Our Anniversary, You Chose Her – I Chose Divorce

”But me? I have no parents, no family, no ties. I’m just a thorn in everyone’s side. An ending like this... doesn’t seem so bad.”

Hearing her calm tone, Daniel Hayes suddenly felt his heart ache for her.

He already knew the gist of her past.

Her parents, who had doted on her since childhood, had grown increasingly harsh toward her after Sunny Reed appeared.

And because of Sunny Reed, her relationship with the man she loved had become so filled with misunderstandings that it was now beyond repair.

And to top it all off, she wasn’t even their biological child.

Her future was shrouded in uncertainty.

It was no wonder she was thinking this way now.

It seemed as though she had nothing left to live for.

”Miss Chloe, don’t think such things!” Daniel Hayes couldn’t bear to hear her talk like that. ”Grandma Sutton has always cared so much about you. She never pushed you away for not being her flesh and blood. Your friends are always thinking of you, and you’re always thinking about Iris Yates, right? She hasn’t returned yet. You still have to bring her back.”

He paused, cleared his throat, and continued, ”The truth is, Walker Grant has always loved you. He’s been trying to atone for the past, trying his best to make it up to you. It’s just that the wounds he caused are too deep, too heavy for you to let go of so easily. But you can’t deny that someone has always loved you.”

Chloe Reed stared at him blankly. It was pitch-black all around, and while she couldn’t make out Daniel Hayes’s expression, she could see his exceptionally bright eyes shining with intensity as they watched her.

She opened her mouth, finally speaking after a long moment. ”How did I never realize you were such a good talker?”

Daniel Hayes chuckled. ”I just say what’s on my mind. As a bodyguard, I’ve probably said too much. Please don’t take it the wrong way.”

”No, you’re not just a bodyguard anymore.” Chloe Reed was deeply moved. ”You’re my friend now.”

Daniel Hayes was stunned for a moment, then nodded. ”Okay, okay! And you’re younger than me. You should call me Big Bro.”

”Daniel,” Chloe Reed readily agreed.

”Heh, from now on, your big bro will protect you!” Daniel Hayes said, patting his chest.

In the silent, cold night, their conversation was like a wave of warmth washing over Chloe Reed’s heart.

She ate another piece of fruit, and some of her strength returned.

THWACK!

But just then, something struck the ground beside her, making a subtle noise!

Daniel Hayes yanked her behind a large tree, his eyes scanning their surroundings warily as he listened intently.

Chloe Reed stopped eating the fruit. She held her breath, her heart starting to pound.

”This way!”

A moment later, a hushed voice drifted over, alarmingly close.

The color drained from Chloe Reed’s face!

Daniel Hayes grabbed her wrist and pulled her in the opposite direction.

”They’ve found us,” Daniel Hayes said, his tone grave. ”Looks like they sent their best. Their tracking skills are top-notch.”

Chloe Reed clutched her pistol. ”What do we do now?”

”We hide first. If we can’t hide, we fight,” Daniel Hayes said grimly, a pistol now in his own hand.

THWACK!

The sound of a silenced gunshot rang out again, the bullet striking the ground just a few feet from Chloe Reed!

They... were on top of them!

”Get down!”

Daniel Hayes hissed, whipping around and firing behind them.

His pistol was also silenced, making only a soft puff. A moment later, a muffled grunt sounded in the distance.