Divorce 209
Yonas leaned back on the sofa, taking a sip of wine. The moonlight washed over his face, casting him in a stillness that rivaled a Greek statue, devoid of any life. Finally, at two in the morning, their drinking spree came to an end.
Yonas helped Chuck to the guest room. As he laid him down, he faintly heard Chuck murmuring. "What did you say?" he asked.
Yonas leaned in closer to hear what Chuck was muttering about.
"Lucy... how can you be so irresponsible..."
A smile touched Yonas' lips. Turns out, Chuck's heartache was all about Lucy. He pulled out his phone, switching to record mode to capture Chuck's sleepy mumblings.
***
In two days, it would be Hunter's birthday at Constant Sunrise Group. To give back to society, Hunter decided to turn his birthday banquet into a charity auction. Participants were required to provide an item from their collection to be auctioned off, with proceeds going directly to charity. Undoubtedly, this grand auction would be the talk of Soucrity.
After all, the much-coveted Emerald Isle was in Hunter's possession, and he seemed more than willing to part with it.
Yasmine and Lucy planned to shop for high-fashion dresses together. The moment they met, Yasmine noticed something was off with Lucy. She teased, "Usually, you're so excited about hitting the shops with me. What's up today?" Lucy pouted, "No..."
Yasmine feigned indifference and said, "Alright, alright, if nothing's wrong, just don't hold back next time you're feeling bad and let me know."
Lucy's eyes widened as she linked arms with her, "You! Boohoo, how could you do this to me?" She pretended to wipe away tears, glanced around, and pulled Yasmine into a secluded corner. "I had a one-night stand with someone." Yasmine looked at her in shock, "Who?"
"It was... just that darn chef," Lucy replied awkwardly.
"Chuck? How did you two even...?" Yasmine asked with confusion.
Lucy's face turned crimson as she stammered, "That night at the bar, we both got really drunk."
Lucy recounted the events of that night to Yasmine. After hearing the whole story, Yasmine said, "You just ran off like that? And then last night, Chuck came looking for you, saying you bailed after getting everything you wanted?" Yasmine pondered for a moment. That question should probably be Lucy's to answer, right? After all, Lucy did run off first. She laughed helplessly, "Why did you run away?"
"I was so scared at the time, all I could think of was leaving," Lucy admitted. Even now, the thought of running away still crossed her mind.
Yasmine suddenly remembered the voice message Yonas sent her last night. She tentatively asked Lucy, "So what's your attitude towards him now?"
"I don't know, we were both drunk that day. It's hard to say who was right or wrong, maybe he regrets it too. Let's just pretend it never happened, Lucy replied with a bitter smile.
Without the voice message from yesterday, Yasmine might have supported Lucy's decision. But now she was keenly aware that Chuck might have unknowingly developed feelings for Lucy. "Do you really think so?"
Lucy tried to speak, but the words caught in her throat. She opened her mouth several times, but ultimately said nothing, shaking her head helplessly.
Yasmine could see the desolation in her eyes and suddenly grasped Lucy's hand seriously, saying, "Let's give it a try."Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
"Give it a try? Try what?" Lucy asked.
Yasmine's voice was gentle, instilling an inexplicable trust, "Let's see if he likes you."
"Huh?" Lucy exclaimed in surprise.
Yasmine took out her phone and played the recording for her, "He kept calling your name while drunk. Yonas sent it to me. Why not give it a try? If you feel even a little flutter of excitement." A faint blush appeared on Lucy's face as she smiled and said, "Then let's try."
In the evening, Yasmine called Chuck, "Chuck, I'd like to invite two friends to dinner at Paragon Hotel tonight. Are you free?" Such a big event wouldn't be complete without the main character.
At 7:30 PM, Yasmine arrived at Paragon Hotel right on time with Lucy. Chuck was stunned when he saw her; he hadn't expected the friend Yasmine mentioned to be her. As he placed the menu on Yasmine's table, he saw Lucy waving excitedly towards the door. "Over here!" Yasmine smiled and explained, "This is Lucy's boyfriend."
Chuck's hand shook slightly as he held the menu, his smile instantly disappearing. He shockingly stared at the man approaching them. He noticed Lucy placing her hand on the man's arm, the two of them looking like a perfect pair of sweethearts. "Boyfriend? She's in a relationship?" All he could feel was a sour sensation spreading in his heart, an unfamiliar emotion engulfing him, and he didn't even feel like cooking anymore. Yasmine said leisurely, "Yes, her boyfriend, isn't he handsome?
Help us serve the dishes, won't you? I did promise them the best dishes from a top chef. Don't let us down."
Chuck gripped the menu so tightly his knuckles turned white, nearly grinding his teeth as he said, "Alright then, I won't disappoint you." He couldn't quite figure out what he was feeling, just a kind of bitterness. The man sat stiffly next to Lucy, unsure of what to do with his hands or where to look.
Yasmine almost laughed and whispered to Lucy, "Where did you find this guy? He looks way too fake."
Lucy said bashfully, "I just picked a random extra."
Just then, Chuck brought the dish over, specially placing a bowl of soup in front of the man. Staring straight at him, he said, "This soup is just for you, sir. Drink it while it's hot."
The man accepted it with both hands, thanking him profusely.
After Chuck went back to the kitchen, Yasmine hurriedly continued, "You guys need to act more affectionate! Lucy, you should feed him your dessert later."
"Huh?" Lucy quickly picked up her plate and brought a piece of pastry to the man's mouth. It was the first time she felt so awkward doing something so simple. She wasn't usually this reserved, so why was she so stuck in this situation? The man took a sip of the soup Chuck gave him and nearly spat it out. It was so salty, like eating straight salt.
"What's wrong?" Lucy asked.
The man shook his head, "Nothing."
Chuck brought the dish to the table again and looked at the man's half-filled bowl with dissatisfaction. "You gotta finish the soup. I specially simmered it just for you." The man glanced at Yasmine in a panic, quickly nodding his head.
Neither Yasmine nor Lucy noticed; he was just an extra, paid to play his role well. Lifting the bowl as if going to his doom, he prepared to drink it all down.