Chapter 696

Hannah listened to Lionel’s words and couldn’t help but laugh, as if she’d just heard the funniest joke.

“People’s tastes change, Lionel. Besides, I never liked pickled jalapeños. I only ate them because *you* liked them, and I didn’t want to spoil your fun p>

Hannah openly admitted to the foolish things she’d done in the past. Even now, she didn’t see her former self as stupid or refuse to face who she had been.

No matter the stage of her life, she had always done what she thought was best at the time. She wasn’t going to condemn her past self for it.

Love was love, and hate was hate. She wouldn’t erase everything she’d done just because she hated Lionel now.

Lionel stared at her, stunned for several seconds, finding it hard to believe what she was saying.

He fell silent, then forced a strained smile. “Hannah, you’re joking, right? Nobody would eat something they don’t like just for someone else. That’s not a very good excuse, Hannah p>

A wave of bitterness washed over Hannah as she heard his dismissive tone.

Even after all this time, after everything that had happened, Lionel’s words were as cutting and self-absorbed as ever.

Hannah picked up a bottle of water, took a sip, and set it down. She slowly raised her eyes, her gaze deep and meaningful.

“Because you would never do something like that for another person, you naturally assume no one else would either. But I’m telling you, I truly despise pickled jalapeños. It was just my one-sided attempt to please you p>

Hannah’s expression was cold and emotionless, which sent a shiver of unease through Lionel.

She never used to look at him like this. Her eyes had always been filled with warmth and excitement, never this icy indifference.

Hannah continued, “I used to be terrified that if I didn’t cater to your tastes, you’d hate me, you’d resent me. So I forced myself to solforced I myself to eat so many things I disliked but you loved p>

“I did so many things I was bad at, things I even loathed, all because I was afraid that one wrong move would make you despise me. I was truly scared. Scared to death p>

“But then I realized I think you’ve disliked me from the very beginning. So no matter what I did, it was all meaningless. That’s when I started doing things you wouldn’t like, and I discovered how wonderful it felt. It felt like I could finally live p>

She had lived her life walking on eggshells, consumed by fear.

Fear that Lionel would be displeased, fear that he would resent her, fear that he would stop loving her.

She never considered that perhaps Lionel had never loved her at all.

She had been trapped in her own one-sided delusions. It was only when she finally stepped out of them that she realized the storm had only ever existed in her own mind.

“About the compensation money,” Hannah said, cutting straight to the point, “don’t you dare give her a single cent p>

“You cheated on me and lavished

gifts on your mistress, and I was the

one who had to humiliate myself to

get every single item back. Now,

because of your illegal activities,

youre expected to pay a huge sum p>

A sly glint appeared in Hannah’s eyes as she looked at him with a half-smile. “But if

you really insist on paying it, go right ahead p>

He should have been happy to hear that, to hear her finally relent.

But Lionel knew, deep down, that whatever came next would be anything but good.