Harrison was left speechless.
A fiery anger surged within him, burning uncontrollably in his chest.
He was in a terrible mood, "I need a smoke."
He walked alone to the stairwell, pulled out his pack of cigarettes, and shook one out, lit it, held it between his fingers and took a deep puff.
The taste of nicotine violently washed down his throat and into his stomach, causing discomfort.
He used to smoke rarely.
Now, he always had his pack with him, finishing one in less than a day. But the more he smoked, the more he felt a hollow pain.
In the infusion hall.
It was only after Harrison left that Dominic returned.
The nurse had also helped Angela remove her IV needle.
After sanitizing the area, she gave some instructions.
Fearing the wind, Roxanne pulled out Angela's little blanket from her bag and wrapped it around her tiny body.
"Let's go, it's already late. We should get some rest."
Dominic asked, "Aren't you going to say goodbye to Harrison?"
"No need. I'll just text him after we get in the car," Roxanne replied.
Dominic noticed her gloomy expression and asked with concern, "Did you have a fight with Harrison?"
"No."
It wasn't exactly a fight.
It's just that Harrison's current behavior was making her feel rather exasperated.
How should she talk to him?
Could she still rely on him like before, calling him 'honey' as she used to?
She didn't feel secure even before their divorce, let alone now.
Where did Harrison's complaints come from?
"Let's go."
When they got into the car, she had already composed herself.
She calmly and rationally sent a text to Harrison via WhatsApp, [Mr. Rodriguez, Angela's finished her treatment, and her fever's gone down. Don't worry, I'll take good care of her. We're heading home now.]
She added another message, [Thanks for your help today.]
When Harrison saw the WhatsApp message, he discarded his cigarette and returned to the infusion hall.
Roxanne and Angela were already gone from their previous spot.
When he rushed out, Dominic's car was nowhere to be seen.
Under the dark, vast night sky, Harrison's tall and sturdy figure seemed somewhat lonely and desolate.
The streetlight cast a long shadow of him, even the shadow seemed to exude a sense of immense defeat and pain.
The wind blew over, cutting through his body and heart like a blade.
By the time he returned to East Adjacent Estates, it was already three in the morning.
Angela had gone to bed.
Dominic called Roxanne out of the room.
"Roxanne, could you come out for a bit? I want to talk to you."
Roxanne quietly closed the door and walked out.
They sat on the couch in the living room.
Both of them were tired.
In fact, Dominic had been up all night before taking Angela to the hospital.
But now, he wasn't sleepy.
Just sitting quietly beside Roxanne, time seemed to stand still.
Roxanne poured two cups of hot water.
She cut two slices of fresh lemon and put them in the water.
She handed one cup to Dominic, "Here, drink some water. You need vitamin C after staying up all night."
Dominic took it and drank half of it in one gulp.
When he put down the cup, he knew he needed to say something that had been weighing on his mind.
"Roxanne. You should know how I feel about you."
How could she not know?
He had a serious illness, and in order not to burden her, he chose to leave her, bearing the label of a scoundrel, hoping she could forget him and start a new life. How much did he have to love her to make such a tough decision?
And when she was giving birth, she had a near-death experience.
It was Dominic who stayed by her side, encouraging her, giving her the motivation to live.
It was also Dominic, sobbing and crying, begging to exchange his thirty years of life for the safety of Roxanne and her daughter.
And his treatment of Angela, changing her nappies, washing her after a messy poop, rushing her to the hospital in the middle of the night.
There was so much more.
Holding her water cup, Roxanne said, "Dominic, I know what you want to say."
"No, you don't," Dominic looked at her.
She fell silent, listening quietly.
So, she bravely said, "Dominic, I am willing to share my life with you. But there are things I need to be honest about."
"You don't have to be honest right now."
Dominic had never pursued another woman.
He had never experienced romantic love.
Even when he was with Roxanne in the past, it was very innocent.
Now, when Roxanne said she was willing, he became so excited and nervous that his palms started to sweat.
Afraid that he had misheard, he asked, "Did you just say, you're willing?"
Roxanne nodded, "You heard right. But, Dominic, I may not be able to love as passionately as I once did. Choosing you is because you're the most suitable person for me. I can't lie to you about this, I need to tell you the truth."
In this world, how many people can marry for perfect love?
There were many losers out there, like Oliver Lewis, who were good for nothing.
Choosing someone suitable, who also loved you, was already a blessing from above.
She should be grateful that Dominic was by her side during her darkest moments.
"Dominic, think about it. Can you accept a relationship that’s based on responsibility and companionship, without romantic love?"
Dominic didn't hesitate.
There was no need to think.
Firmly, he responded, "Yes!"
He could accept.
In the nanny's room, Fiona closed the door and went over to the sleeping little girl.
She gently touched the child's chubby cheek, "Angela, you have a new daddy now. And this new daddy will love you even more than your biological father. Are you happy?"
The next day.
Dominic knocked on the CEO's door.
When he entered, he handed Harrison a resignation letter.
Harrison frowned, "What do you mean, you're dropping the ball?"
"My mentor has agreed to come out of retirement to help you and take over my position. You don’t need to worry about the 6g technology project."
"What's the reason?"
"I want to enjoy a quaint life with my wife and child. I don't want to burn the midnight oil and die young from overwork. By the way, Roxanne and I are officially together now."
Harrison's brows furrowed even more.
The pen in his hand was nearly crushed, coldness flashed in his eyes as he asked sharply,
"Officially together? Does that mean you've slept together?"
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: The Windfalls of Love (Roxanne and Harrison)