“Sophia, I left the house with Levant. If I leave just like this, it’ll cause trouble for Levant and the winery. Let me stay at the Imperial Garden for one more night. I’ll leave tomorrow. Is that alright?”
She had taken enough advantage of Levant and she did not want to hurt him again.
Furthermore, she wanted to see Evan just one last time.
Once she left, she didn’t know if she would ever see him again. She did not know how much longer she could live either.
“…”
Sophia empathized with her struggles and reluctance to part. She uttered, in between sobs, “Alright. I trust you. I know you don’t want to hurt Evan either. I understand how you feel.”
…
By the time Nicole got back to the Imperial Garden, Evan was already waiting for her on the brown sofa. His deep-set eyes lingered on her frame upon seeing her return.
“You’re back! How’s the food at Levant Winery?”
His words carried a strong pang of jealousy, setting the green-eyed monster free in the living room.
Nicole nodded. “It was nice.”
“You don’t have to eat there anymore. You’d be able to savor the same dishes here, right at home.”
As soon as he said that, another figure entered the living room and nodded at Nicole politely. “Good day, Mrs. Seet. From now on, you can order food that you wish to have, and I shall have it prepared. I was a chef at Levant Winery, but I would be working at the Imperial Garden from now onwards. I can make all the signature dishes from the winery. Feel free to order whatever you like.”
Nicole was rendered speechless.
Evan actually poached Levant’s chef? How thoughtful of him.
Unfortunately, she would not be able to enjoy his kindness any longer. Just thinking about that made Nicole’s heart twinge with pain.
“Are you satisfied with this arrangement?”
“Yes.”
She replied rather flatly before heading to the bedroom upstairs.
Evan’s heart sank as he watched her leave. Was she really satisfied, or did she have other thoughts?
Over the course of dinner that evening, Nicole persisted in her indifference.
Evan made an effort to deshell some prawns and placed them into her bowl. “Have some more.”
Nicole glanced up at him. At that moment, she was conflicted. Before departing, should she leave Evan with happy memories to remember her by, or should she hit him exactly where it hurts?
Happy memories would warm his heart whenever he thought about her. However, that warmth would seem insignificant compared to the pain of losing her.
Hurting him could make Evan heartbroken and resent her. In that case, Evan would never want to remember her. Even if he did lose her, he would not be too upset. He would completely get over her in due time!
How should she do go about this?
“I’m full.”
Nicole put down the bamboo chopsticks and went up to the bedroom. After a heated debate with herself, she finally came to a decision.
Better a little less than a long sorrow. I have to make Evan hate me!
She sent a message to Sophia in secret, asking for the older woman’s cooperation with her over this matter.
Sophia was shocked when she had received the message.
She replied: Are you sure you want to do this? If you proceed with this, Evan will misunderstand you. He’ll be heartbroken.
Nicole texted back: This is the only way for him to give up on me. He’ll never want to see me again. It’s perfect!
Sophia reminded her: Are you sure about this? The two of you can still be together in the future if your illness can be cured by some miracle, but this misunderstanding wouldn’t be resolved that easily.
Nicole breathed in deeply. Miracle? Will there ever be one? She did not want to count on it!
She ended their conversation with one last message: Please take care of my children. I’m willing to do this for your son. My children are in your hands. Thank you!
Sophia felt a dull pain in her heart. She was grateful to Nicole for doing this.
This way, Evan would hate her for several years. After that, when he had forgotten about her, perhaps he would still be able to meet another woman. He would not have to die alone.
She secretly made up her mind to treat the four children like her precious darlings. With her there, no one would ever dare to think about laying a single finger on them.
…
The next day.
Evan received a sudden call from John early in the morning. A mishap had occurred to their company funds. Hackers have stolen a huge sum of money from their accounts.
“Who did this?”
“Mr. Seet, we had investigated the incident. The money eventually landed in Mrs. Seet’s hands.”
“What?”
Evan refused to believe the information.
