The next time we met was at a banquet where the two families were preparing for a marriage.
He was polite and handled questions raised by his elders with ease.
Over the years, in addition to dealing with the affairs of the group, I had often hung out in nightclubs looking for male models to relieve stress.
I had assumed that after so many years apart, our reunion would be marked by awkwardness and unfamiliarity.
To my surprise, when we were alone, I discovered that beneath Harvey’s calm demeanor lay a witty, humorous soul.
It was as though the years melted away, instantly rekindling the warmth and connection of our youth.
We admired each other deeply, both of us flourishing in the early stages of our careers.
It was not long before admiration blossomed into something more, leading to our engagement and, eventually, our marriage.
After tying the knot, our bond extended beyond the personal, each of us held shares in the other’s company, forging an unprecedented alliance between the Collins Group and the Rodrigo Group.
But then, as I contemplated divorce, the reality of untangling such deeply intertwined assets loomed over me. The division of property would be anything but simple.
After returning home, I washed up, drank a glass of hot milk and prepared to go to sleep.
The phone received a good night message from Harvey, plus a cute kiss expression.
Even in a cold war, he would do what he should do thoroughly.
The next morning when I went to work, I was almost knocked down by a yellow-haired young man downstairs of the company.
My Hermès Himalaya slammed to the ground and a piece of skin was scraped off.
The breakfast coffee in the young man's hand drew an arc and spilled onto the hem of my cashmere coat.
Seeing that, the two security guards at the door immediately trotted over. They also were scolding the young man for being blind.
The young man, clearly startled, hastily picked up my bag and handed it to me, his hands trembling with panic.
He then fumbled to pull out a tissue, trying to wipe the stain off the hem of my clothes.
When it became clear the stain would no't come off, his anxiety deepened and he knelt in front of me, bowing his head and begging for forgiveness.
It was winter and he was dressed only in a thin coat and sunglasses, but even so, they could not mask the bruises beneath his eyes.
I frowned, trying to push aside my own discomfort.
After that, I looked at the stained hem of my coat but felt no anger. My focus shifted to the bag, wiping it carefully with concern.
It happened to be seen by Harvey, who was used to going to work at the same time as me.
The Collins Group and the Rodrigo Group were separated by only one street.
So I could see he stood opposite, watching quietly on the scene. His face was cold and serious.
For the first time, I saw disgust in his eyes. Perhaps in his eyes, my condescending attitude was also a form of bullying.
I ignored his misunderstanding, took two steps back, reached out to stop the security guard who was coming, grabbed the young man's arm and pulled him up from the ground.
“I don't know what difficulties you've encountered, but you should be cautious. Not everyone will show you the same patience that I have.”
The young man kept apologizing and thanking me while picking up the garbage on the ground.
In the end, he ran away in a panic.
At the corner of the office building, he turned around suddenly, with an ambiguous smile on his lips.
I then returned to my office, sat at my desk and examined the damaged bag.
In fact, the abrasion area was not large and it could not even be seen if you did not look carefully.
But once the flaw appeared, it was destined to no longer be perfect.
Because it was precious enough, even such a minor flaw would be extremely difficult to repair.
Even though, in fact, what was more difficult to repair was the relationship between Harvey and me.
The way he looked at me in the morning was still like a thorn in my heart. What was more, I always had our lunch prepared by Collins and he came over to eat with me.
So, I just expect nothing about that day.
Later in the afternoon, when it was finally one o'clock, I believed he would not come.
But just as I opened the lunch box I ordered before, he came. Stephanie followed behind him.
Her eyes were red and swollen and she kept her head down, looking respectful and weak.
I put down my spoon and just watched them quietly.
As Harvey sat down next to me, he sighed.
