Chapter 716 Lola, Give Me Another Chance!
At the second trial, Johnny saw Lola.
He wasn't holding out much hope, but as he pulled up to the courthouse, he spotted a familiar figure stepping out of a white BMW across the street. It was his long-lost wife, Lola.
It had been a while since he last saw her, and she had noticeably lost weight.
When she closed the car door, she saw Johnny too. Just as he was about to get out and talk to her, she walked into the courthouse, leaving him with just a view of her back.
Johnny hurried after her. "Lola!"
She stopped, and he slowed his pace, as if afraid to startle her. When he was just a step away, he wanted to say so much, but he couldn't find the words.
He could only murmur, "Lola."
Without turning around, she said, "Save it for the trial."
Johnny felt a pang in his heart. Before he could say anything else, Lola had already walked away.
During the four-hour trial, he couldn't take his eyes off her. She had lost so much weight... Her hair was back to its original blonde. He vaguely remembered telling her once that she looked better as a brunette, and she had kept it that way ever since.
Now she had dyed it back.
Johnny knew what that meant, and his face turned pale.
The trial ended without a verdict. The judge said they needed more time to deliberate. Lola had no objections and left after a brief conversation with her lawyer. Johnny caught up with her in the parking lot.
"Lola!"
She had already opened her car door. Hearing his voice, she turned around, her face calm and emotionless. "Anything that needed to be said was already covered by the lawyers, Johnny. Is there really anything left for us to talk about?"
"This!" Johnny pulled out a small glass ball from his pocket. He looked at her and said softly, "I found this in the nightstand, Lola. We had a chance to fix things, didn't we?"
In the sunlight, the glass ball sparkled.
Lola remembered burning her fingers making it.
Johnny continued, "The maple leaf inside is from the tree at The Hawkins Mansion. We planted that tree together when we were kids, Lola. You can't forget that, and I won't let you! I saw the tree the other night. It's grown tall and beautiful."
He spoke with emotion, but Lola felt numb.
She smiled faintly. "It doesn't mean anything. If it makes you think we still have a chance, or that I still care, I'll go back and cut that tree down."
Johnny was stunned. After a moment, he asked softly, "Do you really not care at all?"
Care?
Lola found it laughable. When he repeatedly trampled on her dignity, did he care? When he kissed Shirley in that apartment, did he ever think about their past?
Suddenly, Lola saw Shirley out of the corner of her eye.
She was standing at the courthouse entrance, looking delicate and pitiful.
Lola's expression grew colder. She leaned against the car door and said softly, "I should never have gotten back together with you when you returned from abroad."
With that, she got into her car and drove away.
As the car brushed past Johnny, Lola didn't look at him, as if he were a stranger. Once, she had eyes only for him. She used to eagerly anticipate every date with him... Now, she didn't even want to look at him.
The white BMW slowly drove away.
Johnny watched for a long time. Shirley wanted to approach him but hesitated when she saw his expression.
From that day on, it seemed Lola had returned to her normal life.
She no longer avoided Johnny. Occasionally, they would run into each other in their social circles.
Friday night, 10 PM, at the Tulip Club.Johnny had way too much to drink. He was leaning against the wall in the club's hallway, fumbling for a cigarette, but couldn't light it after several tries.
Felicity caught up with him, advising, "Mr. Flores, the doctor said you should quit smoking and drinking."
Johnny dismissed her. "It's just a suggestion! How can you socialize without smoking and drinking?"
Felicity said nothing.
She vaguely remembered that during the crucial early days of the company, Johnny had been very restrained at social events... Back then, his relationship with Lola was great, so he took care of his health.
But now...
As Felicity was thinking, she saw Lola and Jimmy walking towards them, looking like they had just finished a social event.
Tonight, Jimmy had asked Lola for a favor. Now that it was done, he couldn't help but thank her as they walked. "Thanks so much for this!"
"Enough," Lola said softly, but then she stopped when she saw the drunken Johnny.
He was wearing a white shirt, looking handsome and refined, with an unlit cigarette between his fingers. He must have seen her too, as he was staring at her, his expression unreadable.
After a long moment, Lola said calmly, "Let's go."
Jimmy, after a brief hesitation, nodded. "I'll walk you downstairs."
As they passed Johnny, Jimmy gave him a nod, a polite greeting...
But the next second, Johnny grabbed Lola's hand and pinned her against the hallway wall.
Lola reacted, "Johnny, let go of me!"
She struggled, but Johnny held her firmly. Under the crystal chandelier, his eyes were bloodshot. He stared at her and asked, "Why are you with Jimmy? You can laugh and talk with him, but you won't even look at me, is that it?"
Lola couldn't break free. She tilted her head slightly, looking at him with disdain.
"I hate that look in your eyes," Johnny said, lowering his head to whisper hoarsely in her ear. Then, before she could react, he kissed her. Lola resisted, but he held her hands with one hand and gripped her chin with the other, forcing her to accept him.
"Johnny, you're crazy!"
"Yes, I'm crazy... I wish we could die together, Lola... Does it hurt? I'm in so much pain right now."
Jimmy and Felicity finally reacted.
Jimmy mustered the courage to pull Johnny away, saying, "Johnny, calm down. You can talk! This is still a club!"
He tried to pull Johnny away, but Johnny shoved him off roughly.
Jimmy didn't dare move again.
Johnny held Lola, his face buried in her neck, breathing heavily. After a long time, he looked up at her and asked, "Why can't I kiss my own wife?"
Lola was also breathing heavily.
There was blood at the corner of her mouth—Johnny's blood, from where she had bitten him.
She looked at him coldly and asked, "Johnny, you tell me why."
Johnny closed his eyes lightly. "It's because of me. I... I ruined our relationship."
Lola took the opportunity to push him away.
She left without looking back. Jimmy wanted to escort her, but she refused. Jimmy then turned to Johnny. "Johnny, let me take you home. You're too drunk."
He reached out to support Johnny. Johnny straightened up, his head bowed, lost in thought.
After a long pause, he said, "I'm fine."
Jimmy called after him, "Johnny, you look anything but fine. Are you sure you don't want me to give you a ride?"
Johnny was already walking away.
Felicity looked at Jimmy and sighed, "Mr. Flores has been drinking every day lately. He doesn't take care of himself at all."
Jimmy lit a cigarette, taking a drag as he looked into the distance. "He's going to ruin his health at this rate."Johnny headed downstairs, where Saul had already parked the car and was waiting. As Johnny was about to get in, a slender figure approached.
It was Shirley.
Johnny paused, hearing Shirley's plaintive plea, "You're divorcing her. Why not consider me?"
Johnny looked up at the moonlight, then lowered his gaze to the woman in front of him.
He spoke softly, "Don't show up in front of me again. Otherwise, I'll make sure you can't stay in Seattle."
He got into the car, and Saul quickly followed, driving away.
Shirley banged on the car door, not giving up. "Johnny, I love you!"
Saul couldn't help but comment, "Mr. Flores, women like her are nothing but trouble. You should get rid of her. If she annoys me this much, imagine how Mrs. Flores must feel."
Johnny remained silent, and Saul said no more.
Johnny returned to the villa.
The villa was cold and empty. Most of the servants had left, only a few old ones remained, perhaps because they hadn't found new jobs yet.
With nothing else to do, Johnny drank. As he drank, he thought about Lola.
He kept calling her, over and over.
All he got was a busy signal.
He didn't know how much he drank. When he woke up, it was broad daylight, the sun glaring. It was already the next day... Felicity was wiping his face with a towel. Seeing him awake, she said, "Cindy called me to check on you. How's living alone? I told you you'd regret it."
Johnny's throat moved as he swallowed.
He looked around and realized he was in the bed he used to share with Lola. The glass ball was still on the nightstand.
Felicity saw it too and felt a pang of sadness.
Johnny's voice was hoarse. "If there's nothing important today, I'm not going to the office. I have a headache."
Felicity nodded. "There's nothing urgent, but I need to ask you about one thing. Tomorrow night is the Carter Group president's birthday party. Mr. Carter specifically invited you. Are you going?"
"Which Mr. Carter?"
Johnny found the sunlight too bright and shielded his eyes with his hand.
Felicity looked surprised. "Landon Carter. Ms. Hawkins will probably be there too, because of Ms. Butler. She respects Mr. Carter."
Johnny sat up, stunned.
After a moment, he asked, "If I go, will she not go?"
Felicity shook her head. "I don't think so. Ms. Hawkins is very professional. She wouldn't let personal feelings affect her decisions."
Johnny interrupted her. "Alright, I'll go. Make the arrangements."
Felicity nodded, though she looked concerned. "Okay, but please take care of yourself, Johnny. You can't keep going on like this."
Johnny didn't respond. He just stared at the glass ball on the nightstand, lost in thought.
He said bitterly, "It's not professionalism. She just doesn't care anymore. She doesn't mind seeing me... The way she looks at me now is worse than a stranger."
Felicity didn't know what to say about their marital issues.
That evening, Johnny went out for a drive.
Unexpectedly, he ran into Landon's daughter and Caitlyn... Caitlyn was shopping with the little girl, carrying a small yellow duck, clearly something the girl liked.
The girl, Katelyn, looked quite aloof.
But she clung to Caitlyn, showing a childlike innocence when with her, wanting to be held as they went downstairs.
Johnny watched quietly through a glass partition, thinking of his own children.
It seemed like ages since he'd seen them!
Angelina used to be very close to him. She loved being held by him when she was little.
Caitlyn noticed him and walked over to greet him. "Mr. Flores."
Johnny smiled faintly. "You can call me Johnny, like Amara does."Caitlyn smiled lightly but didn't respond.
Johnny suddenly realized that once he divorced Lola, he wouldn't be Kingsley's brother, or Amara's brother, or Sienna's brother... or Frederick's son anymore.
A sharp pain shot through his chest.
But he smiled slightly. "Mr. Flores is fine too."
Caitlyn sensed the awkwardness and found an excuse to leave with Katelyn.
Katelyn looked back at Johnny from Caitlyn's shoulder.
Johnny watched quietly. After a long time, he returned to his car. He thought for a long time before calling The Hawkins Mansion. A servant answered, and he asked for Lola.
The servant recognized his voice and hesitated.
Johnny spoke softly, "I want to talk about Angelina and Austin."
The servant, hoping for a reconciliation, went to get Lola. Surprisingly, Lola took the call. She asked calmly, "What is it?"
Johnny was silent for a long time, his voice hoarse. "Lola, can you give me another chance?"
There was a soft breath on the other end.
Lola didn't answer, but she didn't hang up immediately either. After about half a minute, she gently hung up... Johnny sat quietly in the car, a sense of helplessness washing over him.
Saturday evening, Johnny arrived as promised, dressed in a classic black and white suit, looking neat and tidy.
The Carter family villa was hosting a lavish party.
But he didn't expect Lola to come early and leave early.
After making a round and not finding her, he asked a familiar face and learned she had just left.
He rushed out and saw Lola's car driving away. Johnny immediately got into his car... Jimmy had just arrived and asked through the window, "Johnny, you just got here, why are you leaving?"
Johnny ignored him.
Lola's car arrived at a music bar with a nice ambiance.
She sat at the bar and ordered a cocktail.
The young bartender made her drink and smiled shyly before going on stage to sing... Lola listened quietly. Under the crystal lights, her waist-length blonde curls looked incredibly romantic, her profile exquisitely beautiful.
She watched the young man intently.
Johnny stood quietly at the door. He had heard that Lola often came here... recently, she had been coming frequently. Was this young man someone she liked?
Would a young man replace him in her heart?
Johnny took a deep breath and walked in. He approached the bar and sat down next to Lola. She glanced at him but didn't say anything.
"Can we talk?" Johnny asked softly.
Lola sipped her cocktail and replied, "There's nothing left to say, Johnny."
Johnny looked at her, his eyes filled with regret. "I know I messed up. I know I hurt you. But I can't let you go, Lola. I still love you."
Lola turned to face him, her expression unreadable. "Love? You call this love? You only realize what you had after you lost it."
Johnny's voice trembled. "Please, Lola. Just one more chance. I promise I'll change."
Lola shook her head slowly. "It's too late, Johnny. You had your chance, and you blew it. I'm moving on with my life."
Johnny felt a lump in his throat. "Is there someone else?"
Lola looked at the young bartender on stage and then back at Johnny. "That's none of your business."
Johnny's heart sank. He knew he had lost her for good. "I understand," he said quietly. "I just want you to be happy."
Lola nodded. "I hope you find happiness too, Johnny. But it's not with me."
Johnny stood up, feeling a wave of sadness wash over him. "Goodbye, Lola."
"Goodbye, Johnny," she replied, turning her attention back to the stage.
Johnny walked out of the bar, feeling the weight of his mistakes. He knew he had to let her go, even if it broke his heart.
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