Chapter 173 White and Black
Caroline glanced at him with a smile in her eyes and asked, "So men can tell when someone's two-faced?"
"I can't speak for other men, but I can as long as I'm not blind." Leopold looked relaxed, steering with one hand while grabbing her hand with the other. There were some things he needed to tell her in advance to avoid misunderstandings.
"Honey, I'm going to be busy with some things lately, and there will be women at business dinners. But don't worry, I know what I'm doing and won't do anything to betray you. So if you happen to run into it or hear about it from someone, don't get upset. Trust me, okay?"
Leopold's current position at the company was awkward. If he wanted to change the situation, he definitely had to take action. He was building his career, and she wouldn't hold him back.
She squeezed Leopold's hand firmly and said, "Do what you need to do. I fully support you."
Leopold smiled brightly, pulled his arm back to draw her into his embrace, pressed his cheek against hers, and said, "See, my wife really gets it."
Caroline was afraid of affecting his driving, so she sat up straight and gave him some advice too.
"Don't make me sound so noble. I'm just an ordinary woman. If I see my husband getting tangled up with other women, I'll lose my mind too, maybe even curse like a shrew. But since you've told me upfront, of course, I'll trust you. Since I'm giving you what you need, you have to give me what I need too."
He understood what she meant. Trust went both ways, and her only requirement for marriage was loyalty—it had never changed from the beginning.
"All our family assets are with you. What would I gain from being unfaithful to you?"
Caroline paused, thinking that was actually true.
The house was in her name, the money was with her, and the only thing that could really be considered his was the car he was currently driving. If Leopold couldn't get back into the company this time, his predicament would be the same as being unemployed.
Thinking about this possibility, he must be under a lot of pressure too.
Caroline said, "Don't be too anxious. Work things can't be rushed. If you're happy there, stay. If not, find another place."
She couldn't bring herself to say "I can support you even if you stay home"—that would be humiliating to Leopold. His abilities and pride wouldn't allow him to just sit around waiting.
Caroline asked again, "Is there anything I can help with?"
Leopold said, "Not at the moment."
Since she couldn't help, she shouldn't ask too many details. Asking too much when she couldn't help would only make him more frustrated.
"When you need me, you have to tell me."
His eyes softened, and he smiled, "Okay."
After dinner, Leopold cut up a plate of fruit and placed it on the coffee table, saying to Caroline, "Honey, I need to have a video meeting with Allegra in a bit. Some things can't be explained clearly over the phone. She and I need to talk in detail today. Don't be jealous."
"I heard you guys on the phone those nights."
Leopold raised an eyebrow and asked with a half-smile, "You heard and didn't ask?"
"What's there to ask? If I questioned you every time you made a call, you'd be annoyed, and so would I. How would we even live like that?" Caroline was very rational. She didn't need to be aggressive or unreasonable about work communications.
She picked up a piece of watermelon and fed it to him first. "What time is the meeting?"
Leopold glanced at the time. "Half an hour. I'll go take out the trash, and the timing will be just right when I come back."
He did the cooking and dishes—she shouldn't make him take out the trash too, especially when he had work to do.
Caroline said, "I'll go. You still need to prepare materials for the meeting. You do your thing."
"Everything's ready," Leopold said with a smile, making her sit back down. "You just sit here and eat the fruit I cut for you with love."
He picked up the trash bag and went downstairs.
Who would have thought that the stern and imposing man at the company was an all-around good husband at home with housework?
Sometimes Caroline felt her only role in this house was to be fed. Whenever Leopold was home, he barely let her lift a finger with household chores. Because of this, Elysia often said she was taking advantage of Leopold. She was so wrongly accused.
Thinking that Leopold liked to drink coffee during meetings, Caroline went to the kitchen to grind coffee beans. As the machine made its brewing sounds, a WhatsApp message from Erica came through.
Erica: [What are you doing?]
Caroline: [Making coffee.]
Erica: [Drinking coffee this late? Are you pulling an all-nighter?]
Caroline: [It's not for me. Leopold has a video meeting coming up. It's for him.]
Erica: [I try to chat with you, and within three sentences, you mention your husband. Do you love him that much?]
Caroline stared at the screen and smiled. Just from reading the text, she could guess Erica's expression right now. Having such a lively best friend made life more fun.
Erica: [Maddox said your Mr. Wipere is going to work closely with that woman. You know about it, right?]
The woman she mentioned was Allegra. Caroline replied: [I know. He told me.]
Erica: [They'll be in constant contact. You need to be careful.]
Caroline: [They just have a working relationship.]
Erica: [They had a working relationship before too, and she still posted photos that caused misunderstandings. I think she has bad intentions.]
Caroline didn't deny it. Allegra's Facebook wasn't exactly innocent, you could even say her tactics were a bit shady. But Leopold's attitude was what mattered most. He had absolutely no interest in Allegra.
So she didn't need to worry about Allegra's one-woman show. She wasn't worth it.
Erica: [Anyway, be careful. Don't let anyone take advantage. The novelty between people doesn't have that long of a shelf life. Once it wears off, even the best lychees lose their flavor. Men are like this, and so are women.]
Erica understood Caroline. With little romantic experience, she didn't have much to draw from. Once she threw herself into a relationship, it was hard for her to save herself. So Caroline would definitely be a loyal guardian in marriage, but Erica couldn't guarantee Leopold's character. All she could do was try her best to protect her friend and prevent her from getting hurt.
You could also say she was being nosy or overstepping, but since Erica knew they would be in frequent contact, she felt it necessary to remind Caroline.
Caroline didn't mention that Leopold was having a video meeting with Allegra tonight. If she told Erica, Erica would just tell her to be more vigilant. Besides, baseless suspicions were disrespectful to Leopold.
Caroline asked: [How are things going with you and Maddox?]
Erica: [Pretty good. We're like day and night.]
Caroline: [What do you mean?]
Erica: [Not sleepy during the day, can't sleep at night.]
Caroline got it immediately. In the adult world, you could talk about anything.
She asked again: [Is there any chance you two will get married?]
Erica grimaced at the word "marriage," as if it were a topic to avoid at all costs.
She quickly replied: [I've got to go. Want to get massages this weekend?]
Caroline knew she was dodging the question, so she didn't press further: [Sure, my treat.]
As soon as she put down her phone, Leopold came back, carrying a bag of fresh lychees. The timing couldn't have been more perfect.
Leopold waved the bag in front of her. "Look what I bought."
Caroline thought of Erica's words and couldn't help smiling. "What made you want to buy lychees?"
Leopold said, "I ran out of cigarettes. When I went to the convenience store at the entrance, I saw the fruit shop next door had fresh lychees."
Caroline turned to pour the coffee. "I made you some coffee."
Leopold hugged her from behind, his hands naturally crossed over her belly. "The video meeting will take a few hours. If you get tired, go to bed first."
"Got it." Caroline handed him the coffee. Leopold kissed her on the lips before leaving.
The study door was left open, so Caroline could hear their conversation.
Really, wasn't life just about mutual understanding and caring for each other? It's easy to let a relationship fall apart, but hard to make it work. They were both trying their best to be gentle with each other.
The shell of marriage was a home for some people, but a prison for others.