Chapter 5

Lynda turned her head stiffly to look at Charles. "Why is she here?"

Charles' eyes briefly showed guilt, just as he was about to speak, Eleanor interrupted, "Lynda, a few days ago I smashed your mom's urn, and got my hand hurt by wooden splinters. Charles was worried about me living alone without anyone to care for me..."

Eleanor raised her eyebrows triumphantly, leaving Lynda feeling a weight pressing on her heart.

She had been in the hospital for half a month, and Charles, her husband, only visited once, and that was to pressure her into signing the settlement agreement. The rest of the time, he was with Eleanor.

So, today, he took the initiative to pick Lynda up because...

"Lynda, Eleanor will be staying here for another half month. Don't bully her." Charles said.

This wasn't a negotiation-it was a direct decree, without even bothering to find an excuse. Clearly, Charles didn't consider Lynda the mistress of this house anymore.

The most ridiculous part was his worry that she might bully Eleanor, when it was Eleanor who had been bullying her all along.

Was this what people said-love blinded one's eyes?

Lynda quickly went upstairs and slammed the door shut.

Eleanor pretended to be startled. "Charles, Lynda seems upset. Maybe I should leave."

"Don't leave, Eleanor. No one can make you leave this house."

"Aren't you afraid Lynda will get so mad she'll divorce you?"

Charles almost blurted out, "She won't."

The words pierced Lynda's heart like a poisoned needle. She leaned against the door, crying silently.

What made Charles so sure she wouldn't divorce him? Was he convinced she loved him too much so that he felt he could hurt her without fear.

But even if she loved him deeply, her heart could still be wounded, could still ache.

In the middle of the night, Lynda was awakened by noises from the living room.

Charles was watching dramas with Eleanor, yet when Lynda had begged him to do the same before, he had dismissed it as childish.

Despite his cleanliness obsession, he didn't mind picking up chips and feeding them to Eleanor, who playfully sucked his fingers, her tongue teasing...

With a bang, Lynda slammed the door shut.

Upon hearing the sound from upstairs, Charles instinctively withdrew his hand.

He stared intently at the closed door, inexplicably worried, concerned that Lynda might have seen what just happened.

But he knew that Lynda loved him so much that even if she knew about his relationship with Eleanor, she wouldn't do anything.

Suddenly, the door opened from inside.

Lynda descended the stairs carrying a box, dumping its contents into the trash in front of them, before exhaling heavily.

She had discarded all the love letters she had written to Charles, totaling nearly ten thousand, which he had never responded to, along with all the photos she had secretly taken of him, her carefully chosen gifts... and the only thing Charles had ever given her-a broken cufflink.

On her birthday, knowing Charles wouldn't prepare a gift, she had still asked, and when his cufflink happened to break, he handed it over without a thought. He didn't know how ecstatic it had made her, keeping her up all night with joy.

Reflecting on that, Lynda laughed at herself bitterly. She had treasured something Charles considered worthless for years.

Eleanor giggled quietly but pretended to be concerned. "Charles, Lynda seems really angry. You should go and comfort her."

"Eleanor, she often throws tantrums. Just ignore her." Charles replied.

Lynda paused as she climbed the stairs, then quickened her pace, closing the door behind her. She leaned wearily against it, her eyes stinging, yet unable to shed tears.

Even now, Charles still thought she was just throwing tantrums.

He didn't know they were already divorced, and the waiting period would end in just half a month.

Lynda dug out a box of long-stored liquor and chugged down an entire bottle.

Back then, a single phrase from Charles-"I like girls who stay chaste"-was all it took for her to give up alcohol entirely.

Thinking back, it was truly laughable.

Charles didn't love her, no matter how she changed, he never would change his mind.

Since she no longer loved Charles, Lynda decided to indulge herself.

One bottle after another went down until she lost count, when suddenly the door was pushed open.

"Lynda, you're pregnant and drinking? Can you stop throwing tantrums?"