"How co you never tell anything about you and Gavin?" Adrienne questioned her best friend as she put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher after giving them a quick rinse in the sink.
Myrtle’s face flushed, and she looked away. "Did he tell you?"
Adrienne shook her head. "No. It was Lennox who told . Gavin told him about it."
She supposed Lennox asked his best friend about it as Adrienne couldn’t give him a definite answer as to what Gavin’s relationship was to Myrtle.
Her best friend remained silent montarily as if Myrtle were trying to find the right words to explain her relationship with Lennox’s right-hand man.
Finally, Myrtle sighed and said, "I guess I’ve hesitated to share because it’s complicated. Gavin and I have been seeing each other on and off for the past few months, but we’re not officially together. We both have our own reasons for keeping it low-key."
"Is Gavin treating you well?" Adrienne frowned. She didn’t think Gavin was irresponsible when it ca to his relationship.
"Yes." Myrtle nodded. "It was who didn’t deserve him, Addie."
Adrienne was taken aback. She hadn’t expected her best friend to harbor such thoughts. She went to Myrtle and gently touched her arm.
"What’s going on, Myrtle? Why do you feel that way about yourself?" Adrienne asked, concerned. Myrtle sighed and looked down, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I’ve been struggling with my own insecurities and self-doubt lately. It’s been affecting my perspective on relationships, including my worthiness for soone like Gavin."
Adrienne remained silent, allowing Myrtle to voice out the thoughts she’d been keeping to herself. She regretted not paying attention to Myrtle and only thinking about herself.
"We are from different worlds, Addie. I co from a modest background, while Gavin cos from a wealthy and privileged family. Sotis, I can’t help but wonder if I’ll ever be enough for him or his family."
Myrtle’s voice trembled with vulnerability as she shared her deepest fears with Adrienne.
"I’m not as beautiful as you. I’m not a heiress born into an affluent family like Val. Sotis, I think I don’t belong with you, just an outsider trying to fit in."
"Do you resent us for this?" Adrienne asked, but Myrtle imdiately shook her head.
"No, of course not, Addie. I will never bla you or Val for it. " Myrtle’s voice quivered with uncertainty as she expressed her self-doubt to Adrienne. "I often question why soone like Gavin would be interested in soone like . It’s hard for to comprehend."
"Don’t be hard on yourself, Myrtle. Gavin isn’t a shallow person who only sees superficial qualities. He sees the beauty in your heart and soul, so he falls in love with you. Your worth goes beyond what ets the eye." Adrienne reassured Myrtle, her words filled with genuine support and understanding. "You deserve to be loved and cherished like anyone else, and Gavin sees that in you."
Myrtle couldn’t help but blush upon hearing what Adrienne said.
"You think so?" She asked, and Adrienne nodded to reaffirm her words.
"I’m just a regular girl with no notable achievents or extraordinary talents," Myrtle continued, "I sotis wonder what it feels like to be admired by soone. How it feels like to have soone to have a silly crush on a silly person like ."
She laughed as if she rembered sothing.
"Gavin used to take his coffee at the cafe where I worked before. He’d always been seated in the corner with no one to accompany him. I wondered why soone like him, who seed so confident and accomplished, would choose to be alone. One day, I mustered up the courage to converse with him; since then, we exchanged a few greetings, and I slowly learned what kind of person he was beneath his cold exterior. I admit that I had a silly crush on him back then, but I never dared to hope he’d notice ."
Adrienne could see how Myrtle’s expression softened as she spoke about Gavin. It was clear to her that Myrtle reciprocated Gavin’s feelings for her. She couldn’t help but feel happy for Myrtle, knowing she had found soone who truly cared for her. She hoped their connection would continue growing and bring them both the happiness they deserved.
However, hearing Myrtle’s views shed light on why Dylan’s father was nowhere to be found when Adrienne found them. Myrtle must have run away from him and believed Gavin could find Dylan once she passed away after childbirth.
Adrienne wondered if she had ruined Myrtle’s plan by taking Dylan with her instead of waiting for Gavin to find his son. She couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt for potentially interfering with Myrtle’s intentions. Adrienne questioned whether she had made the right decision, but ultimately, she knew her priority was looking after Dylan.
"Gavin makes feel like I’m the most special person in the world," Myrtle admitted with a slight blush.
Adrienne smiled warmly and replied, "That’s because you are special, Myrtle. Your kindness, compassion, and genuine nature make you truly unique. Gavin recognizes and appreciates those qualities in you. You don’t need to overthink your situation, Myrtle. Did Gavin tell you why he distanced himself from his Si family?"
Myrtle shook her head. Her relationship with Gavin was quite new, and she had yet to know everything about him. She initially thought Gavin was tolerating her companionship for Adrienne and Lennox’s sake, but the man was persistently showing up outside her door with several excuses just to see her.
"No," she admitted to Adrienne, "Gavin never talked about his family and considered Lennox as his family."
"I can see that." Adrienne agreed with Myrtle’s words. From the mont she t her husband and Gavin years ago, she could tell that Lennox and Gavin had a special bond. They were like brothers, always looking out for each other.
"I know it’s not my place to say this to you, Myrtle, but you shouldn’t question him about the Si family and his mother."
Myrtle furrowed her brows in confusion. "But why?"
Adrienne’s face hardened. Not many were aware of Gavin’s troubled past and the secrets he carried. Lennox hadn’t told her this, but Alistair had. Alistair disclosed several confidential details of his enemies and rivals to her in her previous life without knowing that she would eventually use them against him in this lifeti.
"Gavin has been through a lot, Myrtle. The Si family and his mother are painful subjects for him. It’s best to let him share when he’s ready if he ever is. However, you must know that Gavin was born to his father’s mistress. The Si family learned about his existence and took him away from his mother. He and his mother lived in poverty for many years before that. The Si family offered a hefty amount of money to Gavin when he was younger for him to join their family as the second son of his father."
"I don’t understand, Addie. Why would they make Gavin leave his mother willingly? Shouldn’t they offer the money to his mother instead?"
Hearing these from Adrienne, Myrtle understood why Gavin never ntioned anything to her about his family.
"His mother would refuse to accept it, but Gavin cannot turn a blind eye to seeing his mother’s health suffer from her sickness. The Si family forced him to cut off ties with her; they would cover her hospital bill expenses in return. It must sound like an enticing offer for a young boy like Gavin back then. Gavin accepted to be the substitute heir of the Si family just in case his older brother ssed up and failed to fulfill his responsibilities. His mother thought he abandoned her for the sake of money. She died during his teenage years alone, without knowing what he gave up for her to live."
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