From Broken to Beloved-Chapter 142- Go away

Bert naturally noticed her discomfort. After wrapping an arm around her waist and drawing her inside, he didn’t do anything inappropriate right away. Instead, he let go and said gently,

"I have something for you."

Then he turned and walked toward the walk-in closet.

Once he moved away, Catherine finally felt as though she could breathe properly again.

She followed him inside. He stood tall in front of one of the wardrobes, and when she entered, he lifted his hand and gestured toward the clothes inside.

"These are all for you. See if you like them."

Bert had designed many outfits for her before, though only a few had actually been made. Now, all the rest were finished, and since she had come over today, he decided to show them to her.

Catherine stepped forward, staring at the wardrobe filled to the brim with clothing, unable to hide her surprise.

"So many?"

And this seemed to be only the autumn and winter pieces. The spring and summer designs weren’t even here yet, and the closet was already completely full.

Having lived a frugal life for so long, Catherine felt dazzled by the sheer number of clothes. She walked closer, gently brushing her fingers over each piece one by one. Her heart was overflowing with joy. She had absolute trust in his taste—every single item here was something she loved.

Bert came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her lightly, pressing a soft kiss to her earlobe as he asked,

"Do you like them?"

His voice seemed to carry a kind of magic, making Catherine’s heart tremble uncontrollably.

She nodded softly.

"Yes. I love them. Every single one."

He was a designer, after all. He knew exactly how to use clothing to highlight her temperament and bring out her best qualities. Both the man himself and the clothes he designed for her filled her with confidence.

Catherine thought that this must be what the best kind of love felt like. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

She was lucky to have met someone like him—someone who allowed her to be her truest self, and who helped her become an even better version of herself.

As these thoughts settled in her heart, her body relaxed and softened as well. The tension and awkwardness she had felt earlier faded away.

Bert sensed her relaxation. His heated kisses trailed from her earlobe downward—along her graceful neck, over her slender collarbone, and finally to her lips. Catherine turned and responded to him.

When he guided her onto the bed and his body pressed down over hers, a flicker of panic crossed Catherine’s face. Her hands instinctively clenched onto him. His bathrobe had already disappeared during their kisses, so her palms were pressed directly against the firm muscles of his body.

Having gone through that night two years ago, it was impossible for Catherine to feel no resistance toward such intimacy. But under his patient guidance, she gradually relaxed. Her hands, which had only been lightly bracing against him at first, tightened around his broad back, and her soft waist arched unconsciously.

They were growing more and more lost in the moment when Bert, who had been kissing her, suddenly stopped. He raised his hand, removed the ring he was wearing, and placed it on the nearby table.

He intended to fully indulge in her—her smooth skin, her soft body—and wearing metal jewelry would dull the sensation, especially when touching certain tender parts of a woman’s body. It would make her uncomfortable too.

Although they had been intimate a few times before, those moments had always stopped short. This time was different—far more complete.

As he withdrew his hand, Catherine beneath him opened her misty, unfocused eyes. And then she saw it—the small tattoo on Bert’s finger.

In an instant, the blood in her body seemed to freeze.

That night two years ago was nothing but a blur. In her confusion, she couldn’t remember the man’s face, didn’t know how things had escalated to that point, and couldn’t even recall what she had felt during it. All she knew was that when she woke up the next day, her entire body ached.

But she remembered one thing clearly—

That man had a black tattoo on the index finger of his right hand.

Catherine knew that tattoos were common these days. But the fact that Bert had one in the exact same place made it impossible not to connect him with the man from that night.

Thinking back to the details of their interactions, things began to fall into place. From the very first time she met him at the hospital, he hadn’t treated her like a stranger. And when she had told him about that past from two years ago, his reaction had been unnervingly calm.

She had once believed it was because he truly loved her and didn’t mind.

Now she realized it might be because he himself was the person involved.

That realization sent a chill through her body, from head to toe.

"What’s wrong?"

Bert noticed the stiffness in her body and the shock in her eyes. After asking casually what was wrong, he leaned down, trying to kiss her again and continue the passion they had just shared.

He thought she might simply have realized what was about to happen and had become nervous again.

But Catherine suddenly grabbed his right hand, her voice trembling as she asked,

"You’re the man from two years ago, aren’t you?"

Bert’s movements froze. His sharp brows drew together slightly.

He hadn’t expected his identity to be exposed at this moment. He had planned to tell her only after their relationship was completely stable—after he proposed and she said yes.

For Bert, his personality didn’t allow any miscalculations or mistakes in the things he planned, especially when it came to Catherine. He knew all too well how serious she could be, and that she might struggle to accept the fact that he was the man from two years ago. That was why he intended to wait until he had her completely—until she had nowhere left to run—before telling her the truth.

But she had figured it out on her own.

Bert lowered his gaze to the index finger of his right hand. Had she recognized the tattoo?

Although he didn’t answer her directly, the look on his face told Catherine everything she needed to know. She knew she was right.

In her shock, she didn’t know where the strength came from, but she shoved him off her in one swift motion. Pulling her clothes around herself, she jumped out of bed and shouted at him, her emotions spiraling out of control,

"You knew it all along?"

"No—actually, you knew from the very beginning!"

To Catherine, that night two years ago had been nothing but darkness. Now, suddenly learning that the man from that night was Bert—the man she had fallen in love with—threw her completely into chaos.

Anyone placed in a situation like this would find it impossible to calm down immediately.

Catherine was no exception. For a moment, she simply couldn’t accept that Bert was the man from two years ago.

She even felt that she had been deceived—no, not felt. She had been deceived. He had known who she was from the very beginning, yet he had never made it clear, choosing instead to wait until she had fallen in love with him.

Catherine couldn’t help but wonder whether all his kindness toward her had been nothing more than compensation because he knew her identity.

If everything he had done for her wasn’t built on love, then what was the point of this relationship? What was the point of him?

She stood there, her thoughts in complete disarray. The more she thought, the colder she felt, her complexion growing paler by the second.

Her reaction was so intense that Bert’s brows furrowed deeply.

Under these circumstances, even if he still had lingering desire, it had long since cooled. He bent down to pick up his robe from the floor, slipped it on, and walked over, trying to soothe her.

"I did know who you were early on. The reason I didn’t say anything was—"

"Go away! Don’t come any closer!"

Before he could finish, she cut him off sharply. Her eyes slowly reddened.

"I don’t want to hear anything right now. I don’t want to see you!"

She hastily straightened her clothes and turned to rush outside.

"I want to leave here..."

There was no way Bert was going to let her go just like that. He strode forward and blocked her path, wrapping his strong arms tightly around her. In a gentle voice, he tried to calm her.

"Calm down. Let’s talk this through properly."

But Catherine was completely incapable of calming down. Her emotions had spiraled entirely out of control, and she couldn’t even tell what she was feeling anymore. She could only shake her head wildly in his arms, struggling with all her strength.

"I don’t want to talk to you. Let me go!"

By the end of her words, tears were streaming down her face, and she was nearly screaming.

For a girl who was usually gentle and composed, this was nothing short of a total breakdown.

Seeing her like this, Bert knew that no matter what he said, she wouldn’t be able to hear it. He decisively gave up on trying to reason with her—what she needed right now was time alone to calm down.

So he steadied her trembling shoulders and said calmly,

"You’re not in the right state of mind to go out alone. I’ll leave."

Catherine, tears still falling, looked at him in stunned disbelief. She hadn’t expected him to say that. This was clearly his home—yet he was choosing to leave and let her stay.