Dating the Bossy CEO Next Door
Chapter 80- Break up with Karl

Chapter 80: Chapter 80- Break up with Karl

Lilian stared at Morrison for a long time before finally handing his phone back to him. She forced a smile, her tone light and offhand.

"You don’t need to marry me just to take responsibility. You can’t possibly marry every woman you’ve slept with... right?"

She knew he was thinking about her brother Dave. About the ties between the Morrison and Washington families. In his mind, touching her came with consequences—marriage being one of them.

But she had never longed for marriage to begin with. Especially not one that came from guilt or obligation.

In a single sentence, she shattered whatever warmth remained in the air between them. Morrison’s good mood instantly vanished, leaving only anger behind.

He had meant it—his proposal, his intention to move forward with her. But in return, she told him not to bother.

Suppressing the storm inside him, he asked, "So what now?"

Lilian looked up at him, her voice barely audible. "So... let’s just pretend none of this ever happened."

Morrison was stunned. He’d always thought she was simple—transparent, even. But in that moment, he realized he didn’t understand her at all.

He had worried she would feel ashamed after losing her innocence. That she’d be upset. That’s why he offered marriage—to protect her, to ease her fears.

But she didn’t want it.

She rejected him outright.

And for once, Morrison couldn’t find the words to argue. He just stared at her, jaw tight, eyes dark.

Again and again, he found himself pushed away by her. First when she didn’t cling to him after they slept together. Now, when she rejected the idea of a future.

The Lilian he thought he knew—gentle, obedient, sweet—was no longer there.

This Lilian was calm, self-aware, and frighteningly clear about what she wanted—and didn’t want.

She had always been that way, hadn’t she? Never following the crowd. Always holding onto her quiet, untouchable core.

And yet... that very heartlessness was what made Morrison fall for her.

Even now, as frustration simmered in his veins, he found himself already trying to strategize. How to deal with a girl like her? How to make her bend without breaking her spirit?

Just then, Lilian seemed to realize the position they were in.

She was still lying on top of him—completely bare.

Her soft body was pressed against his firm chest, skin against skin. Her face flushed instantly.

Everything earlier had been too fast, too overwhelming. There had been no time to feel shy, no room to regret what she had given him.

But now, in the stillness, the shame came rushing in.

Hurriedly, she slid off him, retreating into the covers and turning her back toward him, hiding herself like a startled deer.

Her first time—gone, just like that.

Oddly enough, she didn’t feel heartbroken.

The ache in her body was sharp and real. Her entire frame felt sore, especially in places she’d never paid attention to before.

And yet... emotionally, she felt oddly calm.

Maybe because it was him.

Maybe that was why she didn’t cry.

In fact, if she were being honest, the joy almost outweighed the shame.

He had been patient with her. Careful. He had guided her slowly, waited for her to open up, to let go—until she could no longer resist him. Until she gave in completely.

Only toward the end did his pace become fierce, too intense for her to bear.

Now, tucked under the blanket, she found herself lost in thought.

Then suddenly—

"Let’s talk."

His hand reached under the blanket, gently pulling it away from her face, and turning her body to face his.

Her cheeks were burning red, eyes glazed with embarrassment and lingering heat.

Morrison couldn’t help himself. He leaned down to kiss her.

Lilian turned her face away in a panic, pressing her hand against his lips, her voice trembling.

"Talk... talk about what?"

Her shy resistance only made him want to tease her more.

He caught her hand and brought her fingers to his lips, biting each one lightly as his gaze bore into hers.

"Let’s talk about why you don’t want me to take responsibility."

His eyes were scorching—too intense. And with his teeth brushing against her fingertips, Lilian’s heart began to race again, her thoughts unraveling.

She lost control of her tongue before her mind could stop it.

"Because you don’t really love me," she whispered. "A marriage like that... would never be happy."

Morrison chuckled, his voice deep and amused.

"Is that so? And you think two people who are in love are guaranteed happiness in marriage?"

Lilian couldn’t answer.

Because she didn’t know the answer herself.

Yes, most couples who walk into marriage start off in love. But even so, the divorce rate in this world remains high.

Morrison seized the moment to try and sway her thoughts.

"That’s why your excuse doesn’t hold up," he said smoothly. "Rejecting me because of that? It doesn’t make sense."

But the fear of marriage had taken root deep inside Lilian’s heart. His attempt to "brainwash" her didn’t work. She shot back without hesitation.

"If even true love doesn’t guarantee happiness, then what’s the point of getting married at all? If we end up divorced, doesn’t that make the whole marriage meaningless?"

She paused for a beat, then said quietly, "Wouldn’t it be better to never marry at all?"

At that point, Morrison realized something was off.

She wasn’t just hesitant—she was terrified of marriage.

And it wasn’t just about him. Even if someone else had proposed to her today, she probably would’ve said no all the same.

Thinking back to her parents’ cold marriage, and Dave Laurent’s notorious divorce, Morrison understood where her fear came from. With that clarity, his frustration eased slightly.

So instead of pushing harder, he softened his tone, coaxing her.

"Then how about this," he offered. "We just date. No pressure. Or live together—"

Before he could even finish, Lilian’s eyes widened in panic and she cut him off in a rush.

"No, no, absolutely not! I’m... I’m Karl’s girlfriend!"

The words tumbled out before she could stop them.

Right. She was Karl’s girlfriend. There was no way she could date Morrison now.

The moment she mentioned Karl, Morrison’s expression darkened.

He bit down on her finger—hard. A sharp little punishment.

"You had to remind me," he muttered, clearly annoyed.

Lilian yelped and snatched her hand back, glaring at him. What is he, a dog? Why the hell is he biting people?

Morrison’s eyes narrowed, glinting coldly.

"Break up with him. Today. No—now."

Having had her completely, having seen her fall apart in his arms, Morrison had instinctively marked her as his. It slipped his mind entirely that she was, at least on paper, dating his own younger brother.

That fact alone sent flames of fury rising in his chest.

Lilian was speechless.

Break up with Karl... today?

She’d just been on a date with Karl this afternoon. Everything had seemed perfectly normal between them—in fact, their parents had been getting along swimmingly too. To suddenly turn around and break up like this... wasn’t that a little too abrupt?

Morrison saw her stunned face and immediately understood—she wasn’t planning to break up with Karl.

His voice exploded with anger.

"You like him that much?!"

Lilian couldn’t answer. If she said yes, he’d lose it again.

But she didn’t have the courage to tell him the truth, either—that she and Karl were just pretending to be in a relationship. She had a feeling that revelation might make him even angrier.

Her silence made Morrison’s face darken further. To him, silence meant guilt—and in this case, it meant she really did have feelings for Karl.

The thought alone made his blood boil.

With a low curse under his breath, he suddenly flipped over and pinned her beneath him.

"Looks like I need to remind you again," he growled, his eyes burning with possessiveness, "exactly whose woman you are."

He didn’t wait for a response. His lips crashed down onto hers with a punishing force, and his hand wasted no time reacquainting itself with the curves of her trembling body.

Lilian gasped, panic rising. She could barely breathe, let alone think. Desperately, she grabbed at his wrist and pleaded between shallow breaths.

"I don’t like him! I don’t like Karl, I swear!"

Morrison’s movement faltered—but only slightly. His eyes narrowed, still smoldering with doubt and rage.

His grip didn’t loosen. His gaze pinned her in place.

She could barely hold his stare, but she was far too exhausted to go through another round of his so-called "lesson." All she wanted now was to get out of this intact—physically and emotionally.

So she blurted it all out in one breath.

"I really don’t like him. He doesn’t like me either. We’re just pretending—just pretending to be in a relationship."

She rushed on, as if afraid he wouldn’t believe her unless she explained everything.

"We only did it because we were both sick of being forced into blind dates by our parents... so we agreed to fake a relationship, that’s all—"

By the end of her explanation, her voice had dwindled to a whisper, barely louder than a mosquito’s buzz. Her guilt showed on her face, plain and undeniable.

Morrison stared at her in silence, processing.

He didn’t know whether to laugh or explode again.

So that’s what this was?

She and Karl—his own brother—had conspired to fool both families just to escape matchmaking?

Unbelievable.

"Fake dating?" he repeated inwardly, the corner of his mouth twitching with disbelief. Why not just fake a marriage while you’re at it?