Irene sat down and told him, "Let's be serious, Zachary."
Zachary sat opposite her in turn, his eyes fixed on her. "I was being serious."
"Then tell me. Are you visiting Lulu to see her baby or were you just lying to me?" Irene asked, looking him in the eye.
Zachary did a double take, though he had to admit that he had been feeling troubled because he was not allowed to acknowledge his own child.
It was as regretful as it was painful, and he certainly was upset that Irene stopped him.
Naturally, he understood that Irene was doing this for Lulu's sake, but did he not have the right to be informed and to the child's custody?
"I was lying a little," he replied.
Even if he was upset and disappointed about it, he had no genuine intention of ruining Lulu's life now.
"I admit that Martin is good and has done better than I have," Zachary said, knowing that it was his own fault things ended badly between him and Lulu.
If only he had the strength to protect her from harm and from breaking her heart, she would not have given up on him and accepted another man.
Zachary had actually come to understand his mistake in the past, but the point was that there was now a link between them.
He definitely would not show up around Lulu if not for his baby.
Sighing, he asked, "What are you trying to say?"
"There's this saying that liking a person is self-indulgent, whereas love is self-restraint," Irene replied. "Which of these do you feel toward Lulu?"
Zachary frowned, unable to answer just then.
However, that was because he disagreed with Irene's statement.
Why did he have to restrain himself for love? Why was he not allowed to indulge himself?
"What do you think about it?" he asked Irene in return.
"I think it's right," Irene said bluntly.
"I can't agree." Zachary shook his head—even if he would not disturb Lulu now, he would not accept that statement either.
Irene stared warily at him then. "So what are you going to do? Go to Lulu?"
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: The runaway groom novel (Irene and Isaac)