Chapter 197
I just need usage rights, name any price.”
Maureen never expected this person to be so generous without negotiating.
Since those songs were already non–exclusively licensed elsewhere, they weren’t worth much. She quoted a base price of ten million.
Soon, the money arrived.
Maureen could only keep thanking him.
Geoffrey stared at the meme she sent, frozen for ages, then impulsively asked: “May I ask if you’re married?”
Afraid Maureen might misunderstand and stop talking, he added:
“Your compositions feel like they hold stories.”
“Was married once, but divorced.”
Reading her reply, Geoffrey almost rushed next door to confront Maureen.
When did she divorce?
How could he not know?
His prolonged silence made Maureen assume his company had special requirements, like composers needing clean public images.
After all, she’d faced many bizarre companies while working solo.
Maureen immediately typed: “Rest assured, I have no vices and won’t court publicity.”
Seeing the new message alert, Geoffrey typed:
“If you hadn’t divorced, wouldn’t life be less stressful alone?”
With Gareth, she had two kids, yet he didn’t even cover her basic living expenses.
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At the thought, Geoffrey wanted to crawl into Maureen’s head to see what was going on inside.
So foolish, risking her life to raise someone else’s kids?
Maureen didn’t understand why the stranger asked that, but since they’d transferred money so readily, it must’ve been pure sympathy.
So she kept chatting.
“Honestly, I feel freer and happier after divorce. Less pressure actually.”
Geoffrey paused mid–type reading Maureen’s reply on screen.
He typed stubbornly: “Why?
Did you not love him?”
Maureen hesitated, figuring this unseen stranger deserved honesty.
“When someone chooses to leave marriage, it’s never just one reason.”
Geoffrey’s chest tightened. He drafted paragraphs only to delete them.
“Logging off now if there’s nothing else. Bye.”
Maureen’s message flashed.
Geoffrey closed their chat window.
He sat alone pondering her words until needing air. Opening his door, he saw Maureen walking past with her backpack.
Their eyes met.
Maureen instantly looked away.
Perhaps discussing him online made her awkward today. She quickened her pace past Geoffrey.
He watched her retreating figure gloomily.
Absolutely heartless!
He strode toward Maureen with long steps, stopping casually beside her. “Is this how you
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thank the ex–husband who saved you last night?”
He deliberately emphasized “ex–husband.”
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Maureen paused, startled–it was the first time she’d heard that term from him.
Geoffrey’s chiseled profile remained angled toward her, his intense gaze never wavering.
She averted her eyes, red lips parting: “I already thanked you for last night.”
“If you feel hard done by, there’s nothing more I can offer.”
“You said it yourself–you’re my ex–husband.
As your ex–wife, when I was in danger, surely your help wasn’t purely out of moral obligation?”
She refused to let Geoffrey mistake this for lingering affection or an attempt to reconnect.
His pupils contracted at her icy tone.
“Where are you going?”
Maureen pressed her lips. “None of your business.”
She hurried forward.
Bitterness clouded Geoffrey’s eyes as he watched her leave. His fist slammed against the wall.
In the past, he’d have let her walk away. But now, having pushed his limits further and further, Geoffrey watched Maureen leave, punched the wall, then got in his car and followed
her.
Watching her hail a taxi by the roadside to the mall, then seeing her in crowded crowds, buying groceries, carrying large and small bags alone, conversing with others in a foreign language.
Geoffrey still remembered when she came looking for him in Esteston, her spoken English was poor, she didn’t know many professional terms, and could only frantically use translation apps, causing all sorts of mix–ups.
But now, living abroad alone, she wasn’t struggling.
He recalled her saying: “Actually, after the divorce, I feel free and happy, with less pressure.”
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Geoffrey couldn’t quite describe the feeling in his heart.
Just then, his phone rang. Geoffrey glanced at it–Heather.
“Geoff, when are you coming back?”
“What’s up?”
“The company shareholders are scheming something behind the scenes. The old man wants you back right away!”
Geoffrey narrowed his eyes: “Got it.
He hung up. When he looked up again, Maureen had vanished from his sight.
Geoffrey’s heart skipped a beat as he shoved through the crowd, frantically searching for her.
Only when he spotted her at the checkout counter did the tension ease from his shoulders.
Maureen paid for her items, returned home to cook, then settled down to rest.
Pregnant now, she knew she had to protect this baby with extra care.
After composing music for a while, Maureen lounged in her armchair, listening to songs while reading. She gently rested a hand on her belly, whispering:
“Grow strong and fast, little one.”
Just then, her phone rang. She picked it up to find an unknown number–and a gruesome, bloody photo.
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