“Mommy, I’m done eating. I’ll head to my room now.”
“What? You didn’t even eat much. I have poked these cookies with my needle earlier. There’s no problem with them so you should eat some more.”
“I’m really full, Mommy. I still have homework to do.” With that said, he quickly ran upstairs.
Nicole felt that he was becoming more and more like Evan as she watched him go. Maybe it’s because Evan raised him. That’s why their behaviors are so similar.
“Nina, do you think Kyle’s looks and personality would be exactly like Daddy when he grows up?”
“No. Kyle is Kyle while Daddy is Daddy. They will only be similar but never the same.”
Nina’s words made sense to her. “It’s great if he doesn’t become like Daddy. Your Daddy is…”
“What’s wrong with me?”
Evan had just gotten to the dining area when he heard her chastising him. He couldn’t help but interrupt her.
Nicole was stumped for words. As her eyes darted around the room, an unnatural smile appeared on her lips and she tried to brush it off by saying, “I was saying how impressive you are. And it must be hard on you. It’ll be difficult if Kyle grows up to be just like you.”
He was rendered speechless at that.
Is that what she meant?
I don’t think so though.
At the sight of her father’s furrowed brows and the obvious guilt on her mother’s face, Nina quickly changed the topic.
“Have some cookies, Daddy. Mommy poked these with her needle herself.”
“……”
He didn’t understand what she meant by ‘poked these with a needle herself’ at first but finally understood when he saw the needle in Nicole’s hand.
Why is she poking the cookies with it?
“Are you using these to practice acupuncture?”
“No. The doctor said I have to pay attention to the food I eat. He thinks that my hallucinations might be caused by something I ate or something I touched.”
Evan said nothing as he furrowed his brows.
If it’s because of food, she wouldn’t be able to find anything by doing this but she’ll definitely alarm the other party.
It seems like I have to investigate thoroughly now.
He remained silent as he took his spoon and began eating.
Beside him, both Nina and Nicole were having a little too much fun as each of them poked a plate of food with their needles.
Eggs that looked rather normal had countless prick marks on them and Evan lost his appetite at the sight of it. But when he thought of what Nina said earlier, he forced himself to continue eating.
He went back to his bedroom after dinner. He then got into bed after his shower but before he fell asleep, Nicole sat up abruptly and stared at him.
The look in her eyes made him feel inexplicably strange.
“What’s wrong?”
Nicole shook her head but her face was pale and she had a look of forbearance.
Evan knew that something was off and he suddenly realized that she might be hallucinating again.
“What’s wrong, Nicole? What did you see?”
Her eyes were still fixated on his handsome face as she pointed at a few spots on his face.
“There’s lipstick here, here, and here.”
Evan froze. I’ve just showered. How could there be lipstick on me?
“Evan Seet, shy are you covered in lipstick marks, Evan?”
Nicole spoke with such conviction it was as if she could actually see them.
She must be seeing things again. He quickly took her in his arms and said gently, “Go to sleep, Nicole. Nothing will be here anymore once you wake up.”
The woman instantly pushed him away. “Evan, how dare you hug me when you were kissed by another woman?”
Evan became alert upon seeing her furious look.
She’s having hallucinations again. She sounds so certain as if she could really see the lipstick marks.
“Why are you looking at me? You must be thinking that I’m ugly now that my face is injured. That’s why you are fooling around, aren’t you? Then when you are done with that woman, you came back with all these hickeys on purpose. Are you trying to show it off to me? How can you do this, Evan?”
