Zoey wasn’t seriously planning on moving back to Southgrove. Her mother and uncle were still in Northwell. So was her studio and business was slowly picking up. It did not make sense for her to leave Northwell just because she wanted to avoid seeing someone. It wasn't worth it, and she would not act rashly either.Zoey felt sleepy after she ended the call with Rose. She found she wasn't as upset as she thought she'd be after hearing the news about Laurence finding himself new lovers. She didn’t even have the urge to look it up online. When she thought about it, this was what happened to the majority of people. Drifting apart from the person one fancied in their youth was inevitable. It was rare for anyone to have everything go the way they wished.Zoey didn't bother sparing Laurence much thought. She was so tired that she fell asleep in seconds.The next day, Zoey was late for work as she had been so exhausted that she couldn't wake up that morning. She was busy with the Porters proj
"You're not fat." Jason recalled Zoey used to be much chubbier as a child. Even in her adolescence, when girls put a lot of emphasis on looking pretty, she was on the heavier side, very healthy and balanced. She had the right figure then, not too sickly thin, or obese. He found her too thin these days.But Zoey was still wary. "If I don't control myself, I'll get really fat."Jason didn't view being plump as an issue. Being too thin was unhealthy. "You'll look good even if you're plumper,” he reassured.Still, Zoey did not finish the snacks she was munching on. For the past few days, she noticed that she got hungry too quickly and ate again soon after meals. If she did not put a stop to it, she would puff up like a balloon soon enough. That wouldn't do. She still wanted to look good.Jason had made a reservation at a restaurant Zoey liked. The place had a nice view of the city, and one could behold the entire night view through the windows.Zoey had just sat down when she sudden
Zoey was momentarily stunned. Her brows slowly knitted together, and she no longer sounded as cheerful as she had been seconds before. "No." She hurriedly added, "But my monthlies never come on time. I usually have them at the end of the month, and that's more than ten days away." Her hasty explanation sounded like she was trying to cover things up. "Rose, what are you implying?" she asked. As much as she tried to steady her voice, it had an uneasy undertone. She smiled, albeit a very forced smile. "You aren’t assuming I’m pregnant, are you?”Rose hoped she was just overthinking things. "Yes, that must be it. I’m jumping to conclusions too hastily," she thought to herself. Zoey had been married to Laurence for two years, and they never had a child in that time. Could she be so unfortunate to find out that she was pregnant right after their divorce? "No, I was just asking offhandedly. Don't let the thought mess with you," Rose assured."Now that you mention it, there do seem to
"I have no control over your thoughts." Zoey replied dismissively. She couldn't be bothered to explain, nor did she find it necessary. She was headed out the door, and he was making his way into the building, so they were going in opposite directions.Laurence had the urge to call out to her when she passed him. Things had already turned out this way between them, yet he still held out unrealistic hopes for her to reconsider things. After all, since they were both at the Bureau of Civil Affairs, it wasn't entirely impossible for them to remarry. However, Zoey did not turn back, and he did not say another word.The staff there recognized him immediately and could only exclaim inwardly, "Men have always been unfaithful. He's just gotten a divorce, and he already has a constant stream of new lovers.""Please give me my divorce certificate.""You'll need to sign here, please."Laurence picked up a pen and signed the piece of paper. The staff then handed the other copy of the divorce c
Zoey felt like she'd been struck by lightning. Her refusal to believe the results prompted her to do the test again. However, the results remained consistent every time. Every test displayed two red lines. Zoey had an indistinct feeling for days. Ever since Rose had asked her about her menstruation, the more she thought about it, the more she felt that something was off. But she was in denial and refused to accept the possibility.Zoey sat on her bed and stared into space for a long time. No matter how she thought about it, nothing seemed to make sense. How was it possible? There were only two possible explanations. It was either purely accidental, or something must’ve been wrong with the medicine Laurence got her from the hospital. But Zoey didn’t think that Laurence would do something like that.It was true that he had said that he wanted a child. However, he did not hide his intentions from her and had told her upfront that he wanted a child. If he really did pull something so u
Adrian had never seen Laurence behave in such a manner. If only he could unsee it as it was out of character for Laurence. He was acting strange. Laurence wasn’t himself at all. Adrian believed something was going on with Laurence. Silence befell the room. Some people did not know who Zoey was before, but she was a familiar face now. In an attempt to lighten the mood, Adrian smiled. "Isn't she your ex-wife? It's normal not to keep in touch after the divorce." The tension rose to an all-time high. Clutching his phone, Laurence fixed his dark, emotionless eyes on Adrian as if he had said the most blasphemous thing. Laurence's staring gave Adrian the creeps. But Adrian was only being honest. What was wrong with keeping it real? Laurence was probably sensitive to the subject. He shouldn’t be, though. Everybody had seen the statement he released a few days before. You could understand a person’s attitude by the way they handled matters. Adrian had a hard time believing that Zoey was l
Laurence recalled bits and pieces of what had happened. He pulled a long face, confused by his erratic behavior. Like a trapped beast, he could not seem to break free from the invisible chains. This was not the first time Laurence had pulled such an act. The chauffeur bore witness to his behavior in the last two weeks. Mr. Scott would not engage in such disgrace when he was in a lucid state of mind. Nevertheless, under the influence of alcohol in social engagements, Laurence became obsessed with returning to the former villa or driving to Miss Jenner's new residence. The chauffeur was reluctant to speak, and pin-drop silence filled the vehicle. It was as if someone was strangling Laurence, sucking the air out of him. He ordered, "Head home. Don't listen to me whenever I have too much to drink." "Of course." Laurence believed he capped his alcohol during the dinner party. How did the alcohol get to his head? They had broken up. He could not embarrass himself in her presence.
Laurence found himself coming to see Zoey time and time again. It was a hard habit to break, and he needed time to adjust to the new routine. That was the scary part about habits. Often enough, it took a long time before a person could grasp the magnitude of pain after losing someone or something. The realization always came from the tiniest details. Laurence would reach out while he was half-asleep to feel the person who no longer slept next to him. He always set a course to Birch Residences after work, and poured a glass of milk before bed. The pain was a long time coming, forcing him to cope with the new circumstances. Laurence stared at the receding figures as he sat in the car with a cigarette between his teeth. The thin smoke clouded his vision, hiding his bloodshot eyes from the lack of sleep. His eyes felt sore, so sore his tears threatened to fall. Laurence calmly finished his cigarette. Since the divorce, he no longer saw the point of quitting. It was not as though she