Chapter 21 A Dead Ex-Husband Is the Best Kind
Out of nowhere, a hot, booze-soaked kiss crashed down on me.
I reflexively tried to push him away, but Christopher pinned my legs and tightened his grip on my wrists.
Even through the fabric, my waist felt like it was on fire.
The next second, his scorching kiss landed on my collarbone.
"Christopher!" I shouted, embarrassed and angry, trying to snap him out of it.
"Don't leave me, honey," Christopher mumbled, his hands not stopping for a second.
I started to wonder if he was really drunk. But was he pretending to be drunk just to cling to his soon-to-be ex-wife? Unlikely.
I was frozen in place, unable to move, but my mind was clear. "We've talked about this. I can't stay in a marriage with a third person involved."
"Sorry," Christopher muttered, his forehead pressed against my back.
His rare display of humility softened my heart slightly.
Years of feelings didn't just disappear overnight.
I wanted to give him another chance.
But everything that had happened recently kept flashing through my mind.
I let out a deep breath. "Christopher, you always say sorry, but you never change. This is pointless."
Christopher stayed silent for a long time.
"Let go. This is as far as we go." I never imagined I'd say something so cold to Christopher.
Loving someone one-sidedly was like a grand sacrifice only you understand.
Just one look from them, and you'd do anything, even happily.
I never thought I'd be planning my escape one day.
I didn't even remember how I left. When I got back to Riverside Garden, I was still in a daze.
Luckily, the pregnancy symptoms kicked in, and I fell asleep as soon as I hit the bed.
The next morning, the doorbell woke me up.
No one knew I had moved besides Elissa. But Elissa knew the code and could come in directly.
Maybe a neighbor got the floor wrong.
I buried my head under the covers, wanting to sleep in on a weekend.
But the person outside was persistent, ringing the bell non-stop.
Annoyed, I got up to answer the door.
When I opened it, Christopher's tall frame filled the doorway, his blue eyes staring deeply at me.
"Planning to stay here for good?"
I retorted, "What else?"
I thought I made things clear last night.
Since I asked for a divorce, Christopher no longer seemed to be pretending. Now, his face was cold and commanding. "Come back with me."
It was an order, not a request, completely different from last night.
With his perfect features, he looked imposing.
But it didn't work on me. "Don't you remember what we talked about last night?"
Christopher looked calm and unbothered. "What did we talk about? I drank too much. Don't remember a thing."
"You were pretty sober last night." I eyed him suspiciously.
"I don't know. I don't remember."
"Forget it. It doesn't matter."
I didn't want to argue anymore and tried to close the door, but Christopher blocked it.
"Bentley called me," Christopher said calmly. "He's coming over for lunch."
"Oh."
I almost forgot about that.
I was so focused on the divorce that I didn't think about hiding it from Bentley.
I stepped aside to let Christopher in and pointed to a pair of cotton slippers. "Go ahead and have a seat. Give me twenty minutes."
I went to wash up and put on some makeup.
I changed into a beige dress and grabbed a knit cardigan before heading out.
Christopher was on the couch, drinking a bottle of water. "Nice place. When did you decorate it?"
This was the house he gave me after ditching me at the airport to find Evelyn. I started decorating it right after he handed it over.
Since we were getting divorced, I didn't hold back. "Probably when you were with Evelyn."
Sure enough, I saw a flicker of discomfort on Christopher's face.
It felt good.
He explained, "I haven't been in touch with her lately."
"No need to explain."
It didn't matter anymore.
I mocked, "Once the divorce is final, you can marry her anytime."
"Hope, why are you so mean now?" Christopher frowned, looking a bit helpless.
"How should I be?"
Christopher affirmed, "Whether we divorce or not, she won't affect us."
"You're deluding yourself."
I threw that out and went to the entryway to change my shoes and head downstairs.
The driver was waiting in the car and quickly opened the door when he saw me.
As soon as I got in, Christopher followed.
On the way, Christopher, who usually didn't talk much, started making small talk.
He glanced at my feet, puzzled. "Why aren't you wearing heels lately?"