"But what can I do to make it right? And what would happen if I told Mackie about the truth?" Chloe asked herself.
She went silent after that and realized that she didn't even want to see the disappointment in her daughter's face, let alone anger, because she had been lied to-- and betrayed the whole time.
Chloe bit her lower lip as she got nervous, scared that Mackie might call her a liar and hate her when the cat was out of the bag.
"No, I don't want my daughter to hate me...." Chloe said. "J--Just a little more, please wait until the divorce goes through, and she is a little bit older, so she's old enough to understand the problem with her father...."
**
Vernon finally finished work at 10. Diamond already went home three hours ago. He was exhausted, of course, and his stomach was rumbling as he hadn't eaten anything for dinner.
"Wonder what she made for me for dinner," Vernon murmured as he took the elevator to the basement.
"I hope there's meat. I'm seriously starving," Vernon said as he started the engine. He started imagining the dinner he'd get once he went home and Chloe, who would sit on the couch, waiting for him to come home like usual.
Vernon felt something in his heart, like a tingling that he couldn't describe. But it was a very sweet-- even addicting feeling that Vernon couldn't get enough of.
Vernon stepped on the gas and drove through the night to his apartment. He couldn't wait to see her greeting him as he opened his penthouse door.
Vernon rushed to go up to his penthouse and opened the door, "Chloe, I'm home--"
...
...
Vernon's eyes darkened instantly. His mood was ruined because he didn't see the figure of Chloe sitting on the couch wearing pajamas while waiting for him.
"Urgh-- this is annoying, fuck...." Vernon cursed in a low voice and threw his briefcase in a random direction. He kicked his shoes until it was flung and hit the wall, as if he was throwing a tantrum like a kid.
He didn't know why Chloe still had to avoid him.
"Is it because of what happened last night?" Vernon wondered as he remembered how Chloe reacted when Vernon hugged her from behind.
Her overreaction and calling him 'Vincent' were two very obvious signs of abuse, even if he didn't know the details.
"But we are fine after having lunch together, proper?" Vernon asked himself. "Then why did she avoid me? Did I do something wrong again?"
Unable to get the answer he needed, Vernon ruffled his hair and groaned, "Argh, this is so frustrating!"
Vernon went to the kitchen to grab a glass of water and a bottle of wine to calm himself down. He still had a long way to go to understand Chloe's feelings. He didn't even know where to start. That was why he called Shailene, so she could guide him on how to treat Chloe better and gain her trust.
Vernon walked past the dining table, and his step halted immediately.
Because he noticed plates full of food at the edge of his eyes. The food was arranged beautifully on the dining table. The food looked so tempting even though it wasn't warm anymore.
He turned around instantly and rushed to the dining table. He sat at the dining table, checking all the food that Chloe had made for him.
He wiped the drool that almost escaped his lips and read a note that was left by Chloe.
--
I don't know when you will come home, so if the food is getting cold, you should reheat it in the microwave, okay?
I cooked more than usual because I ate half of your lunch, so you must've been starving.
--
...
Vernon felt the same tingling in his heart again, his lips slowly perked up, and the surge of warmth gradually traveled around his body.
He knew that Chloe was a very good homemaker. She had always been great at many traditional woman roles and didn't seem to be bothered.
Honestly, Vernon always thought that Chloe would make a great wife, so much so that he would compare all women he met before with his Big sis Chloe...
"If she didn't say that I'm disgusting and worthless, and waited for me to grow a little older until I'm of legal age, then I would have propose--"
...
Vernon shook his head. He didn't want to think about something dangerous such as marriage.
Because it would never happen.
Chloe-- his Big sister-- his sister-in-law, she had decided to marry Vincent Gray, not him. Even after they were separated, Vernon had no intention of marrying her-- or so he thought.
"I don't want to be her rebound, and she doesn't see me as worthy anyway...."
Vernon's mood sobered again. He just couldn't forget that day when his Big sis Chloe called him 'worthless-compared-to-Vincent' and disgusting in front of his late father.
His Big brother took him to eavesdrop on the conversation between Chloe and their father. When he heard those words spout out of her mouth, his heart sunk into the deepest pit.
- Vernon is not as good as Vincent. Being with him would be disgusting. -
'Why did you say that to me, Big sis... you're the only one I have...' Vernon thought, repeating the same painful memory in his head like a broken cassette.
He sat, staring emptily at the food in front of him until his stomach rumbled again, demanding to be filled.
"Okay, okay, let's just eat for now," Vernon said.
He grabbed the spoon and fork. He was about to dig in when he noticed something hidden behind one of the bowls on the table.
He pushed the bowl to the side and found two packs of condoms in his size and a note that was definitely written by Chloe.
--
I bought two packs of condoms for you. This should be the correct size for you, right?
Don't forget to do it safely.
-- Chloe.
--
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