chapter24
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Claudine rang the doorbell, and before long, the door opened.
Audrey was dressed in a brown wool dress, her wavy hair cascading down her back, exuding a sensual and alluring charm.
“Welcome! Please, come in!”
Claudine presented the bottle of red wine she had brought.
“Thank you for your coat today.”
“You’re welcome. I made steak for dinner, and your wine will pair perfectly with it.”
Audrey warmly ushered Claudine inside.
“Feel free to look around. I’ll go to the kitchen and let the wine breathe.”
“Alright.”
Claudine took in the surroundings of the house.
Audrey lived just one floor above her. Their apartments had the same layout, located in the best building of the com- plex, with a 270–degree balcony offering a panoramic view of the river.
“This house was prepared for me by my partner.”
At some point, Audrey had come out of the kitchen, holding two glasses of red wine.
Claudine took the glass from her.
“Thank you. It’s clear your husband loves you very much. You must have a wonderful relationship.”
Audrey raised her hand, took a delicate sip of wine, and then smiled as she spoke.
“You misunderstood. He and I are already divorced.”
Hearing this, Claudine was quite surprised.
“I’m sorry! I thought…”
“It’s alright!”
Audrey waved her hand. “We separated amicably!”
She invited Claudine to sit on the balcony. “Back then, we had a child before marriage. After giving birth, I didn’t want to be confined at home, so I applied to study abroad.
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chapter24
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“Although he was reluctant to let me go, he respected my decision.
“He also believed that I was still young and should pursue my dreams, that I should see more of the world.”
Claudine looked at the woman in front of her.
They were about the same age, yet their life experiences were completely different.
It turned out that truly loving someone didn’t mean clipping her wings and keeping her close, but willingly letting go so she could soar higher.
Claudine felt even more deeply that Damian had never truly loved her…
She raised her glass, swallowing the bitterness in her heart.
“To have a partner like that is truly a blessing.”
Audrey set down her glass, her slender fingers tapping lightly on it, her eyes quietly observing the woman before her.
The fleeting loneliness in Claudine’s eyes did not escape her notice.
A barely perceptible smile lifted the corners of Audrey’s lips, quickly concealed.
“Yes! Sometimes I even wonder if leaving them–father and daughter–behind was too selfish of me.
“But after I went abroad, my ex–husband remarried.
“After all, the child needed someone to care for her, and besides, he is a man, and men have their needs.”
Claudine nearly spat out her wine.
She choked on the wine and began coughing uncontrollably.
“Are you alright?”
Audrey handed her a tissue.
“Thank you, I’m fine.”
Claudine managed to stop coughing, but was still shocked by what Audrey had just said.
Her ex–husband actually remarried?
That man, who clearly loved Audrey deeply, had married another woman!
Was it just to find someone to take care of his child?
Or simply to find a woman to satisfy his own needs as a man?
Then what did that poor woman who married him mean to him?
“You all…”
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Claudine frowned. “Now that you’re back, you and your ex–husband… Does his wife know about your relationship?”
After all, they were just ordinary neighbors, so Claudine didn’t want to be too harsh.
Audrey took in all of Claudine’s reactions.
She used the act of drinking to hide the smile and satisfaction in her eyes.
“She probably doesn’t know! He said he would handle it and give both me and the child an explanation.”
The knot between Claudine’s brows tightened even more.
She set her wine glass on the table, her emotions growing agitated.
“Shouldn’t it be you two who owe that lady an explanation!
Have you ever thought about the harm you’re causing that innocent woman!
Sacrificing someone else’s youth just to fulfill your own love! Don’t you think what you’re doing is far too selfish?”
After speaking, Claudine realized that her words had been a bit too harsh.
Perhaps it was because she too was struggling in her marriage, unloved by her husband, that she felt such empathy for the woman being kept in the dark.
Claudine stood up.
“Sorry, I must have had too much to drink. Thank you for your hospitality. Goodbye!”
Claudine pushed back her chair and left Audrey’s home.
On the balcony, Audrey gazed out the window. The bright moonlight spilled over the calm surface of the river, but who could know what undercurrents surged beneath?
She chuckled softly and downed the rest of her wine in one gulp, her exquisite face radiating determination.
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