Chapter 3
Charles explained that he was in a bad mood because something had happened at home.
But actually, I knew the real reason. His wife was gravely ill and might not last a few more days.
After losing his wife, Charles remained single for a long time.
It seemed his family kept pushing him, so he eventually settled for someone in a marriage of convenience and had a child.
I held my stomach and sighed, thinking about how life never goes the way you want it to.
Even someone as wealthy as Charles couldn't have it all when it came to love.
As we walked out of the supermarket side by side, he pulled out his phone.
"After bumping into you like that, I'm still a little worried. Let's exchange numbers. If you feel unwell again, I'll take you to the hospital."
I gave a quick "okay," added him on my phone, and then took a taxi home.
When I got home, Leon still wasn't back.
He'd been working overtime like crazy lately, with his project about to launch.
I thought for a moment, then made some food, ordered over a dozen takeout meals, and took a taxi to his office.
The cramped office was buzzing, keyboards clacking as everyone worked furiously.
No one would've thought that in a few months, every single person here would be a millionaire.
I set the food down on the table and saw Leon slumped over his desk, catching a quick nap.
After telling the team to help themselves, I pushed open the door and walked in.
Next to his desk, there was a group photo with Emilia in it.
It wasn't only the two of them. It was a whole group shot.
The funny thing was, neither Leon nor I was even in the picture, yet he kept it on his desk like it was some kind of treasure. It was almost laughable.
Leon heard the noise and straightened up.
He looked a bit surprised when he saw me.
Then, following my gaze to the photo, he subtly turned his body to block it.
"Honey, what are you doing here?" he said.
I gave him a soft smile. "I was worried you'd be worn out from all the overtime, so I brought some food for you and your coworkers."
Outside, everyone was eating and shooting curious looks inside. Their strange expressions made it clear they knew something.
Of course, I knew why. This was my first time at the office, but Emilia had worked there before she got married.
The way they looked at me was like I was some kind of fool.
But I didn't care.
In the following days, all I did was go to class and drop off food for Leon.
My belly grew bigger by the day, and I started wearing looser clothes.
I began practicing natural makeup, leaving my long hair down, and I looked more pregnant by the day.
Men fall for what they see.
Leon's eyes grew more tender every time he looked at me.
One day, after finishing his meal, he pulled me into a hug.
"Honey," he said.
"Yes?" I replied.
"You haven't called me 'honey' in a long time."
There was a rare, playful note in his voice.
I brushed my fingers over the few new gray hairs at his temples. Leon wasn't exceptionally handsome, but he was pleasant to look at.
After he started his own business, I spent every extra penny on suits and watches for him, to make sure he looked the part.
Clothes really do make the man, and that was probably part of why he managed to catch Emilia's eye again.
Now, with those silver-rimmed glasses on, he didn't look like a boss at all. That was a guy snuggling up to me, acting all needy. It gave me a strange, unsettling feeling inside.
Honestly, it felt like I had a split personality.
It was as if the real me was standing off to the side, watching my emotionless self put on an act.
Inside, I kept thinking, 'I don't love you. I'm after your money. You're nothing but a cash machine to me. Why bother calling you "honey"?'
But out loud, I kept up the sweet talk. "Come on, you're about to be a dad and still acting all needy. If that's what you want, I'll say it.
"Honey, buy me a bag. I want a Louis Vuitton," I teased, my voice syrupy sweet.
Leon chuckled softly. "Sure, I'll get it for you. I'll transfer the money tomorrow."
Even though we were both hiding our true feelings, the moment looked strangely sweet.
The next day, I took the 30 thousand dollars Leon had sent me and headed to a jewelry store.
And there, I bumped into Charles again.
His wife was probably gone, and he looked completely down.
He stood there staring at a diamond ring, his face blank, lost in thought.
The salespeople exchanged nervous glances, too scared to say anything.
I walked over and pointed at the ring.
"Excuse me, could you let this gentleman try it on?" I said.
Charles finally looked up.
He seemed a little surprised.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
Charles said the reason he came to see the ring was that his wife's dying wish had been to try it on with him.
It was a pink diamond worth 300 thousand dollars, and buying it was effortless for him.
But he had been so busy with work that he never managed to make time for it.
Now that his wife was gone, he felt so weighed down by grief that he couldn't stay at home.
He wandered out, and only when he stumbled upon the shop did the memory come back to him.
I glanced at him, then slipped the ring onto my ring finger.
"Mr. Howard, how does it look?" I asked.
His features relaxed a bit. I had no idea what he was thinking.
"It really does look nice," he said.
His eyes were rimmed with red, like he was holding back tears.
I pretended not to notice.
After taking the ring off, I went to browse the gold section.