Love Contract
Chapter 136 Self-loathing (P art One)

Ding Dong, Ding Dong...

The echoes of the doorbell rang inside the silent apartment.

William turned his head abruptly, immediately stumbling up on his feet and rushing to the apartment door. It was as if he couldn't wait another second.

With a click, the door opened.

"Mary!" William blurted out.

"William..."

It was Frank. He stood outside the door and held back his tears as he heard William call out her name.

He gazed at William. William's eyes were sunken and bloodshot, thin stubble grew on his chin. His hair was dirty and messy.

Was he still the vigorous and graceful young man that he loved? No! They hadn't seen each other for a few days, but he looked so devastated!

"Why are you here?" When William saw Frank, the light in his eyes faded. His voice grew cold and his face was devoid of any emotion.

"William..." Frank sobbed, "Where have you been these past few days? What happened to you?"

"Where have I been?" William's eyes looked dead. The bright fire that was once lit had now died inside his heart.

He went to all the places where she could have gone to, but still couldn't replace her.

"Mary? You went to look for her, right?" Frank grabbed his arm and shouted, "You've found her? She's here right now, isn't she? I knew it!"

As soon as Frank finished talking, he pushed the door open and rushed inside the apartment. He began shouting wildly, "Come out, Mary!"

"If she were here, do you think I'd be like this? I couldn't replace her..."

Frank paused. "Where did she go?"

"I have no idea." William let out a deep sigh. He looked like a lost child. "I can't replace her..."

Frank's heart sunk. He suddenly turned around and grabbed William's hand. "William, let's go... Let's go to Norway... It's good that you haven't found her..."

After Frank dragged him forward a couple of steps, William shook off his hand.

"I'm not going to Norway! I want to stay here until I replace Mary!" William yelled.

"She's gone! She's never coming back!"

"No!" William shook his head like a crazed mad man. "Maybe... Maybe she was just in a bad mood and needed some time alone for a couple of days... I know she'll be back soon...I just know it..." The corners of William's mouth lifted slightly, as if what he said was the truth. But since Mary had signed the divorce agreement, why would she ever come back?

"What about me? What about me, William!" Frank's eyes turned red as he bellowed, his voice croaking in pain.

"You... Frank, I'm sorry..."

"Sorry? Sorry!" Frank sneered, "You're sorry? For what?"

"I fell in love with someone else." William looked at Frank. His eyes were filled with guilt but his heart was determined to speak the truth. "I've fallen in love with Mary."

"Ha ha..." Frank burst into laughter, but his eyes were brimming with tears. "You love her?"

"At the time Sansa died in order to save me, my heart was left with nothing more but ashes. Facing you... I can't refuse you. I could never say no to you." After William had finished speaking, he felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his chest.

It turned out that telling the truth was very easy.

Frank's mouth trembled and his face drained of color.

William laughed bitterly, "For so many years, I've always treated you like a younger brother. I tried to treat you as my lover, but I just couldn't do it... Well... Until I married Mary... I care so much about her, her smile and her every move. I couldn't ignore her... The more I got to know her, the more I couldn't help falling deeper in love.

I get jealous whenever I see her with other men and my heart aches whenever she cries...

I don't know when this feeling started but I've slowly fallen in love with her... I love her, but I can't replace her now..."

As soon as William finished his words, he burrowed his head in his hands and his eyes turned red. "She left without saying a word, leaving only a divorce agreement. I feel that I am dying...' Frank stared at him, clenching his fists. He'd never known that William could love a woman this much...

"You can leave now," William mumbled.

"You want me to leave? Where should I go? William!" Frank yelled at him, "Where else would I go? I have no one else to run to but you. Have you forgotten that night! William, you can't get rid of me!" William frowned and buried his head under his arms so that no one could see the expression on his face. "I know, we didn't do anything." He spoke in a low voice.

"William, you..." Frank placed his hand on his mouth and gasped. He took a few steps back.

"I was drunk and unconscious, but after I got up..." William paused for a moment and then continued, "It's too unreasonable. Although you arranged everything well and it was quite believable, I knew it was just a trap."

William fell silent. He already slept with Mary, so he knew what kind of feeling it was. It was impossible for him not to have known that feeling...

"Yes, I lied to you!"

"I love Mary! Mary!" William snapped, "It's because of your words that I've been living in confusion and pain!"

"You deserve it, William!" Frank gritted his teeth.

"Yes! I deserve it!" William raised his head quickly and bellowed, "I couldn't differentiate between responsibility and love! For many years, responsibility and guilt have been pressing on me and caused me to lose the one I love!" "The one you love? William! Ha ha..." Frank laughed and burst into tears. He walked to William and punched him in the stomach.

Without resisting, William just wheezed and fell straight on to the sofa.

"I curse you and I hope that you'll never replace her! May you live alone for the rest of your life! You'll never see the one you love ever again!" Frank slammed the door on his way out.

Like an injured animal, William curled up on the sofa, greedily sniffing the remaining scent of Mary.

'No, Mary. I will definitely replace you...'

GM Universing Studios, Los Angeles, USA.

Ring... Ring, Ring...

The phone at the general manager's desk rang and a slender finger pressed the call button. "What's up?"

"General manager, the new secretary has arrived. Would you like to see her?"

"Let her in," the man answered.

Knock, knock, knock... "Can I come in?"

The charming male voice came from the general manager's office, "Yes. Come in." "General manager, I am the new secretary, Vivian." Hearing her voice, the man suddenly raised his head. "Mary? Mary!"

"... Barry Gu?"

In A City.

"Sir, we haven't found Mary yet."

"Well then, keep searching!" William hung up the phone and stared blankly out the window.

The first patch of snow had fallen, signaling the start of winter. Under the dim streetlight, the flying snowflakes dyed the ground silver.

William was in Kylin International, standing in front of the window. He held his mobile phone in his hand, swiping through the album. There were some photos taken when they went to the ski resort in S City. They were laughing happily at that time, but now he'd lost her....

That was the happiest moment in his life.

"It's been two months. Mary, where are you?" William murmured as he gazed hopelessly outside.

The snow rustled and fell silently, creating several mounds on the ground. It was as if it was erasing all the memories in the world. The autumn passed and winter came, after winter came spring.

He hadn't found her in two months.

He hadn't found her in three months.

He hadn't found her in half a year...

Half a year later, the warm sunshine shone throughout the A City. It was the beginning of summer.

The atmosphere in AJ Group's conference room was quite tense, everyone's faces looking stressed and tired.

Candy GSmgB