Avery's voice dripped with bitterness. "I'm so jealous you have such a wonderful wife and daughter."
I looked up at him. "You'll have them too."
Soon, they would all be his.
"I'm going to the restroom."
Avery thought I was provoking him. Looking wounded, he bit his lip, stood up, and walked out.
Seeing this, Naomi glanced at me hesitantly, then at his retreating figure, but ultimately did not choose to follow him.
A few minutes later, however, her phone started buzzing.
After rejecting the call twice, she finally could not hold back and said to me, "Harry, it's the screenwriter. I need to take this call."
I nodded, and she immediately grabbed her phone and rushed out.
Five minutes later, I said to Peyton, "Daddy's going to the restroom. Don't wander off."
I had just reached the emergency stairwell when I heard familiar voices coming from inside.
Avery asked with a sob in his voice, "Do you still love him?"
Naomi's voice came through, calm and cold. "Trust me. I only love you, Avery."
I clenched my fists, then let them fall limply to my side. I remembered when Naomi and I first got together, she had told me she would only ever love me.
How much of her love was ever real?
I eventually returned to the table, pretending nothing had happened.
About ten minutes later, Naomi and Avery came back one after the other.
This time, Avery wore an undisguised, triumphant smile on his face. It was like he was showing off.
I lowered my eyes and forced myself not to look at them anymore.
When the server brought out the last dish, their grip slipped, and scalding soup splashed toward Naomi.
Almost on instinct, I lunged forward to push her out of the way, but she shouted "Avery!" and shoved herself in front of him, pushing me.
The next second, a searing pain shot through my arm as the scalding soup spilled all over me.
"Harry!"
Naomi screamed belatedly. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to just now..."
Before I could respond, Peyton pointed at the blister on Avery's hand and shouted, "Avery's hurt! Look at that blister!"
The moment Naomi heard Avery was injured, she immediately forgot about my condition.
She grabbed his hand with concern. "I'll take you to the hospital!"
"Naomi..." I spoke through the pain.
Naomi cut me off, her face full of worry. "Avery's hurt. You should head home. I'll take him to the hospital."
With that, she hurried out of the restaurant with Avery and Peyton.
The restaurant manager arrived late, gasping when he saw the burn on my arm. "Sir, I'm so sorry! Are you alright? Let me get you some burn ointment!"
I shook my head. All I felt was the absurdity of it all.
This was the woman I had loved for ten years. In a moment of crisis, I thought of her, but she thought of another man.
I went to the hospital alone to treat my wound, then returned home. Unsurprisingly, Naomi and Peyton did not come back that night.
The next day, entertainment news exploded. Naomi and Avery had been photographed at the hospital behaving intimately, and public opinion went wild.
Naomi panicked. When she and Peyton rushed home, they found me changing the bandage on my wound. Guilt washed over her face.
She walked over to examine my injury. "I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't know you were hurt too..."
I pulled down my sleeve and said indifferently, "It's fine."
Her eyes flickered. She bit her lip and continued, "There's nothing between Avery and me. The reporters just made it all up..."
Peyton tugged at my sleeve. "Daddy, believe Mommy. She's not lying to you."
I curved my lips into something between a smile and a smirk. "Of course I believe you."
