Chapter 7 Who Am I to You

Wayne's face darkened as he stared at the unfamiliar man standing before him.

"Who the hell are you?"

Howard didn't respond to Wayne. Instead, he turned to Valerie, his voice calm and steady. "Valerie, tell him who I am to you."

"My husband," Valerie hesitated before speaking.

"What?"

"He is my husband."

Valerie's voice grew louder, and as soon as she said the word, her face flushed. The pale, aggrieved look she had from confronting Wayne disappeared.

Wayne was stunned. "You two..."

She pulled her hand free from Wayne's grip and walked to Howard.

Their hands naturally intertwined right in front of Wayne.

"As you can see," Valerie raised their clasped hands and waved them in front of Wayne, "We're married."

"Valerie, you must be kidding. You said you were going to marry me. How could you just..."

"Stop," Valerie frowned. "I don't want to repeat something that makes me feel sick."

Wayne's face grew even grimer. "But you shouldn't treat yourself like this!"

He pointed at Howard, unable to hold back his question. "Did you even know him for more than three days before you got married?"

Valerie felt a pang of guilt, and Wayne quickly caught on to her fleeting hesitation.

Wayne suddenly laughed bitterly, his face clouded. "So you're doing this to get revenge on me because I didn't marry you that day?"

Revenge?

Valerie was a bit confused. Who would use their own marriage to get back at someone?

She glanced at Howard out of the corner of her eye, thinking that agreeing to marry him that day was a bit impulsive. But it was to escape her controlling family and get away from Daniel.

"Wait," Valerie blinked, trying to clear her head from Wayne's twisted logic. "You think I'm getting back at you?"

"What else?"

"I was your ex-fiancé. You couldn't be with me, so you turned around and married this cripple!"

"If people find out you're with a cripple, where does that leave my reputation?"

Valerie's mouth slightly opened, and she felt as if she hardly recognized Wayne.

She looked at him in disbelief.

Seeing that he was about to continue his insults, Valerie couldn't take it anymore. "You can't talk about him like that!"

"Can't I?" Wayne looked at Valerie in disbelief. "I'm doing this for your own good!"

"For my sake, you shouldn't be here right now. You should be off sweetly with your fiancée! Don't come here to bother me one after another! Howard is my husband. Insulting him is the same as insulting me."

Valerie's face turned cold as she stepped in front of Howard. Howard was slightly taken aback, surprised by Valerie's protective stance. She squeezed his hand, as if to comfort him.

Her protective gesture warmed Howard's heart. His lips curved into a smile, and the dark look in his eyes from being called a cripple faded away.

He leaned slightly in his wheelchair, looking past Valerie to meet Wayne's gaze. His deep eyes now held a hint of smugness.

Wayne, seeing this, became even more furious. "You cripple, how dare you look at me like that..."

"Wayne!"

Valerie stepped forward again, her small frame shielding Howard from the blatant malice.

She frowned deeply, looking at the person she once liked, feeling a sudden wave of exhaustion.

Not wanting to argue any further, Valerie took a deep breath and spoke, "First off, I didn't mistreat Laura. You can go back and ask her yourself if I was blessing you two or cursing her!"

"Second, I'll say it again, he's my husband."

"As for us, we should have drawn the line that snowy day."

Wayne was at a loss for words, unable to respond.

Valerie didn't want to look at him any longer. She turned to Howard, then to Joseph.

Seeing Valerie's intention, Joseph let go of the wheelchair handles, stepping aside.

"Thanks," Valerie whispered, wheeling Howard away from the scene.

Back at the villa, Valerie's mood was still off.

She sat on the couch, lost in thought. She couldn't believe the person she once liked had turned out this way.

People who loved each other often parted with harsh words, but they had never even been in love.

"Valerie."

Valerie snapped back to reality, meeting Howard's concerned gaze. She instinctively touched her cheek, feeling the wetness on her hand. Realizing she had been crying, she quickly grabbed a tissue to wipe away the tears.

"Let me help you get back at him," Howard said.

Valerie was amused by his words, wiping her tears as she teased, "How would you help me?"

"As the representative of the Carter Group, I do have some projects with the Smith family."

Seeing that Howard was serious about helping her get revenge, Valerie's smile deepened.

She liked the feeling of being protected.

"Forget it," she shook her head, dismissing it lightly. "It's all in the past."

"We were never meant to be. It was just my foolish dream, thinking it would last forever."

"Now..." She thought of the central screen at the mall that day, a bitter smile forming on her lips. "The harsh truth was laid bare before me. I couldn't deny it even if I wanted to. I need to move on, and I shouldn't dwell on the past."

"It's good that you think that way."

"Really?" Valerie scratched her face, a bit embarrassed. "I thought I was being a bit melodramatic."

"Everyone has the right to pursue happiness. You've done well," Howard said warmly, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration for Valerie. He was grateful that the woman who was supposed to marry him had backed out, or he wouldn't have met Valerie.

After a moment's thought, Howard asked, "Are you free tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" Valerie thought about her work schedule. "Yes, I'm free. Why?"

"I want to take you out."

Out... out?

Valerie's mind immediately conjured up images of them on a date, strolling through the streets, basking in the sunlight.

Her cheeks turned red, her eyes darting around, and her movements became a bit erratic. Was she about to start a new relationship?

Valerie whispered, "What should I wear?"

Howard thought for a moment. "Something formal."

She nodded in agreement. A formal outfit would be good for their first date.

She was about to go back to her room to decide, but looking at Howard, she remembered the few sweet outfits in her closet and got up to fetch them.