Delete My Love for You novel Chapter 5

“Oh? So you finally admit you were wrong?”

Darren turned, closing the distance between them. “Then show me just how sorry you are.”

Without waiting for an answer, Darren grabbed Charlotte by the wrist and marched her up the stairs.

The master bedroom door swung open and shut. In one swift motion, he dragged and shoved her into the adjoining study. Inside, an elegant mahogany desk stood against the wall, and on it rested a memorial plaque.

It was the shrine Darren had set up for his first love—a woman whose name was never spoken, but whose memory he enshrined in bold gold letters: *IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY WIFE*.

Charlotte had knelt before this plaque for an entire night on their wedding day.

In the three years since, she’d spent countless nights and days on her knees before it.

Darren had told her, time and again, that his true wife would always be this woman—the one whose name he never revealed, but whose presence haunted every corner of his heart.

“Kneel here and beg her forgiveness. If I’m satisfied, maybe I’ll be gracious enough to tell Noah who you really are.”

With that, Darren slammed the door behind him, sealing Charlotte in with her misery.

All that remained for her was the endless chasm of her own despair.

She lifted her reddened, tear-bright eyes to the plaque and whispered, voice trembling, “It’s my fault.”

“I shouldn’t have come. I never should have tried to take your place in his heart. Three years, and I finally understand.”

“But… do you believe me? The truth is, it was Darren who brought me here all those years ago. He’s the one who forgot…”

Memories from twelve years earlier flickered through her mind.

Back then, Darren was eighteen—taller and stronger than any man she’d ever met. When she was small and scared, he’d shielded her in his arms, making her feel safe for the first time in her life.

She’d been reckless, stealing a kiss from him when she thought he wasn’t looking.

He’d caught her, and his eyes—so gentle, so indulgent—had sparkled with warmth. His voice, low and magnetic, had curled around her like a promise. “Hey, Shortie. You kissed me, so now you’re responsible.”

“From now on, you’re mine—got it?”

A sharp sound echoed from the study.

His face drained of color. He rushed to the door and flung it open, finding Charlotte collapsed on the ground.

She was so fragile. A gust of wind could leave her shivering and sick for days.

Darren hurried over, pressing his fingers gently to her nose. When he felt her steady breath, relief washed over him.

“Charlotte…”

His Adam’s apple bobbed. He reached out to touch her pale cheek, but just before his fingers brushed her skin, something made him pull back.

A bitter smile flickered at his lips. He straightened, closed the door behind him, and walked away.

Charlotte spent the night alone on the cold, hard floor.

By the time she woke, dawn was breaking. Ignoring the fever burning in her forehead, she moved on autopilot, leaving the bedroom and heading straight for the kitchen.