Chapter 166 Work
Finished
At noon, Shawn invited me to lunch. He told me he’d be at a nearby restaurant and mentioned some work–related matters, asking me to report to him directly.
I didn’t hesitate. I grabbed the documents I needed to sign and headed over.
As soon as I entered the private room. I spotted Hazel.
She looked up. her expression a mix of unease and uncertainty. I ignored her, walking past her to sit in the chair next to her.
Shawn, looking drained and tired, barely glanced at me before his voice turned cold. “Hazel, apologize to Tiffany.”
Hazel’s eyes were dull, the usual spark gone. She looked like she’d been scolded.
She stared at me, as if waiting for something.
Maybe she expected me to be forgiving, to say something like, “It’s okay, we’re family.”
But no. My face remained neutral, and I said nothing. If she thought I’d just forgive her, she was mistaken.
I wasn’t a bully, but I wasn’t anyone’s doormat either.
“Hazel, do I need to repeat myself?” Shawn’s voice sharpened.
Hazel’s eyes welled up, and with a resigned sigh, she spoke. Tiffany, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have sent those nasty texts yesterday. I know it’s not your fault, it’s my brother who did you dirty. You were the one who got hurt in all this.”
I kept my expression emotionless, nodding once in acknowledgment.
“I won’t do it again,” Hazel said, lowering her gaze.
She won’t do it again? More like she doesn’t have the guts. There’s a world of difference between those two.
Hazel didn’t stay for lunch. After the apology, she quickly made an excuse and left.
Once it was just Shawn and me in the room, I turned to him and said. “Thank you.”
Shawn looked at me, surprised. “Thank me for what?”
*For finally standing up for fairness and taking my side,” I replied, offering a faint smile.
His expression froze for a moment, clearly unsure of how to take my words.
Shawn shifted uncomfortably in his seat, then spoke. “I should’ve been a better older brother. If Hazel had disrespected you from the start, I should’ve stepped in. I shouldn’t have let her keep pushing you.” For the first time, Shawn actually sounded like a big brother.
“It’s fine, it’s all in the past,” I said, my tone light, dismissing the moment.
Shawn let out a quiet breath, his shoulders easing as if a weight had lifted. Just then, the waiter arrived, setting the dishes on
the table.
We ate in silence, the only sound the soft clink of forks against plates. Shawn’s gaze was distant, lost in thought, his appetite barely touched.
I filled the silence with talk of work, focusing on the details. Shawn’s responses were absent, his mind elsewhere. But whenever something important carne up, he’d offer a word or two of advice, his voice flat.
I kent uninỡ talking about nenlects timelines–everything that needed his attention. He nodded distracted. Finally he set his
Chapter 166 Work
Finished
Shawn paused, his brows furrowing, taken aback. Then he chuckled quietly. “Is being my wife really that hard? I didn’t think I was asking too much.”
I shook my head, my expression serious. “It’s not about being physically tired. It’s the emotional toll.”
Shawn’s face softened, his eyes meeting mine with a hint of understanding. “Tiffany, I know I haven’t been the perfect. husband. But I’m trying to change.
You don’t need to change.” I interrupted quickly, raising my hand. “You’re already great. Really, Shawn. Even if we end up divorcing, my parents only have good things to say about you. You’ve succeeded as a person.”
His face darkened, frustration flickering in his eyes. I could see the question forming in his mind: If everything’s so good, then why are we splitting up?
“Tiffany” he said, his voice tense. “I didn’t peg you as someone who’d use flattery on me like everyone else. I’m clearly not good enough, or you wouldn’t want a divorce!
I smiled, my expression playful. “You figured me out.”
Shawn stared at me, lost for a moment. I knew the effect my smile had on him. He’d always said that when I smiled, I looked warm. gentle–someone who could make a house feel like a home.
Now, my smile was different. It was honest, natural, without any ulterior motives.
Shawn looked down at his teacup, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the rim. “Tiffany, maybe you don’t know this, but every time I think about us getting divorced–about never seeing you again, never having any connection–I feels like I’m losing my mind.”
1 froze, caught off guard. Of course, I felt the same way a long, long time ago. In my past life, to be exact
When Shawn had placed the divorce papers in front of me, offering me money to sign, my deepest fear had been that I would never see him again. That once we were separated, he would slip away forever. In that moment, I had torn up those papers with so much force, I hadn’t realized how strong my hands were, shredding them to pieces.
Shawn’s gaze darkened as he watched me, his voice quieter, less steady than usual. “Tiffany, I think I’m just like man. When I had it, I didn’t appreciate it. Now, when I’m about to lose it, I can’t bring myself to let go. I used to say you were
every other weak, that you depended too much on others. But now… I don’t understand why I can’t let go either.”
Send Gifts
10
