Chapter 144 Love Deeply, or Leave
Marcus spread his hands and admitted, "Yeah, I've been trying to quit drinking lately."
"Marcus, are you seriously that weak? Are you even a man?"
"First off, drinking has nothing to do with being weak. And second, anyone can see I'm a man."
Leopold sneered, "Is this how you talk to Camilla when you're trying to win her over?"
"No, no, no," Marcus shook his finger, "She's smart. I don't need to reason with her."
"So, what do you guys talk about then?"
"Experiences, stories, work stuff, poetry, life philosophy, and sometimes just sweet talk. There's a lot, I can't list it all."
Leopold was speechless.
Marcus added, "Want to hear more? We can chat sometime."
Leopold, unable to come up with a comeback, just drank in silence.
After a couple of drinks, he was a bit tipsy, loosened his tie, and unbuttoned his shirt.
Marcus frowned, "Is your stomach problem better?"
"No."
"Camilla's gone, no one to keep you in check, so you're just letting loose, huh?"
Mentioning Camilla made Leopold's eyes sting.
Leopold blamed it on the alcohol and his body's reaction, not his emotions.
Suddenly, Leopold muttered, "12 boxes."
"What do you mean?"
Leopold looked down, and Marcus couldn't see his face. "After she left, I took twelve boxes of stomach medicine."
Marcus's eyes darkened, "Are you trying to kill yourself? Do you think hurting yourself will make her come back?"
"Why wouldn't it?!" Leopold snapped, his eyes bloodshot.
"If you think that, you don't understand Camilla at all." Marcus waved to the waiter, saying, "Take away all the alcohol, bring us two cups of tea."
"Sir, we don't serve tea at the bar."
Marcus's eyes narrowed. "Then bring two cups of water, got that?"
"Yes, yes, right away."
The waiter quickly took away the alcohol and brought two cups of warm water.
Leopold sneered, "I don't understand Camilla? What makes you say that? I've been with her for six years! Six years, you know!"
"Stop yelling, I know exactly how long you've been together. So what? You didn't understand her in six years, which just shows you didn't care enough. To be blunt, you didn't love her enough."
"Bullshit!" Leopold exploded. "I love her more than anyone!"
Marcus looked up, calm. "If you love her, why did you break up? See, everything you say contradicts itself. Love isn't about who shouts louder. Six years? You just spent six years losing her."
Marcus spoke nothing but the truth, and the truth cut into Leopold's heart like a sharp blade.
Marcus continued, "You keep saying you love her, but everything you did hurt her. Hurt her wishes, her dignity, even her body. So, a woman like Camilla, no matter how much she loves, will eventually leave. It's just a matter of time."
'Six years.' Marcus thought, 'That's a long time.'
Long enough for him to see the once vibrant Camilla turn into someone madly in love, almost like a puppet.
Long enough for him to doubt, almost give up.
But thankfully, Camilla finally took that step to be herself again.
Marcus said, "In those six years, she gave you countless chances, showed you so much favoritism! But you still let her down, so she left without looking back."
That was Camilla!
When she loved, she loved with everything.
When she didn't, she could walk away gracefully, moving forward on her own.
Simon used to call her "love-struck" and "crazy" behind her back; now, he blamed her for being "too ruthless" and "too heartless."
But Marcus knew, Camilla never lived by others' opinions.
She loved deeply when in love and left when she wasn't.
"When Camilla decided to leave, your stomach, your well-being, were no longer her concern."
Leopold staggered and fell back into his seat.
He opened his mouth, but the words lost their previous bite, "How much do you think you understand her?"
Marcus laughed. "Women are like books, who can say they've read one thoroughly? At different ages, in different situations, you see and feel different things from the same book. I don't need to understand Camilla completely right away; I just want to hold her close for a lifetime, always discovering something new. So, to answer your question, I don't understand her much. But clearly, you don't understand her at all!"
Leopold was stung by his words, instinctively grabbed the cup and drank.
But it was just plain water.
The alcohol had long been taken away by the waiter.
"Can't win an argument with you, and now you won't even let me drink?" Leopold smiled bitterly.
Marcus remained expressionless, saying, "For the sake of our friendship, I'll give you some advice; stop drinking like that. You only have one life, don't mess with it."
Leopold paused, then drank some water. "Marcus, I shouldn't have asked you to drink, it's pointless."
"Yeah," he sighed, reaching for a cigarette but stopped halfway, "I won't drink anyway."
Leopold saw his action and couldn't help but sneer, "What? You're quitting smoking too?"
"Trying to quit, haven't succeeded yet."
Leopold was stunned, 'Quitting smoking after more than ten years?'
He asked, "Why?"
Marcus chuckled, looking at him with a mix of sarcasm and pity. "I told you, you don't understand Camilla, and you still don't believe it. Don't you know she has allergic rhinitis and is especially sensitive to smoke? Although not severe, every time we gather and someone lights a cigarette, she can't help but frown."
Leopold was dumbfounded.
Marcus stood up, patted his shoulder with a smile. "Give up early, you can't win her back. I've paid the bill, don't ask me out again. We're rivals in love now, not suitable to chat together."
With that, Marcus grabbed his coat and left.
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