As he was heading out, he suddenly bent down, wanting to kiss me.
It startled me, and I leaned back out of his reach.
"What is it?"
"Nothing." He cleared his throat and explained awkwardly, "It's just, we're married. This is normal."
I gave a wry smile and waved him off. "No, no need. You don't have to do that anymore, ever."
You don't have to force yourself to accept me against your own feelings. Go do what you actually want to do.
I looked at Kenneth's handsome face and quietly drew a period at the end of this relationship.
Kenneth's face darkened, and he left for the office.
Now that the heroine had appeared, I figured our marriage would probably be over soon.
After that I'd be on my own, with no idea what to do.
I wanted someone to talk it through with, so I took a cab to my mother's place.
She was there, holding my little brother in the sun.
When she saw me, displeasure flickered in her eyes. "What are you doing here?"
I explained awkwardly, "Nothing, I just wanted to see you. Mom, there's something I want to talk to you about—"
Right then, my little brother took a tumble.
She rushed over and scooped him up in a panic. "If there's something, just text me. His dad's coming back soon, and he doesn't like you, so hurry up and go."
So I sheepishly went looking for my father, only to find the gate locked tight.
I called him. On the other end I could hear waves, and a woman calling out to him with a laugh in her voice.
"I'm on vacation abroad. Don't call me unless it's important."
"Dad, there's something—"
"If there's something, tell your mother. Stop always coming to me for money! You're not only my child!"
And with a sharp click, he hung up.
I stood at the intersection, my mind a blank.
Right then, the floating text came through again.
【Yes! Yes! Our girl brought soothing chicken soup to Mr. Farley, and the two of them had a sweet little meal together all afternoon.】
【So sweet, so sweet. When does the ex-wife go offline? I want to see Mr. Farley burn for love.】
【Soon, soon. By the plot, in about two more months Mr. Farley should be proposing to our girl. Before that, the ex-wife will definitely get dealt with.】
I wanted to cry and couldn't, breaking down inside.
Even if I'm just a side character, shouldn't I get a little something sweet too?
Forget it. From the moment my parents divorced and neither of them wanted me, I've been used to this feeling, the one where the good things never come around to me.
I crouched by the side of the road and cried for a while before getting up to leave.
Right then, a black Mercedes slowed to a stop beside me.
The window rolled down, revealing a gentle face.
"Lorraine Barnes? What are you doing here?"
I looked up, and to my surprise, I recognized him.
"Caspar Lawson... Lawson?"
Caspar nodded. "Yeah, just got out of the lab. You looked familiar, so I came over to check."
He'd been Kenneth's startup partner back in college. Later they disagreed on direction, so he sold his stake and went out on his own, building his own medical company.
Apart from that brief glimpse at the wedding, we'd never seen each other again.
I hadn't expected him to still remember me, let alone get out of the car and hand me a pack of tissues.
For some reason I felt embarrassed. "Thank you..."
Caspar smiled. "What's wrong? Crying like this. Did Kenneth do something to you?"
The peanut gallery started up.
【Oh, this is Mr. Lawson, right? That big shot, rich, good-looking, and a man with heart!】
【I heard this guy's stayed single all along, focused on his career. Totally clean.】
【If you ask me, the ex-wife's just unlucky. If she'd caught Mr. Lawson's eye, she'd at least have a life of comfort and wealth, no worrying about him falling for someone else.】
【Hahaha, you're right. Mr. Lawson loves no one, only his career. Being with a man like that, honestly, is so damn convenient.】
Caspar... convenient?
