Chapter 17
Kathleen and Shawn left the bedroom one after another.
Judy smiled as she watched them, and when her eyes landed on the red marks on Kathleen’s neck, that smile only deepened.
“The maid made some bone broth. Come and have some.”
Judy got up, went to the kitchen, and served them the broth. She then handed a bowl to Kathleen, saying, “Make sure you eat well.”
“Thank you.” Kathleen accepted it with both hands politely.
Judy then turned to Shawn and lightly patted his shoulder. “No matter what, you need to eat properly and rest well.”
“I know.” He sat down and picked up his bowl. “What you did today was…”
“I won’t do it again,” she explained quickly and smiled. “This will be the first and the last time.”
He shot her a look of disbelief, and she nodded sincerely. “I promise.”
As Kathleen drank her broth, she could tell that Judy truly cared about Shawn. If his days weren’t numbered, she probably wouldn’t have meddled in his marriage. After all, with a supportive family like his, he should have had the freedom to marry someone he truly loved.
Judy was more at ease now that she saw them living together and didn’t linger any longer.
་ ་ ་
Kathleen was still drinking the broth even after she left. Then, she glanced at Shawn and asked, “Have you ever thought about leaving your family something to remember you by?”
Despite not spelling it out, her implication was clear.
He finished the last sip of the broth and wiped his mouth with a napkin before responding indifferently, “There’s no need for that.”
She nodded. “I get it. You should have a child with someone you love.”
“Is that how you see it?” Shawn leaned back in his chair, looking relaxed. “Can you marry someone you don’t love and have their children?”
“No,” she answered without hesitation.
He raised an eyebrow upon hearing her answer. “Does that mean what you told me before was all a lie?”
“You’re different.” Kathleen lifted her head and met his gaze.
Suddenly, Shawn recalied that Jeremy had said that Kathleen owed him her life. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember ever meeting her or saving her life.
His memory wasn’t bad enough to forget something as big as that if it had happened.
“My parents must’ve offered you quite a deal.” Shawn’s voice was flat. “Carrying my child makes you the Vance family’s hero. Even when I’m gone, you’ll still live a wealthy and comfortable life.”
Kathleen didn’t argue or derry his statements.
A cold smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth when he saw her silence. He draped an arm over the back of his chair and scoffed. “Time’s running out. Aren’t you afraid you’ll lose all that privilege?”
“I do. So, will you allow me to sleep with you?” Her eyes gleamed with mischief.
Shawn narrowed his eyes. Kathleen was up to something again–the cheeky and mischievous version of her that he couldn’t trust.
“No.”
“Then, I guess I’m not destined for wealth.” With that, she stood up and cleaned the bowls. “If it’s not in my destiny, I will not force it.” She sighed. He seriously doubted she’d ever said anything truthful.
After tidying up, she went to the bedroom to grab her things and called out, “I’m leaving now.”
Shawn remained seated.
As Kathleen was changing her shoes at the door, she suddenly heard him say, “That guy will still bother you”
“Who?” She turned back to look at him, confused.
“Your ex. He knows where you live. Aren’t you worried he’ll disturb you again?”
She shrugged, clearly unfazed. “Worst case scenario, I’ll call the police.”
Shawn rubbed his palms together, his gaze darkening slightly as he advised, “You don’t have to leave.”
“What do you mean?”
“What I mean is that you can stay here and stop calling the police for petty things like this” His voice grew colder.
Upon hearing this, Kathleen was dumbfounded. A grin gradually appeared on her face as she saw the awkwardness in his expression.
Chapter 17
“Are you worried about me?” she teased, putting her shoes back on and heading over to him with a smile. “Shawn, have you fallen for me?”
He pushed his chair back, stood with his hands in his pockets, and walked to the bedroom. “You’re delusional.”
“Can I come home after 10:00 pm tonight?” She yelled out just as he was about to shut the door.
He ignored her, but it didn’t ruin her good mood.
2/2
When Kathleen arrived at the office, she was bombarded with questions about the three men from last night.
They assumed that since she knew Jeremy, she naturally knew the other two men with whom he had been chatting.
“I only know the aloof one is married. I’m not sure about the other,” she answered truthfully.
“Seriously? Why are all the good–looking ones taken? Hey, ask about the other guy for us next time!”
Kathleen found Colin a bit more approachable than Shawn, as he seemed warmer, and agreed to it. He was tall and handsome. If he didn’t have a girlfriend, she could perhaps keep an eye out for someone suitable for him.
As they chatted, Troy walked through the door.
Ever since she turned him down, he had been cold toward her and only interacted with her when necessary. Not that she cared, anyway. If anything, she preferred it that way as it made her job easy.
During the afternoon, they all went to have lunch together.
A coworker told Kathleen, “I heard Troy is leaving.”
She didn’t know about this. “It makes sense. After all, his family is in Bexley.”
“It’s kind of a shame that things didn’t happen between you two. He really likes you, but you’re married. If you hadn’t, maybe you two would have happy ending instead of a sad one.”
Kathleen was left speechless when she heard this. She couldn’t believe that people actually shipped her with Troy.
a
As Christmas approached, most work was completed, but the remaining staff were still preparing for next year’s exhibition.
Just before the end of the day, Troy came over to her desk. “My flight’s tomorrow.”
She looked up at him and replied nonchalantly, “Have a safe trip.”
He bit his lip and chuckled bitterly. “Kathleen, could you be any colder?”
“What do you expect me to say?” She frowned.
“I came here because of you, and you got married without saying a word. Now that I’m leaving, you can’t even offer to grab a meal or see me off?” He was upset, and she could understand why.
Kathleen sucked in a deep breath and explained, “Maybe I seem cold, but this is the reality. I’ve been rejecting you from the start, and I’ve never asked you to follow me here or hide the fact that I was married. I understand you like me, but I can’t feel sorry for you or guilty about my choice because of it.” “So no, I won’t join you for a meal or see you off,” she replied coldly, her tone leaving no room for doubt. “As your coworker, all I can offer is my wishes that you have a safe trip and the best of luck for your future endeavors.”
As Troy listened to her every word, he suddenly realized how he had never noticed how cold a person she was before.
Despite her good looks, she was friendly with everyone, joked around, and never appeared arrogant. She was always generous, honest, and forthcoming, which made everyone like her.
However, she was now as cold as ice.
He wasn’t sure whether to be upset or not. In the end, all he could do was let out a sneer. “I guess now I finally see you for who you are.”
“Good” Kathleen smiled. “I hope we can keep things professional as we’ll probably cross paths again at work.”
“I’m quitting once I get back. I don’t ever want to cross paths with you.”
“Okary”
Troy gave her one last glance. In truth, he was reluctant to let her go, but he realized he needed to.
With that, he set his mind and turned to leave. After taking two steps, he looked back at her and said, “Kathleen, I hope your marriage is happy.” She was caught off guard for a moment before she smiled and thanked him.
