Chapter 35
Caroline turned the key in the lock as quietly as possible.
Warm yellow light spilled from beneath the second-floor bedroom door, like an invisible barrier separating two worlds.
When Caroline pushed the door open, the busy keyboard typing abruptly stopped. The air seemed to freeze in that moment.
Arthur sat behind his desk, gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. The light reflecting off his lenses obscured his eyes, though his tightly pressed jawline appeared sharper than usual, bearing the fatigue of his workday.
"You're back," he said matter-of-factly, continuing to process the final documents.
Caroline hung her bag on the hook behind the door. The metal chain made a soft clink that seemed jarring in the overly quiet space. "Yes."
She looked at the mountain of neatly stacked files beside him, emanating an invisible pressure. "Still working?"
In the past, she would have approached without hesitation to massage his temples when they ached.
Though Arthur would show some resistance, she would continue anyway, chatting about trivial household matters. Now, she just stood in place, occasionally fidgeting with the hem of her clothing.
Remembering her new position at the Windsor Group, she took half a step forward, as if gathering immense courage. "If there's something challenging with work, perhaps I could help."
This could be an opportunity to prove herself. Caroline didn't want to miss any chance to demonstrate her abilities.
"I'm already very familiar with the company policies and have studied many relevant documents. Perhaps I could help with some management issues," Caroline hurriedly added, afraid he would refuse outright.
Previously, such self-promotion had been limited to dinner menu recommendations; now it extended to work matters.
When Arthur looked up, his gaze behind the glasses was scrutinizing. "No need. You should rest. Company matters aren't urgent. After all, memorizing policies doesn't mean you can handle merger cases."
Caroline's face instantly burned, as if scalded by boiling water, the sensation spreading from her cheeks to the roots of her ears.
She indeed had no experience with core business operations, but he wouldn't even give her the chance to look at a document, as if her very presence was superfluous.
Caroline smiled self-mockingly. If Heidi were standing beside him now, perhaps she could help with his urgent problems. After all, Caroline could never join their conversations.
"I apologize for overstepping," she said quietly. Then she left for a shower.
When she came back, Arthur remained the same, as if he was a lifeless statue.
Caroline stared at the empty glass on the nightstand for a moment. Almost instinctively, she walked to the kitchen. When the microwave dinged, she suddenly realized she hadn't done this in three months.
"Milk, warmed for you. It helps with sleep."
She placed the glass at the corner of his desk, her fingertips accidentally brushing his hand before quickly withdrawing as if shocked.
Arthur's gaze moved from the documents to the glass. As he picked it up, his fingers paused briefly. The glass was warm, not scalding hot as usual.
In the past, she always worried about the milk getting cold and heated it until it burned his mouth. He had mentioned this several times, but she never seemed to remember.
"Thank you," he said formally, as if speaking to a subordinate, with a hint of politeness and distance.
That "thank you" felt like a needle, unexpectedly piercing the thin ice in Caroline's heart.
She opened her mouth, recalling the divorce agreement her lawyer had drafted and sent to Arthur via his assistant, still awaiting his response.
She hadn't mentioned it before, seeing how busy he was, but now seemed like an opportunity to ask about it. After all, the agreement had been prepared for quite some time with no movement.
Just as she was about to bring it up, Arthur spoke.
"Why are you still standing there?" Arthur took a sip of milk. The warm liquid sliding down his throat relaxed his tense nerves, inexplicably bringing a hint of warmth to his heart.
He noticed she remained standing in place and suddenly remembered the unanswered message from that afternoon. She had never ignored his messages before.
And the warmed milk—she hadn't done that for him for a long time. He'd thought she'd got rid of that habit. Maybe it was just because of guilt.
"Remember to reply to messages in the future." He set down the glass with a light clink, as if emphasizing his words. "When you weren't here, both children were very concerned."
Caroline froze, as if she hadn't heard him clearly or couldn't believe her ears. She wondered if she was hallucinating. How could he say such things?
"Today when Layla came home and didn't see you, she kept asking where mom went," Arthur added, deliberately emphasizing the word "mom."
He thought this would remind her of her responsibilities, but failed to notice the fleeting disappointment in Caroline's eyes.
His words were like a match, instantly igniting the frustration Caroline had been suppressing.
In the past, she would send dozens of messages reporting her schedule in meticulous detail. He would often reply with a simple "okay" the next day, if he responded at all.
She had spent entire nights at the hospital, exhausted to the point of collapse. When she messaged him saying she was tired, he hadn't even called, just sent a cold "noted."
Now she was just a few hours late and hadn't replied to one message, and he was lecturing her? By what right?
"I understand," she lowered her gaze, her long eyelashes casting shadows that concealed the emotions churning beneath.
"Next week I'll familiarize myself with the business operations and start work as soon as possible."
She didn't want to dwell on the topic any longer and could only redirect the conversation.
Arthur's fingers suddenly tightened around the glass. He had forgotten about this—her joining the company meant frequent encounters with Heidi.
Given Heidi's pride, seeing Caroline appear at the company as his wife would likely create tension before long. The situation would become uncomfortable, and he would be caught in the middle.
"There's no rush," he suddenly said, his tone carrying a hint of hesitation he didn't even notice himself. "Focus on building your foundation first."