Chapter 197

“But this is a lesson that you needed to learn. Not everyone gets a good outcome from being too sympathetic. Think about the past, about how disappointed you were.” Nathaneil’s voice was calm. “Disappointment doesn’t just happen. I won’t dig into your past, but Matthew told me that you’ve been through a lot. You shouldn’t be sympathetic to someone who did you wrong. It doesn’t matter if he was the culprit or an accessory; he still hurt you. He doesn’t deserve your trust.” Hesper closed her eyes, then when she opened them again, her tiredness turned into fierceness. “You’re right. Thanks, Nate.” Hesper cracked her knuckles, not knowing how to approach the next topic. After much hesitation, she finally said, “I’ve always avoided talking about our marriage arrangement. You know my situation. You’re a gentleman, and I don’t want to—” “It’s fine.” Nathaniel cut her off again. “Our marriage was arranged by our elders, and there isn’t any benefit to it. Grandpa Arthur isn’t an unreasonab