Chapter 11
Lucille shook her head, smiling. “No, Cedrick, you’re wrong. I’ll be glad to give it a rest. I didn’t even lay bare your lie. You wanna be Mrs. Maynard? Be my guest. Cedrick, I told you I wanted a divorce. Just accept it. Then, everything will be fine.”
She didn’t expose the two because she didn’t think it was necessary.
Her marriage was coming to an end, anyway. Why make more trouble for herself? If she had done otherwise, she’d have to explain her relationship with Maricela and Cedrick. It was
unnecessary.
“Lucille! Your temper has become worse than ever!” Cedrick shouted more angrily. “Enough is enough! Apologize to Mari! Now!”
“No!” Lucille turned around to leave.
“Stop right there!” Cedrick strode over and grabbed her wrist. “Where do you think you’re going? You pushed Mari. Her wrist was scraped. Don’t you think you owe her an apology? Where are you going?”
Lucille looked at the hand gripping her wrist. Despair rose inside her, spreading like a flood.
Looking him in the eye, she replied sarcastically, “Indeed. I only lost a leg, but she scraped a wrist…”
Immense pain flitted across Cedrick’s eyes and made him let go. He involuntarily took two steps back.
The minute she was free, Lucille turned around and ran toward the elevator.
How embarrassed she looked, she couldn’t care less.
She couldn’t let Cedrick see the tears streaming down her face,
From the day her leg was injured to the day they got married till now, when they’d been married for five years, this was the first time Lucille had attacked Cedrick with her injured leg.
She used to protect him cautiously, afraid to hurt his feelings. She didn’t want him to feel guilty or be worried or remorseful. Not once had she mentioned her crippled leg or the
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accident from five years ago. Even when gossip and prejudice ate at her, she concealed her pain and nurtured her broken heart quietly.
All she wanted was to give him a warm, sweet, and comfortable home.
Lucille had hoped that, over time, her love for him would blossom beautifully eventually
However…
Did Cedrick also feel the pain?
Lucille understood.
She’d be a burden to him for the rest of his life. He couldn’t get rid of her. Of course, it was painful,
The woman he loved was right there, standing next to him. But because of Lucille, he couldn’t marry her. Of course, it was painful.
He was conflicted, torn between his conscience and the impulse to get free of her. Of course, it was painful.
“So, Cedrick, let me go. OK?” Lucille mused.
She went home alone and put the ten watch boxes before her.
She stared at them for a long time.
For a moment, she wished to smash each of them against the wall.
In the end, she couldn’t do it.
Impulsion wasn’t the solution.
the
When her composure returned, she tapped into a second–hand goods app and searched for a used luxury buyer. Before long, she found a local buyer, who agreed to come and pick up watches at 10 a.m. the next day.
By 10 a.m., Mylee had gone to the farmers‘ market.
After the watches were sold, Lucille turned on her computer and searched for the visa application procedure.
Meredith’s dance troupe would set off in a month. Lucille must get prepared for her departure
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Sitting at the computer, she attentively read one article after another, her emotions churning The world had never been so serene yet so exciting. Time ticked by, and the night deepened Engrossed, she didn’t even realize Cedrick had come back.
“What are you doing?” he asked at the door. Spooked, Lucille hurriedly closed her laptop.
Cedrick was his usual nice self, as if nothing had happened. He walked up to Lucille and asked softly, “Were you watching a show? What show is so interesting as to keep you up?” He was just making conversation.
The websites were still open. Lucille pressed her hands against her laptop tightly. “Nothing you like,”
“I haven’t seen it. How do you know I don’t like it?” Cedrick reached out to open her laptop.
Certainly, Lucille wouldn’t let him. He couldn’t see the websites she had just visited.
Thinking she was still mad, Cedrick gave up. He crouched and looked at her. “Still mad?”
“No.” She was disappointed, in despair, furious, but not mad.
Mad meant she’d forgive him if he mollified her. The marriage was still hopeful. However, she had no more expectations of her marriage.
She’d been giving and giving for five years. She was done.
“Lucille, nothing is going on between Maricela and me. She’s my alumnae and friend. That’s all. She’s just returned from abroad. As a friend, I attended her reception. The
misunderstanding at the mall was an accident. Trust me.” He spoke as patiently and tenderly
as ever.
Lucille remained silent. He added, “We planned to have dinner with your parents today. It was ruined, Shall we take a rain check?”
She shook her head.
She didn’t wanna have dinner with her parents.
Her parents and younger brother would only say that, with a limp, she was in great luck to marry Cedrick.
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Chapter 11
“You don’t wanna visit? It’s been over a month since we last visited your parents. Don’t you miss them?”
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Chapter 12