When she said that, Shirley shot a scornful glance at me, her expression as cold as ice.
Arthur, never one to hold back, stepped forward.
“As Tristan’s wife, you shouldn’t be staying in a hotel,” he said, his tone resolute. “Don’t worry, I‘ take care of this.”
Shirley, seething with indignation, glared at him, but with Arthur and Eleanor holding so much power, she didn’t dare push too far.
Instead, she turned her frustration on Tristan. Shirley stomped her foot like a petulant child looking at him with wide eyes.
“Tristan, say something!” she yelled, “I’ve given you two children! Maybe I haven’t done anything extraordinary, but I’ve definitely endured my fair share of hardships!”
“We don’t need anyone who’s just in it for the credit,” Arthur retorted, clearly pissed off.
I pretended to be upset, lowering my gaze and getting ready to leave.
“Please don’t let me cause any more friction in your family. I’ll take the child and leave,” I said my voice trembling just enough to seem believable.
I paused, lifting my eyes to look at Tristan, making sure the fake tears shimmered just right. “Tristan, life is short. I don’t want you to feel bound to me out of responsibility. I know you love Shirley so much, and I wish you both the best.”
With that, I took a step toward the door, ready to walk away from this mess.
Tristan’s face morphed from confusion to panic.
Without missing a beat, he made a snap decision.
“Get her out of here!” Tristan shouted, directing his bodyguards to step in.
The bodyguards quickly moved to push Shirley aside, but she fought back, struggling against them.
“Tristan, is this how you treat me? You don’t love me anymore, do you?” she cried out, her voice rising with every word.
Her anger was tangible, fueling her defiance. Several bodyguards approached, lifting her and ejecting her. Her heartbreaking cries echoed through the room, lingering long after she left. Meanwhile, Arthur and Eleanor just stood beside me. They encouraged me to stay at the McAllister family home. I gave Felix a reassuring look before reluctantly following them back to their house.
That night, the house was eerily quiet, like the calm after a storm.
Following his shower, Tristan walked in, attired in silk pajamas. Despite his attempts to appear calm, his movements betrayed his guilt and discomfort.
In the meantime, my son was asleep in my arms, and I softly rocked him, using his presence as a means of avoiding any personal interaction with Tristan.
Tristan sat down next to me, and the quiet was interrupted by his phone buzzing with
Rem…Bubly any person men w
Tristan sat down next to me, and the quiet was interrupted by his phone buzzing with
notifications. It felt like the weight of the world was on him, his phone ringing like an alarm, and couldn’t help but notice how quickly his patience was wearing thin.
Shirley’s calls kept coming in, and it seemed like he was close to snapping.
Finally, with a frustrated sigh, he turned off his phone.
I looked at him calmly, my voice steady. “Can you tell me why you love Shirley so much?”
Even though I already knew the answer, I needed to hear it from him, straight from his lips.
Tristan lowered his head, his gaze dropping down. He stayed silent for a few moments, clearly collecting his thoughts.
When he finally looked up at me, there was hesitation in his eyes. But when he saw how calm was, he probably decided to be honest with me.
“When you were overseas for treatment,” Tristan began, his voice soft, “I knew you loved flowers Every day, I’d go to the flower shop and buy fresh flowers so that I could show them to you during our video calls at night.”
He paused, his voice tinged with nostalgia. “Shirley owns that flower shop. Over time, I found he interesting. Genuine. Carefree. Unlike me, I was raised in a family that was always so strict, sc controlled. She was different. She was free, and I wanted that.”
He continued, the words almost bursting out of him in a rush. “Shirley might have a bad temper she swears a lot, and she’s impulsive, but in her wildness, in her abandon… that’s what I admired. It was the opposite of how I’ve always been. I wanted to live like her, without shame without restraint.”
Tristan then looked away for a moment, his voice quiet, almost wistful. “And you, Lauren…you and I are so alike. We were both raised too well, too disciplined. We lost the excitement of life because of it.”
I listened, calm and composed, not letting any emotion show. Inside, I felt like I had hearc enough.
When he finished, he asked, soft and almost apologetically, “Where have you been these past few months? Are you doing okay?”
I answered with finality, my voice cool, “I’ve been doing just fine. Felix has been taking care o me, and life has been very good.”
Tristan, not catching the underlying meaning in my words, smiled a little, the faintest glimmer of relief in his eyes.
“Atty. Armstrong was your father’s most trusted advisor. He’s been doing great, so I’ll give him a 10% raise.”
I gave a faint smile, not revealing any emotion. “You don’t need to worry about that. I know what I
need to do.”
After that conversation, Tristan seemed to soften, his guilt pushing him to treat me even better, but I could still sense the tension that lingered.
Despite his attempts, I wasn’t fooled.
2/2 80.09
5:13 pm SDD
Chapter 9
