Chapter 17: Abandoned, Forgotten

It was an evening without classes, and Livia thought about making something to eat as she headed home.

Stepping out of the school, she spotted Luke waiting for a ride. After a moment's thought, she approached him.

"Want to come over for dinner?"

Luke looked surprised. "Italian again?"

Livia was speechless and felt like punching Luke.

"No pasta!"

Luke chuckled. "That's a relief."

Livia rolled her eyes.

As they walked together, Luke asked, "Isn't there anything you want to ask me?"

"About?" Livia replied, puzzled.

"Valentia."

Livia's eyes twinkled with a hint of amusement, and she smiled briefly. "The big star."

"Are you pretending not to know what I'm getting at?" Luke was getting impatient.

"Not at all. You can find stuff about her online."

Luke was at a loss for words. "Aren't you curious about what kind of relationship she has with Angelo?"

Livia looked slightly disheartened as she shook her head with a smile. "Why should I be curious?"

Luke wondered how Livia could be so indifferent. "Don't you love Angelo?"

Livia paused, frowning. "Why would you say that?"

"Then why don't you care about the woman he's been holding?"

"What's the use of caring? It's done, whether I care or not." Livia casually shrugged. "My thing with your Uncle Angelo is just a convenient arrangement between consenting adults. As for the outcome, who knows? It's impossible to predict what might happen along the way."

Luke stopped in his tracks, staring at her in shock.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Livia urged him. "Hurry up, let's go."

Luke confronted her. "I'm even more convinced now you don't love Angelo. He's just your solace when you're lonely."

Livia wanted to knock some sense into him. "You seem to know quite a bit."

"It also reflects the results of your teaching." Luke tilted his chin up slightly, a touch of smugness on his face.

Livia laughed.

"Anyway, I'm on your side here. If Angelo is playing you while still messing around with Valentia, just tell me. I can't do much, but his sister, my mom, can set him straight."

"His sister? Your mom?" Livia asked.

"Yeah. Let me tell you, neither of us likes Valentia," Luke said with visible distaste.

Now Livia was a bit curious. What had Valentia done to earn their disdain?

But she didn't ask.

She knew well that matters of the heart were personal, and what mattered most was the choice of those involved.

---

Angelo was home.

Seeing Luke follow Livia in, he frowned and asked, "Why did you bring him here?"

Luke glared at him reproachfully.

"How can you bear to neglect him like that?" Livia said as she took off her shoes and handed Luke a pair of women's slippers.

Luke didn't mind and approached Angelo. "Mom said you were supposed to look after me. It's been ages, and you've never cooked me a meal."

"I gave you money," Angelo retorted as if that settled it.

"Just giving me money is no better than me renting my own place." Luke huffed and sat beside him, "Why even bother to maintain the pretense of being the affectionate uncle?"

Angelo gave him a sidelong glance.

Luke immediately scooted back and hollered towards the woman in the kitchen, "Miss Ashcroft, maybe I can just crash at your place. My mom would totally be cool with it."

Livia was caught between laughter and tears.

"In your dreams!" Angelo cut him off.

Luke glared at him.

Angelo reached out as if to hit him, but Livia rebuked him. "No fighting!"

Angelo's handsome fingers curled slightly, and then he withdrew his hand.

Luke, smug, shook his head tauntingly at Angelo.

Angelo shot him a glance, and then Luke quickly slipped into the kitchen. "Mrs. Bradley, let me give you a hand."

Livia's movements while washing vegetables stiffened.

She didn't dare turn around to see what Angelo's expression was, simply saying somewhat uncomfortably, "Call me Livia."

Luke scrunched up his nose and glared, "Jerk."

The two busied themselves in the kitchen while Angelo was occupied in the living room.

The sudden ring of the doorbell made Livia's heart skip a beat. She quickly went to see who it was, eyeing Angelo who was looking at her.

Rarely did anyone come by. An unexpected visitor at this time felt odd.

"Probably a neighbor, I'll check." Angelo walked to the door and peered through the peephole, then swiftly turned on his heel, his pupils shock-wide, quickly picking up a laptop from the couch and heading to the bedroom. "It's your folks."

Seeing Angelo's retreating back, Livia felt disappointed.

Luke noticed the fleeting look of dismay in Livia's eyes and couldn't help but feel sympathetic.

Before opening the door, Livia put Angelo's shoes in the shoe cabinet.

"Dad, Mom, what brings you here?"

"We had some free time and thought to check on you. Why did it take so long to open the door?" Matilde said. "Any longer, and your father would have barged in."

"I didn't hear the bell from the kitchen." Livia placed slippers at their feet.

Matias and Matilde changed shoes and, upon entering, noticed Luke awkwardly standing at the kitchen entrance.

"Who's this?" Matias asked with curiosity.

"A student of mine. He lives alone, so I invited him over for dinner." Livia said. "Please sit, I'll have dinner ready in a jiffy."

Matilde looked around the house, sensing something was amiss.

"I'll help you." Matilde also went to the kitchen, and upon opening the fridge door, she frowned at the sight. "Isn't this the stuff your dad gave to Mr. Bradley from the company? How come it's here?"

Livia was taken aback. How could she have forgotten about that?

Hearing this, Matias also came in, eyes fixed on Livia with equal curiosity.

At that moment, Livia felt besieged.

Luke stood aside, silently watching Livia amidst the awkwardness.

"Dad, Mom, I didn't really want to bring this up. Mr. Bradley received the things you sent with someone else's help because, first, he never cooks at home, and second, he felt it wasn't right to accept these gifts from you since helping you out was no big deal.

"But, you know, when you offered them, he didn't want to hurt your feelings or seem disrespectful," Livia explained, her voice filled with emotion.

"I see," Matias sighed. "Mr. Bradley is a good man."

Livia glanced at Luke, who rolled his eyes where only she could see.

Neither of them said a word in dispute.

After dinner was ready, the family of three, plus Luke, sat around the dining table to eat.

Matilde was very fond of Luke, who seemed a sensible and good-looking kid. Upon learning that he lived at the Angelo residence and was rarely looked after by the absent household head, she couldn't help but complain about Angelo and urged Livia to take extra care of him.

Livia nodded silently, now understanding that her nephew was indeed like his uncle. They were both quite good at playing the victim.

But at that moment, Angelo truly was in a pitiable state, hungry and quiet in the bedroom, like a thief in the night.

Luke deliberately snapped a photo of the food on the table and sent it to Angelo with a message: [Tastes great.]

Angelo wasn't hungry, but seeing the four of them enjoying their meal brought an inexplicable sense of sadness to him.

He felt abandoned and forgotten.