Chapter 327

“Ugh!” Evelyn started coughing intensely, her body heaving as she struggled for air. Charles’s face immediately shifted to one of worry, his eyes filled with concern as he gently patted her back.
Evelyn brushed him off and hurried into the bathroom. She managed to cough up whatever was left inside her, though it wasn’t much. The emptiness in her stomach only made her feel worse. It took some time before the coughing finally subsided.
When she stood up, she saw Charles at the door, holding a warm towel in one hand and a glass of warm water in the other. “Here, rinse your mouth.”
Feeling awful after throwing up, Evelyn took the items without a word, gulping down a mouthful to rinse her mouth. Charles stepped closer, using the warm towel to gently wipe the tears that had crept from the corners of her eyes. He spoke softly, “Eve, does it have to be like this? Can’t we just get along?”
He wanted to return to the way things used to be, to give her everything she once wanted, bit by bit. Evelyn heard him and slowly lifted her head to meet his eyes. His message was clear: let time heal, let go of Charlie’s death, and stop clinging to the past. How ridiculous.
In response, Evelyn spat the rinse water onto Charles’s shirt. He looked down at the soaked fabric, his expression darkening, yet he didn’t retaliate. He just wanted to ease the tension, not make it worse. Holding back his emotions, Charles tolerated Evelyn’s provocations, speaking in a quieter tone, “You must be hungry. I had some soup ordered. It’ll be here soon. Why not wait in the dining room?”
Evelyn gave no reply, merely brushing past him as she left the room. Charles removed his wet shirt, tossing it into the laundry basket, and walked out bare- chested. Even after two years, his physique was still impeccable-perfect V- shaped torso and clearly defined abs.
As he passed by Evelyn, the girl who once blushed and got flustered seeing him shirtless, her face now showed no hint of emotion. It was nothing like the five years they had shared. Back then, she’d blush so hard it seemed like her face could explode, while sneaking glances at him from the corner of her eye. Charles felt a sharp pang in his chest, a sensation of loss that made him uneasy. He didn’t want to lose her.
The soup arrived twenty minutes later, and Evelyn eventually ate a bowl of nourishing chicken soup.
Two years ago, she knew exact
how she had crumbled. How she fell
ill was all too clear to her. It took her
a year to rebuild her strength, and she couldn’t let herself fall apart again. Getting sick was not an option. Nor could she let her emotions take charge. Losing control would only make her more vulnerable. Facing Charles and the protected Dahlia was challenging enough without making things harder for herself. Seeing Evelyn eat, Charles’s expression softened a bit.
…
This place was clearly Charles’s way of keeping her hidden away. Apart from his belongings, it was stocked with everything she could need, from daily essentials to clothes for every season. Evelyn glanced around with an indifferent expression. She grabbed her pajamas and headed into the bathroom.
Standing in the shower, Evelyn washed herself mechanically. Inside, she felt a strong resistance, yet she kept telling herself: Tomorrow, Mom will have her surgery. Once that’s done, she wouldn’t be undero Charles’s thumb anymore. It was just one more night. Over the past five years, she’d been with him before. Just think of it as being bitten by a stray dog.
But the hatred she felt for Charles made the thought of him touching her unbearable, far beyond what a few self-reassuring words could fix. Deep down, she still felt repulsed. The thought of his touch was more painful than death. Yet, she couldn’t leave.