"It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Chloe mused.
When this man had decided to marry Nora, the internet was ablaze with news of their union.
At that time, Roxanne had quietly left with Angela.
She went to another country to give birth.
She didn't even speak English, and she was completely out of her element.
If it hadn't been for Dominic by her side, Roxanne might have died on the delivery table.
In fact, Chloe was hoping that Roxanne and Dominic would get legally married.
But it seemed like the plan was falling through.
The man in front of her, Harrison, was still the same man who had once been the wealthiest in Seraphim Haven.
But something about him was different.
Chloe studied him, noticing a change in his eyes.
Under his intelligent, steady and indifferent gaze, there seemed to be traces of loneliness and vicissitudes. Perhaps these years hadn't been kind to him, hence the obvious sorrow and pain in his eyes.
Chloe didn't know what to say.
She turned her head towards the receptionist and ordered,
"Kyle, get a cup of coffee for Mr. Rodriguez, our guest. Use the best Blue Mountain coffee beans."
The Blue Mountain coffee beans had to be freshly ground.
It was a bit of a hassle.
When Kyle went to the pantry to grind the coffee beans, he noticed Mr. Martinez, who was usually in a rush, standing by the window, lost in thought.
The sharp look in Mr. Martinez's eyes was nowhere to be seen.
She seemed upset.
Like she was burdened with heavy thoughts.
The midday autumn sun, while bright and dazzling, cast a gloomy shadow on Roxanne.
Grinding a cup of Blue Mountain coffee took about fifteen minutes.
Roxanne stood there, lost in thought, for fifteen minutes.
Kyle ventured a guess that the handsome man, even more handsome than Mr. Dominic, must be the one who had unsettled Mr. Martinez's heart.
Perhaps he was Angela's father.
Roxanne didn't know how long she had been standing there.
When she came to, the cup of brewed tea in her hands had cooled.
After she poured fresh hot water, she returned to her office.
Chloe followed her into the office after she saw her enter, and closed the door.
"No need to ask," Roxanne said, opening a folder on her desk, "Dominic has gone abroad. We didn't get legally married."
"Why not?" Chloe asked anxiously, "Roxanne, are you thinking of going back to him?"
Roxanne's hand paused as she flipped through the files.
The pain in her eyes was evident.
But it was only brief.
Soon, her gaze hardened.
"The reason Dominic and I didn't get legally married is not because of Harrison."
"Dominic initiated the breakup. He had already booked his ticket abroad."
"As for Harrison, there's no chance for us."
She resumed flipping through her files, looking for something, and busied herself with work.
After more than two hours.
Chloe came to Roxanne's office, "Anne, Harrison has been waiting for you at the reception. It's almost lunchtime. Should we invite him?"
"You go ahead, ask the reception to order takeout for me."
"What about Harrison?" Chloe asked, "Should he just wait at the reception?"
Roxanne continued typing on her keyboard, "If he's still here by lunchtime, order him takeout too."
"Ah!"
Chloe let out a long sigh.
Harrison, why did you have to make those decisions?
Back then, Roxanne swallowed her pride to plead with him, to make up for Nora in another way. But he chose to abandon Roxanne and marry Nora. And he even wanted to abort the baby in Roxanne's womb.
No wonder Roxanne was so determined.
Chloe shook her head.
This outcome was painful for everyone.
The office staff went out for lunch.
Roxanne was still busy in her office.
She was busy eating her rice.
When she swallowed her rice, her throat seemed to choke up.
She quickly picked up the accompanying soup and took a big sip.
Then she spoke again, "You shouldn't waste your time here."
In less than five minutes, Roxanne had finished her box of food.
Roxanne tidied up the trash, glancing at Harrison who was absentmindedly picking at his dinner across the table.
"Harrison, even if Dominic and I haven't tied the knot yet, we can't go back to the way things were."
"I've thought about it, and I want a quiet life now. Apart from necessary things, I'd rather you didn't interfere."
"Harrison, you'd respect that, wouldn't you?"
Harrison was torn. To respond, or not to respond?
The bite of pizza he'd just swallowed felt like a lump in his throat.
His breathing slowed, became heavier. "Roxanne, I don't expect you to come back to me right away. I know I've hurt you, and I don't deserve forgiveness. I just I just hope I can make it up to you."
"I don't need you to." Roxanne's words were firm.
She tidied up the pizza boxes, her hands turning pale as she tied up the trash bag.
Inside, she felt utterly desolate.
After being abandoned so many times, each time she had licked her own wounds.
She remembered the pain, and she didn't want to feel it again.
Her heart had turned into a hard shell that no one could penetrate.
She spoke frankly.
"At the airport, you asked me if the man in my heart was you."
"Yes, it was you."
"You were the only man I've ever truly loved."
"But as for love, I don't want to touch it ever again."
She looked at him, her eyes filled with sorrow. "Harrison, let me go."
Harrison's throat tightened even more, and he struggled to breathe.
Why was it that hearing her say he was the only man she'd ever loved didn't make him happy at all?
Instead, it felt like he'd been stabbed in the heart...
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: The Windfalls of Love (Roxanne and Harrison)