came home, all of them would have melted…” Quinton recalled how Joanne would drag him to a corner every time she came home from the market, then dig in her clothes, telling him she would give him the most wonderful thing in the world. However, the s’mores pops would have melted and stained her clothes by then, and she would cry loudly. She looked adorable, and he’d always feel bad for her.
“How sweet!” Flossie’s heart warmed as she pictured it. “Joanne was a perfect sister, and I’m grateful she was there for you when I couldn’t be. I’m also very jealous of your relationship with her.” Flossie found it a pity that they had ended up in such a fierce conflict with each other.
“That was the past. It’s no use talking about that now.” Quinton stopped smiling and waved dismissively, forcing himself not to dwell on the past. Reality, on the other hand, was cruel and merciless.
“But you can’t get rid of what happened in the past…”. An idea dawned on Flossie, and she suggested to Quinton excitedly. “Why don’t you make s’mores pops for Joanne? Maybe she’ll understand your true feelings when she sees those s’mores pops, and she’ll slowly start to forgive you.”
“No way!” Quinton frowned. “No man would do such a girlish thing.”
“You think you can’t because you’re a man… but you’re not against the idea, are you?” Flossie tried to suppress her amused smile. She wondered if men always said things they didn’t mean. He said he was reluctant, but he actually wanted to try it. It looked like Quinton did care about Joanne and wanted to make it up to her, but he was too embarrassed to say so and had no idea how to do it. Flossie felt that she should help him as his sister. “It’s fine, you don’t have to do much. Just stay beside me and hand me the ingredients. It won’t affect your image as a man.” Flossie patiently tried to persuade him, talking to him like he was a child.
“No way!” Quinton raised his chin stubbornly and refused her. He was the infamous Night Demon-why should he cook to please a woman who had betrayed him? It would be very embarrassing. If word got out about it, his reputation in Carmine Pawnshop would suffer, and people in his circle would laugh at him. He felt he could never do such a thing.
Flossie went to the kitchen half an hour later. She had ordered the ingredients to make s’mores pops, and they had arrived.
Quinton had an apron on and was watching tutorials on how to make s’mores pops on his phone. He kept muttering the steps, ‘First, wash fruits like blueberries, grapes, and strawberries. Then, toast the marshmallow over a flame until it turns golden brown…
Flossie assisted him and was responsible for handing him equipment or ingredients. She had no chance at all to make any s’mores pops. Quinton toasted the marshmallow seriously, as if he was talking business or inspecting a rare treasure. Flossie was mesmerized watching him, and felt that she would fall in love with him if he were not her brother. As expected, men looked very charming when they were passionately doing something. Besides, she knew that he had a soft heart even though he said otherwise. On the surface, he looked like a male chauvinist who refused to cook, but he could actually cook well. He always cooked at home, and both Adie and Abby loved his cooking. They claimed that his cooking skills were better than Mijerlin chefs. Even though he was called the Night Demon, he could be a family man if he wanted to. Joanne was quite similar, which made them a perfect match for each other.
“Mm, it smells so good. Quinton, you’re a genius!”
Soon, Quinton had finished toasting the s’mores. He had even added some appetizing and nutritious ingredients to them before putting them on skewers with blueberries, grapes, and strawberries. He also sprinkled some crackers, rose petals, and other gamishes on them. They looked delicate and delicious, and also smelled great.” These are for you. And you can take those to her.” Quinton wrapped the s’mores pops, then handed some to Flossie and saved some for Joanne. Then, he added, “I’ll make some for the kids too, I’m sure they’ll love them.”
“No rush.” Flossie stopped Quinton and smiled. “You spent the whole afternoon cooking. Go take some rest and then deliver these s’mores pops to Joanne. If not, you’ll become a master at making these. We can even set up a store for you.’
“No, you give them to her. I won’t do it.” Coldness gleamed in Quinton’s eyes. “She and I fell out with each other, so how can I say I made s’mores pops to make her happy? No, I can’t do that. I can’t be a kiss-ass.”
Flossie sighed in exasperation at her brother’s stubbornness. “Quinton, you care too much about your image. It won’t kill you to bow down to her. You’re a man.”
“It isn’t about my image…”
“Then what is it about?”
“Well… It’s…” Quinton trailed off, unable to answer. Frustrated, he shook his head. “I won’t go. If you insist on me delivering them to her, I’ll run away from home and never come back.”
“Fine, I won’t force you to do it. I’ll do it. Are you satisfied now?” Flossie could only give up since she knew Quinton’s character. Besides, things would get chaotic if Quinton and Joanne met, so it would be better to take things slow. “Well, I’ll take them to her then. Flossie carried the plate of s’mores pops, nervous about meeting Joanne.
The atmosphere in the guest room on the second floor was harmonious. Margaret sat beside the table and smiled fondly at Joanne as if she were looking at the future matriarch of the Ellsworth family. “Miss, you’re Joanne, right?” Margaret smiled and asked gently.
“You are?” It was the first time Joanne met Margaret, but she found her very friendly and warm, like Joanne’s late mother. Margaret had a temperament that would put anyone at ease.
“I’m a nanny here. Call me Margaret,” Margaret humbly introduced herself and asked Joanne, ‘I heard from Ms. Flossie that you led quite a difficult life. What happened to make you take things so hard? Why did you want to kill yourself?”
“I…” Joanne shook her head as her eyes tumed watery. “I don’t know how to explain it. I might have found it easier to die at that moment.” When she met Quinton again at the school where her new life had begun, it felt like she had met a demon who wanted to grab her and pull her down to hell. If she did not use her death to express her hatred for Quinton, she had no idea how to face him. After all, she couldn’t escape, but she refused to let him control her. Hence, the only way she felt she could escape was by killing herself.
“Regardless of how big the problem is, it’s just a mess of tangled up strings. You just need to calm down and patiently unravel them. You should have never harmed your body. After all, you wouldn’t be able to resolve what needs to be resolved if you were gone, right?”