My Possessive CEO: Trembling in His Arms-Chapter 180: “It’s Just an Act.”

Renee Winslow didn’t know how she walked out of the flagship store, nor how she ended up at the cinema.

Seeing Jack Yates sitting on the short sofa, she wanted to smile at him, but her lips only twitched upward with difficulty, unable to form a natural smile.

Jack immediately noticed her abnormal behavior, reached out to pull her into his arms, placed her on his lap, and softly asked, "What’s wrong?" He then inquired, "Where’s Shay? Why isn’t she with you?"

Renee forced a smile: "She suddenly had a stomachache and took a car back. I’m fine, just thinking about family matters, feeling a bit sad."

Jack asked, "What happened at home?"

Renee’s voice choked slightly: "My mom passed away, and I only found out yesterday from my social media feed."

After saying that, she wrapped her arms around Jack’s neck and buried herself in his embrace, crying.

It seemed as if all the bad emotions that had accumulated over the past few months or even the past several years exploded at that moment.

She cried so sorrowfully, her whole body shaking, almost unable to catch her breath.

Jack initially tried to comfort her, but seeing her cry more intensely, he worried she might faint from crying.

"Renee," Jack pushed her face away from his chest, "You’re not crying about family matters, did something else happen?"

Renee shook her head vigorously: "No, it’s just family matters, my mom passed away, so I’m sad."

Jack clasped her chin, lifting her tear-streaked face, exposing her: "You didn’t cry at all last night, now you’re suddenly crying like this, tell me, who did you meet?"

Renee sniffed: "Jack, are you hiding something from me? As long as you say no, I’ll believe you."

Jack gazed at her deeply, his Adam’s apple moving, his voice slightly hoarse: "Renee, give me a year, okay?"

Renee: "What do you mean?"

Jack: "The family arranged a marriage partner for me, but neither of us likes each other, it’s just an act."

Renee cried and laughed at the same time: "An act?" 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Jack turned his head to avoid her tear-filled eyes: "Yes, we’re just putting on a show for both families to see."

Renee blinked, tears falling, yet she smiled and asked: "Then does your family know about this pretend act? Or is it just you two aware it’s a charade."

Jack didn’t respond; there was no way for him to answer that.

Renee asked again: "If it’s only the two of you who know it’s a charade, then in the eyes of others, what am I?"

Jack’s grip on her waist tightened, as if afraid she would leave immediately, tightly holding onto her.

"Renee, don’t overthink."

Renee forcibly pried open his hands, got off his lap, and stood in front of him, looking at him.

"I’m not overthinking, but that’s how it is. You have a marriage partner, you’re engaged, which means you have a fiancée, if I continue with you, doesn’t that make me a mistress?"

-

She came with high spirits but left dejected.

For the over two-hour-long movie, Renee didn’t know what it was about at all.

She didn’t leave the theater throughout, not even to the restroom, her eyes glued to the big screen, yet she took nothing in.

Once she was in the car, Renee fastened her seatbelt, lowered her head, and said, "Jack, perhaps we should take a break."

Jack lit a cigarette, turned his head slightly to look at her: "What did Caleb Yates tell you?"

Renee found it amusing and looked up to meet his eyes: "Do you think if he didn’t say anything, I wouldn’t know?"

Jack clamped the cigarette between his fingers, flicking the ash in the ashtray, a cold laugh escaping: "You’re quite good at defending him."

Renee was both sad and angry, the tears she had been holding back flowed once again.

Jack’s laugh turned colder: "Renee Winslow, with how you are, how can I believe you never loved him?"

Renee, too angered, retorted directly: "Do I need you to believe me? And besides, he’s not any worse than you. If I can like you, why not him? Moreover, he’s younger than you."

She wasn’t entirely reckless and unreasonable when she said that in anger.

She just wanted to take the opportunity to ignite the situation, further straining their relationship, to break free from him.

Jack already had a marriage partner in an arranged engagement, what reason did she have to persist?

Even though he claimed it was merely a contract engagement, that perspective was solely Jack’s, to outsiders, it was a real engagement.

She didn’t want to bear the stigma of being a "mistress"; initially agreeing to him was based on his assurances that he was not married or attached.

If Jack already had a partner back then, she would never have agreed to be with him.

-

Back home, Renee was carried back to the room by Jack clutching her tightly.

"Jack, let me go!"

Jack threw her onto the bed, pulled out his belt, efficiently undressing.

Seeing him, Renee was startled, trying to get up to run.

But as soon as she got off the bed, Jack yanked her back, pressing down on her, kissing her fiercely.

Renee kicked him hard, hitting and pinching him with one hand while the other, not yet fully healed, couldn’t exert strength.

Jack swiftly turned her over, positioning her on all fours on the bed, gripping her legs fiercely.

Renee cried out, struggling to crawl away; however, as soon as she moved, Jack’s harsher punishment only closed in, nearly overwhelming her.

Not until the sky darkened did Jack relent, carrying her to the bathroom, his demeanor a stark contrast, gently cleaning her while kissing her.

After bathing, Jack carried her back to bed.

Just then, his phone rang. He glanced at it but didn’t answer, telling Renee, who was curled up under the covers: "I have something to do, won’t be back tonight, take a good rest."

Renee sat up suddenly, pain shooting from below; she gritted her teeth through the tearing sensation, saying, "Jack, I hate you!"

Jack buttoned his cuff, letting out a cold laugh: "Did you ever love me, wasn’t it always hate?"

Renee’s lips trembled, tears spilling forth.

"Did you ever care when I loved you? Jack, you never cared if I loved you or not, you just wanted me to wholly submit to you, craving absolute control, wanting others to grovel to you!"

Jack’s voice was indifferent: "You’re quite right, think of me that way."

With that, Jack turned and left.

Renee buried herself in the covers, crying as if all grievances culminated on this very day.

Today was New Year’s Day, crying wasn’t appropriate.

In their hometown, the custom dictates no quarrels, no inauspicious words on New Year’s Day, and certainly no crying, lest the whole year be unlucky.

Renee tried suppressing her tears, but then thought, when had things ever gone right for her?

Since being with Jack, she tread on thin ice every single day.

Accompanying him abroad multiple times had brushed close encounters, not nine deaths but narrowly escaping danger.

This car accident, she was well aware it was Jack’s enemies retaliating against Jack through her.

How many such retaliations would there be in the future?

Would she even successfully make it through college graduation remained uncertain.

Jack, this dangerous yet unknowingly captivating man, she truly didn’t know what to do with?

Wanting to leave but couldn’t, staying with him brought pain.

One more semester, Renee decided, after enduring this semester, no matter what, she had to leave him!

Yet, she was unaware that the cost of leaving would claim one and a half lives.

Her own half a life, together with a child.