Forget it. I’ll just go upstairs and take a bath early.
After her bath, Evelyn went downstairs. She brewed a pot of herbal tea. Then she brought some pastries upstairs.
Alexander had already showered. They sat together, sipping tea and chatting.
He mentioned he had a business trip next week. It would last a few days. He asked if she wanted to come along.
Evelyn shook her head. She said she’d rather stay home with her mother-in-law. Eleanor’s health had been poor lately. Her mood was irritable. It was better to keep her company.
Alexander didn’t push.
Originally, the trip passed by the coast of Australia. He had planned to take her diving. She had always wanted to try it.
But he knew she was worried about his mother. So he let it go.
His phone rang. He answered.
It was Owen. He sounded drunk again. He was rambling nonsense.
Alexander frowned. He hung up and told Evelyn he had to go out. Owen was drunk at a bar.
Evelyn didn’t ask questions. She just told him to come back early and be safe.
Alexander agreed. He changed into a suit and left.
Evelyn sat in the second-floor living room. She drank her tea and waited.
Owen had always been close to Alexander. More accurately, Owen saw him as an older brother. Whenever something happened, Owen called him first. Not his own brother.
Evelyn eventually fell asleep on the sofa. She didn’t know when Alexander returned.
When she woke up, she was in bed. It was almost dawn. Alexander lay beside her, his arm around her waist. He was fast asleep.
Evelyn closed her eyes and went back to sleep. She didn’t get up until the alarm rang.
When Alexander arrived at the bar, Owen was already slumped over the table. He had clearly drunk too much.
Grace was sitting across from him. She wasn’t as drunk as Owen. But her eyes were hazy from the alcohol.
Alexander frowned. He pressed his lips together and walked over.
He paid the bill. Then he helped Owen up. He looked at Grace.
“Can you manage on your own?”
“Yes,” she said with a smile.
She stood there, her posture elegant. Even her smile was elegant. The only thing that wasn’t elegant was her body. It swayed slightly from the alcohol.
“Let’s go,” Alexander said. He carried Owen toward the door.
Grace followed silently behind them.
He put Owen in the back seat. After sitting down, he spoke briefly.
“Get in. I’ll take you home.”
He didn’t wait for her reply. He walked straight to the driver’s seat.
Grace thanked him. But she didn’t sit in the back. She sat in the passenger seat.
Alexander wanted to tell her to sit in the back. But in the end, he said nothing. He started the engine and drove away from the bar.
He dropped Owen off at the Owen family home. Then he asked Grace.
“Do you want to get off here? Or…?”
“Could you take me to my apartment? I live at—” She told him the address.
Alexander started the engine again. He drove her to her apartment building.
He stopped the car. He didn’t get out. He just said one word.
“We’re here.”
“Would you like to come up for a cup of tea?” Grace invited.
“Sorry. I need to go home to my wife. It’s late,” Alexander said flatly.
Grace froze for a moment. Then she lowered her voice.
“It is late. I’m sorry for troubling you tonight.”
She reached for the door handle. But she hesitated.
“Alexander, can we talk? Just like old friends?”
“I don’t mean anything by it. I’ve just been having a hard time lately. I wanted someone to talk to.”
“Sorry. I don’t have that obligation. Besides, I don’t think we can even call each other friends.”
“I drove you back only because of Owen.”
Alexander refused her outright. He didn’t leave her any face.
“I know you still blame me. For leaving you when you were at your lowest,” Grace murmured.
“That’s in the past. There’s no point discussing it now,” Alexander cut her off.
“I know. I just want to say… some things I did were forced. They weren’t what I wanted.”
“Anyway, thank you for driving me back. And thank you for being with me all those years. They were the happiest years of my life.”
Grace’s voice was barely a whisper.
Then she opened the door and got out.
She walked toward the entrance of her apartment. Alexander didn’t stop her. He didn’t get out of the car. He turned around and drove away.
Grace hadn’t even opened her apartment door yet. She turned her head. She saw only the taillights disappear around the corner.
Alexander had always been decisive. When she had broken up with him, she knew. They would never get back together.
In this life, she was destined to have no relationship with him.
Over the years, she had wondered more than once. What if she hadn’t broken up with him? Would things be different?
But obviously not. She was at rock bottom now. There was nothing worse.
That was why she cried in despair when she woke up in the middle of the night.
But once a choice was made, there was no turning back.
Grace went back into her apartment. She locked the door. She walked to the sofa.
She sat down. Her whole body felt like a piece of paper.
Her eyes were moist. But no tears fell.
Alexander drove back to Sterling Manor. His face was expressionless. His sharp features looked even more serious.
When he returned to Sterling Manor, he saw Evelyn asleep on the sofa.
She always tried to wait for him. But she couldn’t fight her sleepiness. She would fall asleep on the sofa.
He carried her to the bedroom. He laid her on the bed. He pulled the quilt over her. Then he went into the bathroom to shower.
Even though he had already showered that evening, he was used to washing again after going out.
Grace had looked haggard tonight. If it were years ago, he would have felt sorry for her. He would have tried to cheer her up. He would have told her everything would be okay.
But it wasn’t years ago. They had been apart for a long time.
No matter what the original reason was, once a choice was made, the result had to be respected.
They were both adults. They had to take responsibility for their actions.
After the breakup, he had been depressed for a few years. But he didn’t show it. Instead, he poured all his energy into work. Things were chaotic back then.
Later, his mother started urging him to get married. He had wanted to marry a girl who looked good and whom his mother liked.
At first, agreeing to marry Evelyn had been partly for that reason.
But he also knew very clearly. Once he got married, it meant he had a commitment.