Chapter 13
Kathleen pouted. “You changed my clothes.”
Clenching his fist, Shawn turned to her once again.
She took a sip of water, and her eyes gleamed with mischief.
“Do you mind that I did that?”
“What’s there to mind between husband and wife?” she replied breezily. “At most, I’m just a little disappointed.”
Shawn was used to women trying to get something out of him, but few showed the kind of boldness she did. Not to mention, she didn’t even blush while saying such things.
Knowing that she was shameless, he didn’t bother arguing with her.
“Shawn,” she called.
He looked at her, clearly irritated.
Kathleen’s eyelashes shook slightly. “I hope you’ll be okay.”
Upon hearing this, Shawn’s fingers froze for a moment. Without looking at her, he resumed typing and commented, “I think you should think about it thoroughly before I die. After all, divorce sounds better than widowhood.”
The water in her glass wobbled slightly. She drew a breath and grinned. “I have no plans on marrying again.”
“There’s no need to swear your loyalty to me. You won’t get anything from doing that.”
“I mean it.” Kathleen looked at his face, thinking how beneath that indifferent exterior lay his loneliness and sorrow. “Shawn, I really like you.”
Indeed, she was shallow, and she admired a gorgeous face. She didn’t mind being called fickle or heartless because the truth was that she liked him.
He paused once again. When he looked up at her, his eyes held a complex emotion that she couldn’t read. “You’re violating the agreement.”
Kathleen raised her brow slightly. “We’ve already had physical contact a long time ago. If you insist, I’ll bark like a dog in the city center.”
Shawn stared at her and realized he had been too naive to think that kind of punishment would affect someone like her.
For a moment, he was at a complete loss for words.
Then, he stood up, grabbed his laptop, and walked past her.
As he passed, he stopped briefly and turned slightly to look at her fair and beautiful face. “You’re not my type. So I suggest you stop whatever thoughts you have in mind and behave.”
His cold, emotionless voice was more chilling than the wind outside.
With that, he returned to the study, leaving Kathleen alone in the living room.
His words didn’t upset her. If anything, it confirmed that he was still in love with the woman who had left him.
Since someone already had his heart, everyone else was nothing more than an outsider whom he wouldn’t settle for.
Kathleen stared at the tightly shut door and figured Shawn must be hurting from not having the woman he loved by his side during the final moments of his life.
A sorrow like that must have been his biggest regret.
…
Kathleen reported to work early. After leaving the manager’s office, she ran into Troy.
She was about to greet him, but he didn’t even spare her a glance before walking by.
His reaction left her confused. Once he was gone, someone nearby approached her and whispered, “He was embarrassed that you rejected him. You have no idea how resentful he was. He even argued with the manager!”
“No wonder.” Kathleen didn’t care and shrugged. “Well, let him be.”
“Kathleen, what does your husband do? Since you have a driver, his family must be wealthy, right?” a coworker asked.
She merely chuckled. “You’ll have to ask him yourself sometime.”
“Deal!”
“I’m going to do my work now.”
Even though her role in Neviton City was similar, there were still big differences. She had to get used to it and get ready for next year’s expo.
Work was tiring, but the upside was that time flew by.
…
By the time her coworkers left, night had fallen. She stayed behind to finish off some remaining work.
Soon, she was the only person left in the office.
She glanced at the time and saw it was only past 8:00 pm. Since she had nowhere else to be, she continued working a bit longer.
…
It was only at about 9:00 pm that she turned off her computer and left the office.
Winter in Neviton City was chilly, and the wind felt like blades cutting at her face.
Wrapped in a scarf, she ate a bowl of pasta on her way home, then bought a waffle and strolled back to her house while eating.
It was nearly 10.30 pm when she arrived home.
Chelsey was on the phone with her when she realized Kathleen hadn’t gone back to Shawn’s house. “Have you given up?” she asked.
“I never said I had to have him.” Kathleen took off her coat, boiled some water for a foot massage, applied a face mask, and lay back comfortably on the couch. “I just didn’t want him to spend his last days with no one there to care for him.”
Then, she chuckled and added, “But that was just wishful thinking because he doesn’t need anyone.”
“Then, why not divorce him? You’re not doing this to inherit his assets, are you?” Chelsey didn’t get it.
Kathleen adjusted her face mask. “Since we’re already married, we might as well keep it that way. I’m too lazy to go through a divorce.”
Hearing this, Chelsea sneered. “Honestly, I wouldn’t want to divorce him either since he’s so handsome!”
…
At 11:00 pm, Kathleen lay in bed scrolling through TikTok videos. She had a tiny hope in her chest that Shawn might call, but he never did. He didn’t even message her.
The days that followed were hectic.
Chelsey was also caught up in finishing her work before the year-end. Neither of them had time for idle chatter.
About a week before the New Year, everything was finally wrapped up. Some coworkers took leave to visit their families or go on vacations, while the rest had planned a karaoke night.
Kathleen wasn’t one to sing during karaoke. Instead, she sat in the corner, fiddling with her phone. Now and then, she would glance at the lyrics on the TV screen and hum along.
She wasn’t particularly into it but merely did it to fit in.
Halfway through, she stepped out for some fresh air.
The moment she went out, she ran into Shawn, Corey, and a man she didn’t recognize.
It had been roughly half a month since they’d last spoken.
She wasn’t sure whether she should greet him after running into each other so unexpectedly.
However, he had instructed her not to reveal their relationship in public. So, she decided against greeting him.
Their eyes met, but she walked past them without a word.
“Hey, that woman is quite hot!” Jeremy commented, turning back to look at Kathleen’s retreating figure. A flicker of interest lit behind his glasses.
Corey frowned slightly at his comment and turned to look at Shawn, who looked blank.
The three of them entered the private room. After a few minutes of casual chatting, Jeremy suddenly stood up.
“Where are you going?” Shawn asked.
Jeremy adjusted his glasses with a grin. “I want to get to know that beautiful woman we just saw.”
Upon hearing this, Shawn’s gaze darkened slightly.
Corey pursed his lips, tempted to step in and remind Jeremy to tread carefully.
“Don’t go after just anyone,” Shawn told him coolly, smoking a cigarette.
“I’m not chasing any Tom, Dick, and Harry. I only want to get to know the pretty ones.” Jeremy smirked. He looked like a gentleman, but at heart, he was a flirt. He had probably fooled a whole generation of sweet, innocent women with his good looks.
Shawn released a puff of smoke and narrowed his eyes, warning him, “Good-looking women are all fake.”
“Come on, don’t let one bad experience ruin you for life,” Jeremy responded. “Besides, I’m only getting to know her. It’s not like I’m marrying her.”
With that, he walked out of the private room.
Meanwhile, Corey hadn’t expected Shawn to hold back from revealing Kathleen’s identity.
