Win My Husband Over to Find My Child
Chapter 223: He Was a Normal, Flawed Human in Her Eyes

Chapter 223: He Was a Normal, Flawed Human in Her Eyes

Calix wanted to continue talking but, the gravity of his guilt tugged at his heart, rendering him silent. The deafening sound of his erratic heartbeat filtered out the peaceful echo from the lake.

’I need to talk... I have to.’

Blinking slowly, Calix continued looking at Leslie.

’She looks calm.’

Despite being wrapped in his thick layer of anxiousness, Calix found comfort in how tranquil Leslie’s countenance was. No creases of impatient furrowed her brows.

She was calmer than the night sky and... more beautiful than any scenery he had witnessed in his entire life.

Calix wished for the serenity to remain, unwilling to cause any crack onto it. Yet, he also understood the severity of the secret he had been concealing from her.

’Let’s rip off the band-aid.’

Inhaling a deep breath, Calix reminded himself that he needed to get this matter done tonight – no matter the cost. If not, he couldn’t take the next crucial step.

"Leslie, do you remember my story about the night... before my accident six years ago?"

Fighting against his reluctance and fear, Calix forced himself to continue. The passing breeze delivered the slight trembling of his voice, reaching Leslie opposite him.

Calix didn’t notice the faint sympathy glinting in Leslie’s eyes. If it was up to her, she wished to pull him into her embrace and reassure the man that everything would be fine.

Because...

She was fully certain that every single assumption she had right now was correct.

Leslie blinked, resisting shedding any tears. She nodded once before slowly replying to Calix, "I remember... the one about you... staying in a hotel because... you felt tired during... the banquet?[01]"

"...yes."

Lowering his head in dismay, Calix responded mutedly. He averted his gaze from Leslie’s eyes as more guilt overflowed from his heart. He had never been this scared his entire life.

Afraid of her disdaining him.

Leslie bit her lower lip, disheartened to see the defeated look on Calix’s face before he truly began. It was plain obvious how much this matter had been eating him alive from the inside.

Calix might be a character created by an author to serve a purpose in the story. But, he was a normal, flawed human being in Leslie’s eyes – prone to be hurt and discouraged by the setbacks in his life.

Leslie lifted both of her hands, hesitating with the action she tried to do. Shaking her head, she followed the whisper of her heart.

"...?"

Calix was stunned the moment a soft palm caressed the top of his head, sensing slender fingers stroking through his hair. Elevating his chin, his gaze slowly met Leslie’s eyes, seeing the concern brewing in them.

"Your hair is soft... perhaps softer than mine..."

Trying to keep her tone as casual as possible, Leslie acknowledged that she was pointing out something unrelated to what Calix was trying to tell her. She chuckled at the sight of the tiny lights bouncing off his head.

CEO Xu was always a handsome young man. But, Leslie inwardly thought of the moment he shone the most vibrant in her eyes – during the dance under the moonlight back in Rome.

Each of his gentle and playful mannerisms, the way he treated her like someone precious and the random conversations they shared – everything cemented his presence further into her heart.

"..."

Calix blinked, unable to immediately reply to Leslie. He simply let her continue what she was doing, running her fingers through his dark and short strands.

For some reason, the action helped to soothe the spiraling fear within him.

Raising his arm, Calix gently touched the back of Leslie’s hand before grasping it. He brought them down, enveloping her hand in between his palms. While doing so, he locked his gaze onto hers.

Leslie softened her smile, quietly asking, "Will you continue... now?"

As much as she was reluctant to push him talking, both of them had to settle this issue by tonight. Only then could they move forward and plan the next step.

Little did she know he also shared the same opinion as her.

Calix nodded once, clearing his throat before speaking, "What I’ll tell you next... will hurt you, Leslie. But, I don’t want to keep anything from you anymore. Even though... you might resent me..."

Calix’s fear might have subsided a little, yet some of it was still channeled through his shaky voice. He tried so hard not to run his eyes away from Leslie’s, unwilling to act cowardly for any longer.

Really...

What made him so concerned about her reaction?

What caused him to fear her disappointment and hatred?

Did he...

Calix inwardly shook his head. Now was not the time for any silly thoughts. His attention should only be on revealing the truth to Leslie.

’Even if she’ll loathe me in response.’

Calix let out a small sigh, silently berating himself for the constant changing of his emotions.

At one moment, he was thoroughly composed as if nothing could deter him. On the other, his overwhelming fear stopped him from saying what he wished.

"Leslie... I feel so pathetic now."

Calix’s quiet whining lured a chuckle out of Leslie’s mouth. She ran her thumb into a circle in the middle of his palm, wishing to reassure him through the gesture. He unconsciously tightened his hands around hers following her little action.

"Please tell me, Calix..." Leslie crooned, still letting Calix grasp her hand. The glint in her eyes mellowed, "You won’t ever know... how I will react... as long as you don’t... tell me..."

Leslie refused to blindly vow Calix with anything. Instead of being comforted by her promise, he might think she simply said that to appease him.

Pursing his lips in a thin line, Calix tried to shake off the unpleasantness weighing his heart. He acknowledged the truth in Leslie’s words.

"On that night, my body felt weird. I asked someone.... to lead me to a lounge. Instead, I was escorted to a hotel room."

Calix forced those words out of his mouth. Worry and fear entangling, brimming in his eyes as he locked them onto Leslie’s serene ones.

"...I thought I was alone inside the room. I was surprised when someone... a woman suddenly appeared."

As Calix paused, Leslie unconsciously widened her eyes for a moment.

’This...’

Blinking, Leslie felt her throat suddenly constricted. She held back the urge to say something to Calix lest she might ruin the fragile peace of this moment.

Not knowing what was going on in Leslie’s mind, Calix took a moment to filter out the deafening sound of his erratic heartbeat. He planned to bite the bullet and reveal the first shocking truth.

"I’m not saying this to defend myself but... I think I was drugged. That woman and I... were drugged... most likely with aphrodisiacs. Then... we slept together... that night..."

Calix took in a deep breath. He fought back the unpleasantness of talking about bedding another woman in front of Leslie, his wife – despite them being the same person.

Albeit reluctantly, Calix slowly let go of Leslie’s hand. He wandered his gaze elsewhere for a moment, trying to mend the cracked composure caused by his overwhelming guilt.

"I wasn’t sure who that woman was until later..."

Remorse tinged Calix’s hoarse voice as he returned his eyes to Leslie’s countenance. Once again pausing, he dreaded the worst.

"That woman... she was you, Leslie."

She was the lady he wronged on that night six years ago.

What Calix saw next baffled him. Under his surprised gaze, he witnessed the way Leslie was smiling sadly at him.

’She...’

As if being cast under a magic spell, Calix blankly stared at Leslie, his mouth slightly gaping in shock. The way she looked after he dropped the bomb caused myriads of questions to cram into his head.

No surprise flitted in her eyes. Aside from looking a bit sad, she was generally calmer. Her mild reaction—or the lack of it—stirred something unpleasant within Calix.

"L-Leslie, you... do you..."

No more coherent words left Calix’s mouth. Unable to force himself to continue, he pursed his lips into a straight line. His quivering eyes were still on Leslie’s sorrowful countenance.

This...

This was not the reaction he had been expecting.

Calix stiffly moved his head, aimlessly throwing his eyes to the surroundings. He couldn’t bear to look at Leslie right now.

Not because he despised her or something, but due to him trying to make sense of the onslaught of questions piercing his mind.

Calix randomly landed his eyes on the vast lake. The twinkles on the rippling surface caught his attention, momentarily enchanting his frozen mind.

Did this mean that she...

Scared by the sudden thought, Calix abruptly turned his head, returning his attention to Leslie. His widened eyes expressed the incredulity overtaking his mind and heart.

This couldn’t be...

Grasping his knees hard, Calix didn’t notice how red his eyes had become. His shaky voice filled the air, voicing out his doubts – desperate for the answer.

"Leslie... have you known... about it? You knew... that the man... was me?"

Leslie closed her eyes, avoiding expressing her inner pain to Calix. But, he saw.

He had seen through her.

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