The Mistakes We Made Together

Chapter 12: Exposure

David's ex-girlfriend's name was Lisa. Or maybe she wasn't even his ex-girlfriend, because when they had been together, David had never acknowledged their relationship.

He had just connived that they were “seeing each other” for a while, then split up without any further entanglement.

Benjamin stood farthest back, still on the last two steps in front of the building, taller than the others.

He pulled a cigarette pack from his pocket, tapped out a cigarette casually, tilted his head to light it with a lighter, took a puff, then pulled it from his lips and held it between his fingers.

Squinting slightly, he watched as David turned to Emma behind him to explain before comforting his ex-girlfriend. “I didn't handle this properly before. Just wait a minute.”

Benjamin gently squeezed the cigarette butt between his right fingers. Emma had her back to him, so he couldn't see her expression.

But a moment later, he heard her say, “It's fine. Go handle it first.”

When she finished speaking, he lowered his eyes, put the cigarette butt back in his mouth, and let the smoke fill his lungs. A faint, mocking smile tugged at his lips.

Emma didn't have as good an attitude toward David as Benjamin had thought. She said this not because she was magnanimous and wanted to forgive David, but because she didn't want to get involved in his mess with his ex-girlfriend.

She didn't know what had happened, didn't care to know, and didn't want to find out.

Nothing David did had anything to do with her.

And the person she did want to be involved with, she might never truly be with him in this life.

Probably because they had things to discuss that they didn't want others to hear, David stepped forward, took Lisa's arm with his right hand, and tried to lead her away to talk privately.

But Lisa wouldn't have it. She shook off his hand sharply, covered her lower abdomen with her right hand, and took two steps back.

It was still summer, and she was wearing a loose dress, but her slightly rounded belly was still visible.

At Emma's previous company, a deputy general manager had just given birth, so she had a rough idea of what a pregnant belly looked like. From the size of Lisa's belly, she could tell she was about four or five months pregnant.

Calculating back, Lisa would have been pregnant when David had already gone on a blind date with her and confirmed their engagement.

So he had been two-timing her.

Realizing this, Emma let out a soft breath. Her gaze fell on the plane trees not far away, and she felt no sadness or disappointment at all.

She just thought, life was full of unexpected twists.

In the few times she had met David, he had always been gentle and polite. They hadn't felt any attraction, but at least they hadn't disliked each other. She had even thought she would really marry him.

Lisa shook off David's hand again when he tried to pull her. Tears welled up in her eyes, her voice trembling with emotion. “Do you know how long I've been looking for you?!”

“David, I've been looking for you for three months! You said you'd send me to study abroad, you were lying! You just wanted to break up with me!”

Emma frowned slightly when she heard this. She had thought David had already broken up with Lisa, but it turned out he had been lying to both of them.

Thinking about how “eager” he had been toward her and the Brown family lately, she realized he probably knew Lisa's secret wouldn't stay hidden forever.

“David, you liar!” Lisa's voice cracked, and she lost her composure. She pointed at Emma. “Why are you with this woman? Is she a homewrecker?”

Her raised right hand almost poked Emma. Instinctively, Emma reached out to steady her.

Lisa was four or five months pregnant and extremely emotional. As a woman herself, Emma felt a ineffable sense of sympathy for her.

But Lisa didn't. Seeing David's indifference, she lunged forward as if crazy, trying to push Emma.

Emma frowned and stepped aside to dodge, only to be pulled behind Benjamin, who had stepped forward.

Benjamin still held the cigarette in his right hand. By nature, he had an air of authority, and his gaze alone was intimidating when he had no expression. Not to mention his tone now, cold and emotionless.

His eyes swept over Lisa, then settled on David. His voice, hoarse from the smoke, was sharp. “Tell your girlfriend to stop acting crazy here.”

David met his gaze, his voice lowering instinctively as he explained. “She's not my girlfriend, Emma…”

Benjamin crushed the cigarette. There was a faint look of contempt in his eyes, his voice cold. “Do you think I'll still let my sister marry you after this?”

David froze, the words he had been about to say caught in his throat.

Emma stood half a meter down the steps. Benjamin was holding her right wrist, shielding her behind him, separating her from the other two.

Benjamin's left hand slid down to take hers. The moment their hands touched, Emma's heart skipped a beat. She knew that in this situation, David and Lisa probably wouldn't notice their hands.

But Benjamin still shouldn't have done this now.

After a moment's hesitation, she tried to pull her hand back, but Benjamin tightened his grip, holding her hand more firmly to prevent her from pulling away.

Benjamin lowered his eyes, tapped his phone twice with his left hand to send a message to his assistant, then spoke to David and the still-crying Lisa. “Find a place to talk.”

Thirty minutes later, there was no beating around the bush. Benjamin didn't give David a chance to speak, he only let Lisa explain what had happened.

After that, he represented the Brown family in terminating the engagement with the White family.

In a calm, matter-of-fact tone, he said, “The Brown family has no intention of continuing the marriage alliance with the White family.”

As he finished speaking, Benjamin set down the cup he had been twisting in his hand, picked up Emma's bag, stood up, and pulled her to her feet by her wrist. Leading her around the sofa, he walked toward the private room door.

Lisa was still crying, maybe due to pregnancy hormones, or maybe because she hadn't seen David in months. She probably didn't even know what she was crying about anymore, but she couldn't stop.

Emma followed behind Benjamin, being dragged out by him.

Just as they reached the door, David finally spoke up to stop them, making a last-ditch effort to negotiate. “I'll fix this, but the marriage between the Brown and White families isn't just about feelings, it's about interests too.”

David added, “And this concerns both families, not just you alone…”

Emma didn't try to pull her hand back from Benjamin anymore. He had already led her to the private room door.

Benjamin paused for a moment, letting out a faint laugh as he replied to David. “At least I have a say in her matters.”

Emma stood on her tiptoes, her gaze dropping from Benjamin's shoulder to the corridor outside the room. Then she took a slow breath. She couldn't help but feel Benjamin wasn't being careful with his words.

If someone was paying attention, they would always notice that the atmosphere between them was unusual.

Benjamin's words had been too clearly protective. David froze for a moment, then realized that even if Emma wasn't Benjamin's biological sister, the Brown family had a high status, Benjamin would never let his “sister” marry him after this, which would damage the Brown family's reputation.

But he didn't give up. Turning to look at Benjamin's back, he lowered his posture and said, “I'll come to visit you in a few days.”

Benjamin's voice was cold. “Do as you please.”