Chapter 8 Feels Like Crap

Whitney wasn't willing to explain the unspeakable details. It felt like explaining them would mean admitting how much she had failed in the past. "How can Damian be the one in the wrong?" Stella interjected. "He's such a good guy. There's no way he'd do anything wrong. You must have done something to wrong him first, and now, you're trying to blame him, right?" Stella's admiration for Damian had reached a point where she couldn't see right from wrong. "Maybe you should change your last name to Howard." Whitney shot her a sharp glance. Upon hearing that, Rebecca glared at her and then turned to Westley with a distressed look. "Look at how Whitney's speaking to Stella. That's her sister. I've always treated her well all these years. How can she say that?" "Mom, Stella shouldn't have said that either. You can't just side with her." Matthew couldn't stand it anymore and spoke up for Whitney. Rebecca was furious. How could she have such a son who sided with someone outside the family? "Enough!" Westley raised his voice, then turned to Whitney. "We're not discussing this again. I'm going to pretend I never heard anything. I'll find a chance to talk to Damian. You can't always act on your own impulses too." At that moment, the butler rushed in. "Mr. Howard is here." Immediately, Whitney saw Damian entering the living room. Wearing a custom-tailored suit, he looked elegant and handsome, and he was carrying a lot of expensive gifts. Whitney frowned as Damian approached. "If it weren't for your dad calling me, I wouldn't have known you were back. You should've told me so that I could've come with you," Damian said with a smile, as if everything was still as it had been before. It turned out that Westley had secretly called him. Whitney stared at Westley in disbelief. She had come home hoping he would help her. However, he not only ignored her but pushed her into Damian's arms. Westley acted like he didn't see the look on her face and continued chatting with Damian. Then, he asked Rebecca to have the kitchen prepare another round of food. "It's fine, Mr. Spencer. I've already eaten. I came here to pick up Whitney." Damian smiled as he put his arm around Whitney's waist. Whitney immediately pulled away when he touched her. "I've spoiled Whitney. You'll need to be more patient with her, Damian," Westley said with a smile despite his frustration with Whitney. Damian replied calmly, "Don't worry. I'll take good care of her." … In the car, Whitney kept staring out the window. Her thoughts were consumed by Westley's words. She knew that the Spencer family's status wasn't as high as the Howard family's. But Westley had always taught her that no matter where someone stood, they should never lose their dignity. So why, when she asked to break off the engagement and said Damian was the one who wronged her, did Westley choose to have her humble herself? Did the Spencer family owe something to the Howard family? Was there another layer to her engagement with Damian? She understood the idea of inter-family marriages among elites, but she didn't think that was the case with her and Damian. Elijah liked her for who she was, not because of the Spencer family. So, why was Westley acting this way? That was something she couldn't understand. "Whitney, I'm sorry for last night. I shouldn't have done that to you." Damian's voice broke through her thoughts. She snapped back to reality and realized they were heading toward their home. She ignored his apology and coldly said, "Pull over. I'm getting out." The driver, only following Damian's orders, ignored her request. "Are you really going to move out?" Noticing her silence, Damian sighed. "Fine, I'll move out of the villa, but you need to go back. It's not safe for a woman to live alone." Whitney scoffed. He was making it sound like he was doing her a favor when the fault was clearly his. "No thanks. Don't you know that I'm a clean freak?" If something was tainted, it would remain tainted. The same went for both people and places. Why should she go back? Damian wasn't stupid. He understood the hidden meaning in her words. "I know you're still mad. But Mr. Spencer is getting older. You shouldn't worry him, right?" Whitney immediately thought of Westley's words. She bit her lip and remained silent, gripping the seat tightly. Damian smiled. "If you don't want to return to the villa right now, that's fine. But your birthday is in two days. Let's celebrate together." He then instructed the driver to head toward Coaska Heights. Whitney didn't ask how he knew where she lived. Given his capabilities, it was easy for him to find out. Before Whitney got out of the car, Damian ruffled her hair. "I'll pick you up the day after tomorrow." After a long pause, Whitney finally said, "Just send me the address." She was a Spencer. Just as Westley had said, she couldn't think only of herself even though she felt like crap right now. … Two days later, after work in the afternoon, several colleagues invited Whitney to dinner at a newly opened restaurant. "I've got something else on tonight. Maybe next time." That afternoon, she received a message from Damian with the restaurant address. In the past, Damian was always too busy to celebrate her birthdays. He was either traveling for work or working overtime. He rarely spent her birthday with her. When he couldn't be there, he'd have Billy deliver her birthday gifts. They were never anything less than jewelry or luxury items. Back then, she naively thought she was important to him. Even if he couldn't be there, he'd still remember her and send gifts ahead of time. But really, it was just another form of compensation. The restaurant Damian booked was by the sea, with full-height glass windows offering a view of the ocean from every table. It was undeniably romantic to celebrate her birthday here. When Whitney arrived, Damian still hadn't shown up. She was seated at the best table in the restaurant. She had barely settled in when she noticed a group of guests entering. Her sharp eyes immediately caught sight of Noel among the crowd.