A Replacement Bride

Chapter 243

Joaquin's guess was right on the money. Katherine did want to come clean. Yet, it was a tricky topic to discuss, but for the sake of Noah, she couldn't drag it out any longer. She had to talk things out with him.

When she thought about her daughter, she tried her best to ignore the discomfort in her heart and suppressed the anxiety in her bright eyes. Finally, she opened her mouth and said softly, "I've told you about Noah's father, but that's not the whole truth. I want to tell you everything today. Do you want to hear it?"

When Joaquin heard this, he almost lost control. There was a crack in his usual calm demeanor as his hands trembled when applying the ointment to his injury. Hence, he lowered his eyes, and for the first time in his life, he did not dare to look at her. So, he merely hummed softly as his eyes flickered with trepidation.

Then, Katherine told her version of the incident that had happened five years ago. Although her voice had a faint tremor, in the beginning, her voice became firmer as time passed. It felt as though she was tearing through the mess of scars from her past; it was both painful and cathartic. "Back then, I was terrified and desperate. I had no room to fight back, so I could only bear it miserably. That night was a nightmare that I will never forget. I've been looking for that man and wanted to ask him why he did this to me. I needed an explanation. I wanted closure."

There... I finally said it. As she exposed the bloody wound that had been lingering in her heart, it didn't feel as agonizing as she expected. Instead, there was a faint sense of relief as those words left her lips.

She exhaled lightly, and it felt like her very breath carried a faint sense of corruption that had finally left her body. Then, she looked straight at Joaquin and stared intently into his eyes. "Joaquin, I want to

know where you were that night five years ago."

Joaquin remained silent in the face of her questioning gaze. When he heard her side of the story, he felt invisible vines had taken root in his heart as they ruthlessly strangled it. Every breath brought a sharp pang as the vines' thorns twisted and poked bloody holes into his heart

Although her tone of voice was calm as she spoke, he could still feel the fear and despair she had felt back then. He truly wanted to slap himself for doing something so dastardly!

Even if he had no choice and had lost his mind due to the drug, how could he have done such a thing?! He was an utter b*stard!

His silence confused her. She couldn't see his emotions since he had already lowered his head by the time she scrutinized him. So, she thought his actions were one of avoidance, and he didn't want to answer her. As the seconds ticked by, the hope in her eyes slowly dimmed.

Before Katherine entered, she had thought this through. As long as he admitted what he had done and gave her a reasonable explanation, she could forgive him.

The hatred that had fueled her the past five years slowly burned away into nothing when she saw him. She didn't know why, but she felt that she could trust Joaquin. She felt that maybe everything was a misunderstanding, and he was also another victim.

Yet now, he refused to say anything...

Then, just when she felt that she had come for nothing, he suddenly raised his head and looked at her solemnly. His eyes were filled with complex emotions and held a touch of shame.

"On that fateful day five years ago, I received a task from my superiors and was ordered to destroy a harmful toxin at the TruMark Research in Fontan. But the news was leaked somehow, and TruMark

Research set a trap and prepared for the intrusion in advance. My men and I were ambushed and accidentally poisoned during the fight. We were escaping from the fight when they were chasing after us. That was when I decided to hide in a bar to avoid the pursuers."

Katherine was startled as she didn't expect him to talk about the past so bluntly. The last shred of hope in her eyes grew as it burned like a minuscule flame swaying in the wind, one wrong word, and the harsh truth would blow it out. She looked at him quietly as he reminisced about the past.

"At that time, I just wanted to find a place to hide. The bar was the best place because of its loud music and chaotic environment. But I didn't expect that the poison in my body would kick in so soon, and the side effect of that poison was..."

When he reached this part of the story, he paused and forged on, his voice deeper than before.

"It was a sexual enhancer. Despite my ironclad self-control, I couldn't resist the drug's effect on my body. At that time, I was completely confused, and all my rationality and whatnot were thrown out the window. The effect of the poison was too potent, and I couldn't control myself, so I..."

Finally, the truth was out in the open, plain and simple. Joaquin's expression was filled with guilt and misery. For the first time in his life, he felt extremely ashamed and remorseful for his actions. When he continued recounting his past, his voice was even hoarser.

"I'm sorry, Kathy. I couldn't control myself at all at that time. I know this may seem like an excuse to you, but I didn't mean to hurt you. When I came to my senses, everything had already happened. At that time, I only had one thought, and that was to marry you. I had made a vow to take care of you for the rest of my life, and I wouldn't marry another woman. Even though it was an overbearing and unreasonable decision, I didn't know how else to make up for the mistake I made..."

He had always been taciturn. However, this was the first time Katherine had heard him say so many words in one breath.

She remained silent and simply looked at him steadily. It was as if she tried to see through him and glimpse at his very soul. People had always said that the eyes were the windows of the soul; she wanted to peek through his eyes to discern whether he was telling the truth.

So, this is the truth behind the terrors that had been plaguing me. It was all a misunderstanding—a terrible yet frustrating misunderstanding. He is not a frivolous man, nor did he intend to hurt me that night. It was all an unfortunate coincidence.

At this moment, the nightmare that had been tormenting her for many years seemed to disappear as the truth came to light. The sun shone through the curtains and illuminated that hidden corner that had been shadowed for five years.

When she came to that realization, her lips curled into a tiny thing. But it was a genuine smile all the same.

Joaquin gazed at her nervously and was on pins and needles after finally forcing himself to confess his crime. This was the first time he had felt this way, and it was even worse when the person witnessing his shame was the person whom he loved the most. Nonetheless, he was startled when he saw her smile. He couldn't help but feel utterly dazed as he expected to be condemned and despised.

After a few seconds, he gently parted his thin lips and asked warily, "W-What are you smiling at?"

Katherine quirked a brow and glanced at his tightly clenched fists. Her smile widened when she saw how his actions betrayed his anxiety. "I'm mocking you. You have always been so calm and collected, but who would have thought that there would be a day when a drug succeeded in controlling you? It's just so unbelievable."

Joaquin was even more confused when he heard her words. Therefore, he stammered, "D-Do you believe me?"

She took the ointment from him, closed it securely, and palmed it as she mused, "Why? Are you implying that I shouldn't believe what you said? Should I doubt you?"

He blinked rapidly and rubbed his nose, mumbling, "No, that's not what I mean." NôvelDrama.Org: text © owner.

This was the first time she saw him looking like a guilty little boy. She was relieved as she finally received the closure she had been chasing. Hence, she was so delighted that she tossed all her worries away as she finally took a good look at his guilty appearance.

When he noticed that she wasn't about to hurl obscenities at him, he hesitated briefly, scooted a little closer, and asked gingerly, "Kathy, w-will you forgive me?"