Chapter18
When I arrived at the police office, Antonio had settled the incident with the other party.
Covering the bloody scratches on his face, he hurried to come to me the moment he saw me at the police office.
“Grace, please hear me out! It wasn’t what it looked like!
“We were just playing truth or dare. It was a punishment! Everybody was participating in it. That waitress only filmed it because she got us wrong.”
Vivian seemed to be apologizing, yet I could tell how contented she was from her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Grace. We grew up together. I’m used to getting along with them like this. Don’t worry about it. There’s nothing going on between Antonio and me.”
Before I could say anything, the waitress staggered out of the police office and spat at Vivian.
“You bitch!”
0007
11:00
Chapter18
Vivian’s face turned pale at once while Antonio stared at the waitress, holding his fists tightly.
Vivian couldn’t help but cry as if she had been wronged. “Grace, please believe in us. Antonio and I have nothing to hide from you.”
I nodded.
“Well, sure.”
“Let’s call it a day, OK?”
Antonio could tell that something went wrong with me. He thus stood up to settle the situation.
When I pulled open the door on the passenger’s side, a kid was sitting in the seat. He made a funny face when he saw me.
“Wicked woman! You bitch!”
I heard nothing but vicious intention in his childish voice.
“Oh, Chris! How could you say that?”
Vivian turned to Antonio, only to find him silent with hands on his face. She then added, “I don’t know where he learned that from. Grace, please don’t take it personally.
15 55%
11.001
Chapter 18
268 Vouchers
“It’s just he likes Antonio. He even wanted Antonio to be with him last time he got a fever.
“I’m sure Antonio will become a good father!”
I didn’t break down as she had expected. Instead, I simply nodded and said, “I think you’re right.”
Antonio’s face turned even more deadpan. He thought for a while before he said, “Since then, why don’t you drive? Chris will join us in the back seats.”
He was trying to irritate me. He wanted to see me jealous.
Yet when I saw the three of them standing together, I didn’t feel annoyed at all.
Antonio was no longer the man that could affect my mood all the time.
Chris didn’t sense anything unusual. He thought that he had helped her mom to win back his dad. He was thus quite proud.
The three of them sat in the back seats with Chris sitting in between. They looked like a family of three.
Antonio remained silent all the way, frowning.
11:00
Chapter18
285 Mouchers!
To light up the atmosphere, Vivian took the initiative to say, “Grace, I heard from Victor that you tended to get jealous all the time. Yet the way I see it, you’re not what they think you are.”
I simply nodded as I drove, yet somehow Vivian felt encouraged.
“Antonio is a very decent man. He has been taking care of Chris and me. Chris grew up without a dad. Though he never
mentions it, I know that he always wants a father. I’m wondering whether Antonio can join us in the family park next Sunday if you don’t mind.
“With Chris around, Antonio and I won’t do anything that crosses the line.” I pulled up the car and turned around with a smile.
“Sure. You don’t have to ask for my permission. He’s an adult. He makes his own decisions.”
“Grace!” Antonio frowned even harder. He opened the door for Vivian and Chris. Before he walked the two of them upstairs, he went back to the car, asking me to switch seats with him.
He wanted me to see in the front seat, yet I went to the back.
“Why don’t you sit beside me? Are you mad?”
shook my head. “Nope. I’m just tired.”
11.00
Chapter
264 Mouche
Without Chris and Vivian, the car fell into silence. I found the quietness suffocating.
Finally, Antonio broke the silence. “I promise this is the last time. When it’s done, I’ll talk to Vivian and Chris. Grace, please trust me. Please.”
I nodded under his gaze of expectation. He let out a sigh of relief, feeling lucky to get away one more time. Yet he didn’t know that my heart had already died as my love for him perished.
I couldn’t care less. Next Sunday, I would fly abroad anyway.
Out of guilt, Antonio treated me very well in the coming week. He even took the initiative to make me breakfast.
Yet he was not a good cook. What he cooked was barely edible.
I thanked him and threw away the lunchbox he prepared me every morning after leaving home
He started to text me very often, telling me where, with whom, and what he was doing. That was something he used to do when we had just been together.
At the very beginning, I never asked him to tell me his whereabouts. He always took the initiative to do that. Gradually, as I got used to that, he got tired of doing that.
70 60%
100 11
Chapter18
288 Mouchers
The week passed quickly. Antonio dressed up Sunday,
pretending not willing to go. Yet I could tell from his tie that he valued the event, too.
That was the first present I bought for him, which cost my salary of six months.
When he received it, he said he would take care of it and he would only wear it on our 50th marriage anniversary. Yet now, he put it on to hang out with Vivian and her kid.
