Chapter 129
7 don’t quite know how you feel about Ms. Shultz…”
With concern about her potential analytical mistake, Liana summoned the courage to ask.
If Bernard doesn’t care about Eleanor, then Liana’s keeping the lie about her illness is understandable. But if Bernard genuinely cares about Eleanor, then he will likely blame Liana when he discovers the truth. Liana hoped to get a clear answer from Bernard, so it could help her decide whether to tell him the truth. While Liana was racking her brain, Bernard put down his phone and raised his glass for a sip of wine. His demeanor suggested to Liana that he might not care about Eleanor as much as she thought.
“To me, she’s just someone to satisfy my physical needs.”
Bernard’s answer hinted to Liana that his concern went no further than that.
So, Liana finally understood how Bernard thought of Eleanor.
She’d assumed, because of how he rushed to take Eleanor to the hospital and then brought her back home for care, that he liked her to some extent.
Turns out it was just a matter of meeting his physical need.
That’s probably why he hadn’t switched a sex partner in five years, she thought.
Of course, Liana knew that Eleanor was the woman by Bernard’s side; she just hadn’t met her before.
She had believed that Bernard’s reluctance to change partners in all this time was because he genuinely liked Eleanor.
Now it dawned on her–men and women could view relationships differently. Some guys might care more about fulfilling their physical needs, rather than actually liking someone.
This mindset seemed especially emphasized in Bernard, a man with severe obsessions. Once he found a woman who he could accept, he wouldn’t let her go so easily.
With the door half opened, sounds from the conversation outside reached Eleanor’s ears and made her disgusting.
Reality slapped her in the face as she became acutely aware of Bernard’s true feelings.
What’s more absurd was that she had even been moved by his occasional kind gestures in the past. She felt so foolish.
Luckily, she had kept her emotions for him in check with rationality.
For the past five years, she’d been restraining her feelings for him. That way, when he eventually discarded her, she wouldn’t be utterly pathetic. Eleanor raised her right hand and adjusted the drip speed on the IV bag, believing that a faster pace might heal her more quickly.
After Liana left, Bernard busied himself for a while, working until the butler, Bryson, brought the prepared soup.
Bernard then put his work aside, looked up at Bryson and said, “Give it to me.”
Bryson hesitated, then realized that Mr. Laurence wanted to serve Eleanor the soup personally.
He quickly handed the tray over, cautioning, “Mr. Laurence, be careful not to burn your hands.”
Bernard nodded, stood, and carried the food to Eleanor’s room.
Hearing Bernard’s footsteps, Eleanor quickly closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.
As Bernard entered the room, he noticed Eleanor’s closed eyes but also saw that her eyelids were slightly quivering. He knew she was faking sleep. His usually cold eyes softened a bit.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: A Second Chance At Forever novel (Eleanor and Bernard)
Loved the story, many times caught in so much actually crying with the situation. Wish had more chapters to a better ending....
It's weird that the story went from narrative to slang use. Good story so far though...