Chapter 340
It was evening. Watching Katniss prepare dinner for me, there was no longer the warmth I used to feel. If these dishes were made sincerely by Katniss, I would definitely be overjoyed. But if Katniss was insincere, would this meal taste bitter? At the dinner table, every expression of Katniss was flawless, no different from before. But at this moment, due to the suspicion in my heart, Katniss felt so unfamiliar to me.
"Katniss, let's go to the hospital tomorrow." Lying on the bed, in this dark room, I said to Katniss.
"What's wrong? Why do we need to go to the hospital? Are you not feeling well?" After hearing my words, Katniss lifted her head from my shoulder and asked.
"It's nothing, just for both of us to get a check-up." Because I didn't know Katniss's current state and thoughts, saying this sentence was undoubtedly a lie, and I felt hypocritical even saying it.
"Following your arrangement." After saying this obediently, Katniss fell silent, and the whole room fell into quietness. In the silent bedroom, only our breathing could be heard. But our breaths seemed uneven, as if we both had our own concerns.
The next day, I was at work in the office. We had planned to go to the hospital together at noon, but at noon, I received a call from Katniss, saying we couldn't go to the hospital today because she had something to deal with.
I was a bit impatient at that time and didn't ask Katniss why. I just hung up the phone.
Sitting in my chair, realizing I couldn't go to the hospital today, I suddenly felt a sense of relief in my heart. Whatever the doctor might find, it was something I didn't want to face.
Sitting in the office, my mind started to wander again. Was Katniss not going to the hospital because she was afraid of something? Perhaps she was afraid of being exposed? When I got home after work in the evening, as usual, Katniss was sitting at the dining table waiting for me to have dinner. Seeing me return, she happily got up to take my shoes and briefcase.
After freshening up, I walked to the dining table. Katniss was busy in the kitchen serving dishes. Normally, Katniss would keep the food warm in a container, as my return time was really unpredictable, making it impossible for Katniss to predict any routine.
Sitting at the table, my mind was not focused. I kept thinking about why Katniss suddenly didn't go to the hospital today. My gaze inadvertently fell on the table, and I became tense because there were three sets of tableware placed on the table.
Seeing this, I looked towards our bedroom. It was empty, and the bathroom light was off. It wasn't Simon who had come back, so who could it be? I looked towards the entrance and noticed a pair of men's shoes on the shoe rack, Nathan's shoes. Then I turned to the closed door of the guest room. Just as I looked at the door, Katniss came out of the kitchen with the dishes.
She said, "Dad, Kevin is back. Let's eat."
Seeing me look towards the guest room, Katniss awkwardly lowered her head. Even when Nathan was mentioned in normal times, Katniss would react this way. After all, the relationship between the two of them was extraordinary, both in the past and now.
After a dozen seconds, the door of the guest room opened, and Nathan walked out somewhat embarrassed.
It had been almost twenty days since I last saw Nathan. I had been away in Lumaria for half a month, and the last time I saw Nathan was in surveillance footage, where he was indulging in my beloved wife's body, freely enjoying himself with Katniss.
"I'm back. Just finished work today. I've been wanting to come back and see you. Are you still tired from Lumaria?" After sitting at the table, Nathan seemed unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere and spoke up, but his words seemed a bit incoherent and his voice trembled.
"I'm fine, not tired." I replied, but there was something I didn't say out loud. I wasn't physically tired, but mentally exhausted. Because of Katniss's situation during this time, I was truly mentally exhausted, almost being driven crazy.
Seemingly unsatisfied with my brief answer, Nathan smiled and fell silent.
"Would you like a drink? It's been a while since we had a meal together." Katniss stood up at this point, perhaps trying to ease the atmosphere between me and Nathan.
"Sure, it's been a while since I had a drink." After hearing Katniss's words, Nathan glanced at me. I nodded in agreement.
Honestly, it had been a long time since I had a drink. With my busy work schedule, I didn't have time to indulge in alcohol. And in my current position, I needed to keep a clear mind at all times. Even at parties, I only drank wine with low alcohol content, forgetting the taste of beer and whiskey.
Upon hearing my words, Katniss took out a bottle of whiskey from home, a gift from a friend. Now, with my changed status, I received many gifts, including several bottles of whiskey worth thousands of dollars each. I had kept them at home since receiving them. Although Nathan had visited a few times, he had never dared to drink them after learning about their value, and he wouldn't drink them without my consent.
As I saw Katniss take out the bottle, I noticed Nathan licking his lips with his tongue, perhaps craving the whiskey or reminiscing about Katniss's body.
I poured a full glass for myself and Nathan, clinking glasses with him before downing it in one go. Nathan, who had just taken a sip to savor the taste, was surprised to see me finish my drink so quickly and followed suit.
After finishing the drink, I couldn't help but cough softly a few times. The whiskey was really strong, and it had been a long time since I had whiskey. The strong taste lingered in my mind.
"Why drink so fast? Whiskey should be savored slowly. Drinking it like that is a waste." Katniss patted my back while scolding me. Indeed, the more precious the whiskey, the more it should be savored. Drinking it all at once was a sacrilege to fine liquor.
But for some reason, I seemed to want to drown my sorrows in alcohol or express my inner dissatisfaction indirectly. I deliberately went against the norm and finished the drink in one go.
For the rest of the time, Nathan and I exchanged cups, but there was no longer the camaraderie we used to have while drinking. We, father and son, seemed to have become very distant at that moment. There were no words exchanged when clinking glasses, and I didn't look at Nathan. Sensing my unnatural attitude, Nathan mechanically drank along with me, matching my pace.
Katniss, on the other hand, tried to maintain the atmosphere at the dinner table by talking to me and Nathan. The wine and dishes on the table were more than halfway finished. The wine was good, the food was even better. Perhaps Katniss had prepared a more sumptuous meal than usual to welcome Nathan. And some of the dishes were clearly meant for Nathan. Was Katniss trying to warn me? By the third round of drinks, I was feeling a bit tipsy, and my thoughts became even more confused.
By the end, I had lost count of how much I had drunk. It seemed like Nathan and I had finished two bottles of whiskey together. The aftereffects of the whiskey were strong, and it had been a long time since I had drunk hard liquor. I suddenly felt unable to hold on, perhaps due to my emotions or for some other reason, and I was quite drunk, more so than usual.
When I wanted to drink more, Nathan stopped me.
As Katniss and Nathan helped me to bed, I had no strength left. Nathan undressed me, and the sound of tableware clinking came from the living room. Katniss must have been clearing the table.
Nathan, coming from a rural background, was used to drinking and would have a glass at every meal, no matter how much. He drank whiskey, the cheap kind, so he was in a much better condition than me.
Although I was lying in bed, barely able to keep my eyes open, I tried hard to stay awake. Something seemed to be about to happen tonight, and I had to stop it, prevent it from getting worse. I couldn't sleep, absolutely couldn't sleep.
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