By Zephyria In an instant, Winston almost distorted his face. Quickly hiding his emotions, he smiled brightly and looked at Evelyn, who was approaching him.
“Winston, it’s been a while. How have you been?”
“Yes, you look good too.”
Winston, who formally hugged her lightly and quickly stepped back, gave a forced smile.
“I didn’t know you were coming…”
Deliberately dragging out the end of his words and glancing at Mrs. Campbell, Evelyn spoke first.
“What’s wrong with that? It’s a chance to see each other’s faces. Isn’t that right, Mother?”
“Of course, of course. I’m glad you feel the same way, dear.”
Seeing the two of them happily talking, Winston felt inwardly displeased.It might even be an opportunity.
This isn’t good for Evelyn either. Thinking it would be better to talk to Evelyn directly than to restrain his mother, he smiled as if nothing was wrong.
“Mother.”
Lady Catherine, who appeared from somewhere, gently took Mrs. Campbell’s arm. As if she understood without being told, Mrs. Campbell smiled and nodded. Lady Catherine, who was about to follow after her mother as she turned to leave, stopped and looked back and forth between them.
“You look good together, you should have done this sooner. You look really good, both of you.”
Lady Catherine, rattling off the words as if she had prepared them, winked slyly and disappeared after her mother. Soon after, her mother appeared in the center of the stage.
“Thank you all for coming to the party.”
As Mrs. Campbell greeted the crowd under the spotlight, people applauded. With a satisfied smile on her face, she continued with praise for the guests at the party and light jokes. Winston, who had been indifferently watching the people making murmuring laughter at the right timing, subtly turned his head. Evelyn, who had been looking at Mrs. Campbell, seemed to notice his gaze and moved her eyes to meet his.
“Shall we go out and talk for a bit?”
At Winston’s question, a faint blush appeared on Evelyn’s cheeks. Winston took her, who nodded briefly, through the crowd and headed for the garden. Mrs. Campbell, who saw the two of them moving together from the stage, raised the corners of her lips as much as possible. After checking the man going around the corner and following them, she continued speaking as if nothing had happened.
* * *
The noise of the people was heard from afar. Winston, who had been walking silently in the garden, spoke first.
“I didn’t expect to meet you here.”
“My mother invited me.”
Evelyn replied with a smile.
“You knew I was coming, didn’t you?”
At Winston’s question, she hesitated for a moment before nodding. Winston barely managed to hold back a sigh.
“Evelyn.”
“Yes.”
When they stopped at a distance from the mansion, Evelyn, who had been walking side by side, also stopped. The noise from the party was still audible. Winston looked down at Evelyn and opened his mouth.
“I have something to tell you.”
At the ominous beginning, Evelyn looked up at him, seemingly a little nervous. Winston felt a pang of guilt. She hadn’t done anything wrong. His mother, who used Evelyn every time, was the bad one. But now it was time to end this meaningless relationship. He took a short breath and spoke.
“I don’t know what you’re expecting from me, but I’m married.”
Suddenly, Evelyn’s face turned cold. Winston continued, being as careful as possible not to upset her.
“It’s not good for you to keep getting involved with me like this. I’ll talk to my mother again, but I hope you’ll refuse if she contacts you like this in the future.”
As he asked in an extremely businesslike tone, excluding emotions, Evelyn blinked as if embarrassed. She wandered her gaze, not knowing what to do, and finally opened her mouth as if she had made up her mind.
“My mother said… that you’ll be getting a divorce soon…”
Her faintly trembling voice faded weakly. Winston replied indifferently to her, who couldn’t even finish the sentence properly.
“That’s what will happen. But that doesn’t mean I’ll marry you. No, I won’t marry anyone, unless it’s Yu-jin.”
As he spoke, he gradually felt a sense of reality. Yes, Yu-jin will leave me. Because I made him do that.
Blinded by jealousy.
“If Yu-jin chooses someone else and marries them, I’ll live alone for the rest of my life.”
He laughed self-deprecatingly. It was a future that was so clearly determined. Winston could see the scene as clearly as if it were right in front of him. Yu-jin leaving, without Angela, growing old alone.
Just like Harold.
“I love Yu-jin.”
He declared in a clear tone.
“I did in the past, I do now, and I will in the future. I can’t love anyone but Yu-jin for the rest of my life.”
Ah, could there be a more obvious truth than this?
When he realized his true feelings anew, Evelyn opened her mouth.
“I’ve only ever looked at you.”
Her faint voice trembled. Winston clearly saw the despair, sadness, resentment, and all sorts of emotions mixed in her eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
He apologized sincerely. Perhaps he knew her feelings best right now. As he felt a bitter feeling, Evelyn’s eyes seemed to glisten, and then tears flowed down.
“You were the only one for me.”
She muttered to herself, then spat out nervously.
“You’re getting a divorce, and he doesn’t love you. You know that!”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Winston said quietly. He continued in a low voice to Evelyn, who paused.
“Yu-jin’s feelings don’t matter. Because I love him.”
Evelyn was speechless again. Winston apologized again as he looked at her face distorted as if suppressing tears.
“I’m sorry.”
Evelyn didn’t say anything more. Winston silently watched her, her shoulders trembling slightly as she lowered her head.
Suddenly, Evelyn raised her fist and tapped Winston’s arm. Soon after, Winston silently hugged her as she leaned against his chest and sobbed softly. There were no feelings. It was just an action out of guilt.
He couldn’t just blame his mother. He was also responsible for having been engaged to Evelyn in a state of resignation. Knowing her feelings, could he confidently say that he hadn’t used those feelings?
Nevertheless.
Ah, nevertheless.
Winston closed his eyes. At this moment, he desperately wanted to see Yu-jin.
* * *
“Welcome back, Mr. Campbell.”
The Butler greeted Winston, who opened the car door himself and got out, before he could even open the door. Winston brushed past him and asked.
“Where’s Yu-jin?”
“He’s in Angie’s room. It’s time for her to go to bed now, so…”
Winston didn’t listen any further and strode away, eventually running up the stairs, skipping two or three steps at a time. He wanted to see the two people he loved the most as soon as possible. He arrived in front of the door in an instant, panting for a moment, his shoulders heaving. Light was leaking through the thin gap under the door. After a pause, he carefully opened the door, and Angela, who was lying in bed, and Yu-jin, who was sitting on a folding chair next to the bed, turned their heads at the same time.
Ah.
A sigh of joy flowed from his mouth involuntarily. Angela was the first to brighten up and sit up.
“Winnie!”
“Angie.”
Winston smiled brightly and approached them.
“I’m back.”
After kissing the child on the cheek and hugging her tightly, he glanced at Yu-jin. He watched them with a rather displeased expression, then turned his head away. Winston was not disappointed because it was the reaction he had expected. He just felt bitter.
“Why are you so late?”
Winston came to his senses at Angela’s question and quickly focused his attention on the child.
“I was busy with work. Thank you for waiting, Angie.”
Angela replied with a satisfied face at Winston’s words.
“I was so sleepy I almost fell asleep. You have to come earlier starting tomorrow.”
My daughter.
At the sudden realization, Winston almost hugged the child and Yu-jin all at once. He could have built a happy family with this lovely child and his only love. He had simply wasted several years. He had missed all those precious moments since Angela was born, no, since Yu-jin was pregnant.
Because he had fallen for a trick.
Winston barely managed to resist the urge to kill himself.
“What’s wrong?”
Yu-jin called him. Winston looked back and forth between the two pairs of eyes looking at him and shook his head.
“No, nothing. …Were you reading this to her?”
He pointed to the fairy tale book Yu-jin was holding, and he glanced down at the book and nodded.
“Angie chose it. It’s her favorite book.”
“I see…”
Winston was silent for a moment, then spoke with difficulty.
“Can I read it to her?”