Chapter 90 How Could She Bear
If it was just about having dinner, it wouldn't be a big deal. Having to entertain clients for work is understandable. But the problem was the location. Leopold clearly said he didn't have time to come back, and their chat history was still there. Yet now he was already in Seaside City. Anyone would feel upset about that.
But Caroline wouldn't do something like blocking the door to catch him cheating a second time. Do it too often and she was afraid she'd really turn into a bitter woman.
Trust between people is built on loyalty. She didn't need to prove Leopold was trustworthy—she needed to know the facts.
If he really was cheating, better to break up now before feelings got too deep. She wouldn't lose much anyway.
When Erica asked if she needed her to investigate, Caroline's response was straightforward. These days, if you want to test someone, one phone call is all it takes.
When Caroline called, Pearl had just gone to the bathroom. Leopold answered with a smile in his voice, "Why the sudden call? You miss me?"
When a man is lying to you, guilt subconsciously makes him act gentler.
To avoid tipping him off, Caroline said casually, "Tomorrow's Saturday, I don't have anything going on, so I'll come see you."
There was silence on the other end for a few seconds.
"Tomorrow?"
"I'm heading your way right now actually."
"You're coming to Solstice Mountain?"
Leopold's tone said it all. Instead of answering, Caroline asked back, "Don't want me to come?"
"No, it's not that." Leopold anxiously checked his watch, thinking this was bad. "Why didn't you tell me ahead of time?"
Caroline: "If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise."
Leopold made the smartest decision of the day. "Don't go to Solstice Mountain. I'm in Seaside City right now."
Caroline narrowed her eyes. "You're in Seaside City? Didn't you say you didn't have time to come back? What important thing brought you back so suddenly?"
Just as Leopold was about to speak, Pearl came back in from outside, picking up a wet wipe from the table and complaining as she wiped, "Just now in the hallway, some drunk person spilled alcohol all over me. What is this smell? Sour and stinky."
There was no need to ask anything more. Leopold knew Caroline had heard Pearl's voice.
He said, "Where are you now?"
Caroline answered casually, "Haven't gotten on the highway yet."
Leopold breathed a sigh of relief. Good thing she hadn't gone far. "I'm meeting with a client right now. I'll be at your place within an hour. Wait for me at home, okay?"
Since he'd explained it was a client meeting, Caroline would wait for his explanation.
"Okay."
"Caroline—" Before he could finish, Caroline had already hung up.
Well, she was still mad.
Pearl could tell from Leopold's expression that his girlfriend had misunderstood. Though she shouldn't take pleasure in his misfortune, seeing him in trouble was actually kind of rare.
Pearl deliberately teased him, "Need me to vouch for you?"
Leopold's gaze shifted over, a casual smile at the corner of his mouth. "If you're willing—" Before he could finish, Pearl threw cold water on it. "I'm not willing."
Pearl was happy to watch the drama unfold. Them fighting actually let her vent a bit.
"I know it's not nice of me to say this, but I have to say—you deserve it! Who told you to turn a perfectly good blind date into a negotiation table? First time I've seen someone bring a contract to a blind date."
Leopold said, "We both know we have more chemistry talking business than romance."
Pearl raised her glass. "Here's to our future partnership."
Leopold raised his. "To our partnership."
After seeing Pearl off, Leopold had a designated driver take him to Caroline's place. When he got to the door, he found the password lock had been changed. He could only knock.
"Caroline, Caroline, open the door."
The doorbell kept ringing. Caroline stood in the hallway deliberately not opening the door. Earlier, Erica had called to brag about how she'd splashed a beer mixed with soy sauce, vinegar, and chili oil on the woman eating with Leopold, and vividly described how they'd been laughing and chatting in the private room, toasting each other, whispering intimately.
Caroline took a deep breath, constantly reminding herself: backing down means wronging yourself, holding it in means suffering yourself. So women should never hold their anger in—they should take it out on others. After hearing about Erica's beer splash, she actually felt it wasn't enough to satisfy her.
She went to the kitchen to prepare something first, then slowly went to open the door.
As soon as Leopold came in, he tried to hug her, but Caroline pushed him away with her hand. "What's that smell on you?"
He suddenly realized Pearl had been splashed with alcohol and the smell might have gotten on him. He lifted his sleeve and sniffed. "The client I was eating with got splashed with alcohol in the hallway. Probably got some of the smell on me."
Caroline calmly went to the kitchen and brought out a cup of dark liquid, placing it on the table with a smile:
"I made you some hangover remedy."
Leopold said she was thoughtful. Without any suspicion, he picked it up and downed most of the bowl.
But as soon as it hit his mouth, something was wrong. Too late though. He put down the bowl, his face extremely contorted, covered his mouth and rushed to the bathroom.
The next second, she heard him vomiting in the toilet.
Caroline turned and went to the living room. When Leopold came out, his eyes were red and his hair was wet at the tips. Looking at Caroline leisurely leaning on the sofa watching TV with no intention of acknowledging him.
Leopold said, "You're mad?"
Caroline propped her head up, staring at the TV. "What do I have to be mad about?"
Leopold sat down next to her, finally remembering what Lily had said—things that are easily misunderstood really only have two solutions: either don't do them, or explain beforehand. Women really do understand women best. He'd have to thank her properly when he got back.
"Everything I'm about to say is true."
Caroline looked uninterested. "Go ahead."
He'd brought this on himself. He really deserved it!
Leopold: "I did hide from you that I came back today, but I really wanted to surprise you."
Caroline changed the channel. "And then?"
Leopold: "Now I need to tell you something important."
Caroline changed the channel. "Tell me."
Leopold: "You've met my mom, but you haven't met my dad as my girlfriend yet. He only cares about profit, so he arranged three blind dates for me."
This was one thing? Clearly it was two things. No wait, three things.
He lied; his dad didn't approve of them being together; his dad arranged blind dates for him, and three of them at that.
Caroline decisively changed the channel and turned up the volume a notch.
Leopold continued, "Today I met one of them."
She still had no reaction. Leopold tried negotiating, "Can you give me some kind of response?"
Caroline put down the remote to clap for him, then picked it back up to continue watching TV. The whole time she still didn't look at him or say a word, but the applause sounded more like slapping.
Leopold was embarrassed. He considered his words before continuing, "Although I met one of them, I convinced her to talk business instead of romance." To prove he wasn't lying, he pulled out a contract from his jacket and held it up, spreading it open in front of Caroline to block her view. "Look, a big contract."
Caroline looked at the signature and date, slowly turned her face. "You really are..." She didn't want to curse. "She didn't beat you up?"
Leopold raised his eyebrows proudly. "I'm so handsome, how could she bear to?"
"Let me wipe that smug look off your face!" She'd been holding in her anger wanting to hit him. Caroline lunged at him, but Leopold held her tight, and they fell onto the sofa one on top of the other.
Their eyes met. The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
He looked at her, seeing his own reflection in her eyes. Caroline realized something was wrong and was about to push herself up when Leopold held the back of her head and pulled her toward him. Her lips were caught by his, from gentle nibbling to gradually deepening entanglement. He tasted the sweetest honey in the world.