Chapter 90
Few people in the neighborhood knew Valeria had married and divorced Shane through a contract marriage. It wasn’t something to be proud of or something she could talk about openly.
And especially with the older folks, they wouldn’t understand the idea of it at all.
She didn’t want to waste her time explaining, either. If people didn’t want to listen, it wouldn’t make a difference, no matter what she said. Not one woman in their 60s or 80s
would believe her.
Over time, Valeria only wanted to live her own life. She chose not to listen to the harsh things
others said.
When they reached the front door, Selena suddenly smiled at Valeria, as if they had just played a very fun game.
In the little girl’s pure and simple world, Valeria was just playing with Sebastian as she pushed him forward.
Valeria smiled too. She reached out and tapped the tip of Selena’s nose, saying, “Hurry up
come down now.”
and
Standing before Selena, Valeria always felt like she had endless strength. It was as if she could chase away any unhappiness.
Sebastian set the little girl down. After climbing six flights of stairs, his expression remained calm, and he wasn’t even out of breath.
Valeria changed her shoes at the door and walked in.
As Sebastian stood at the entrance, the calm on his face vanished in an instant.
He looked at the shoe cabinet and saw a pair of men’s house slippers. They were black and size
Sebastian wore size 43. They wouldn’t fit, and they weren’t new. They had clear signs of being
worn.
The shoe cabinet by the entrance was small. It had four tiers and held women’s and children’s shoes, along with a pair of men’s. Everything pointed to one thing for Sebastian-Valeria was married, and the men’s shoes belonged to her husband.
He stared at the house slippers and felt like he had been slapped across the face. It struck the
wild, immoral thoughts buried deep in his heart.
When Selena held onto him around his neck, her soft cheek brushed against his face now and then. Her breathing was light and quiet, and she had sweetly called him “Uncle Sebastian”.
All of this belonged to another man.
A wild thought crossed Sebastian’s mind, one he couldn’t control no matter how hard he tried.
If only Selena were his daughter.
If only Valeria were his…
Just as Valeria turned to shut the door, Sebastian took off his shoes and stepped inside in his
socks.
Valeria froze. She hadn’t expected him to come in, thinking he would leave.
But she only paused briefly. Glancing at his feet, she said without a second thought, are men’s slippers by the door.”
“There
Sebastian looked at her and scoffed lightly. As if he would wear something her husband had
worn.
It was a short, quiet response, but Valeria could tell he was rather unhappy. She still knew him
too well.
Even after all these years, she could still tell his mood from his tone.
However, Valeria didn’t understand why he was suddenly upset.
In the past, she might have gotten anxious. She would have wanted to know why he was happy and be part of it, but he never shared any of it. Her old self, Jane, used to feel it too whenever he was unhappy.
But now, Valeria merely turned around calmly and walked to the couch. She poured him a glass of warm water as a gesture of hospitality.
The kettle was empty, so she went to the kitchen.
Two dogs came out and sniffed around Sebastian. One of them he recognized.
Sebastian’s eyes narrowed as he smiled and called out, “Potato.”
Potato seemed to remember him and wagged his tail right away.
Selena introduced them, “This is Potato and Pork Chop.”
Pork Chop saw Sebastian as a stranger and bit the corner of his black coat cautiously.
Selena scolded sharply in her little bossy voice, “Pork Chop, don’t bite Uncle Sebastian’s
clothes.”
Sebastian sat down on the couch.
