"I will take responsibility for what happened last night," Tom said, as he placed his coffee mug slowly on the table after taking a sip.

  "What?" Patricia was left completely confused. She didn't understand what Tom meant.

  "I said, I'll take responsibility," Tom repeated. He let his eyes settle upon her face. He knew that it had been her first time, and he decided to man up and do the right thing.

  "But that's not what I want," Patricia said, biting her lower lip. She wanted to marry Tom because she loved him dearly. But if he decided to marry her just because he had had sex with her and wanted to take responsibility, she'd rather part ways with him. She wanted his love, not just his hand in marriage.

  "Did you just turn down my offer?" Tom narrowed his eyes, which made her hair stand on end.

  "No, that's not what I meant. I just don't want a marriage without love." Patricia raised her head and looked at him right in the eye. She had changed a lot after she had fallen in love with him, and she had once believed that she would be happy as long as Tom was with her. But after having witnessed Michelle's marriage, she realized that she couldn't live like that. She wanted him and his heart wholly.

  "I have no idea what you mean. I am willing to marry you. Of course, you can turn me down. But I'm warning you, you have only one chance. If you refuse me now, then I will leave once and for all." Like Edward, Tom was too proud to accept the fact that he was turned down by a woman.

  "I…… I need some time to think about it." Patricia lowered her eyes and looked at her interlocked hands on her lap. She thought to h

  had kept provoking her throughout, and she just wouldn't stop till Michelle was ready to surrender to her.

  "Hey, woman!" Michelle heard Erin's voice from behind her and she quietly rolled her eyes. "What on earth is your relationship with Bradley? Why does he always stand up for you?" Erin yelled at Michelle again.

  "Why don't you go and ask him? I'm not in the mood to answer your stupid questions," Michelle answered coldly. She cast a scornful glance at Erin before turning back to the canvas on which she was drawing. The drawing had taken her a couple of days, and she was planning to use it as the project for this class activity.

  "You must have seduced him. I should have known. Poor women like you dream of marrying into rich families. That's why you seduced Bradley. Look at yourself in the mirror! Do you really think that a rich and handsome man like Bradley would ever fall in love with a bimbo like you? Don't you dare think that you can marry into his family just because you're pretty. You don't even deserve him!" Erin taunted her. She was rude and arrogant, as usual.