Chapter 106 The Intricacies of Affection
The truth was undeniable; Charles was never going to propose. Kayla could no longer maintain her pretense. Her most prudent option was to depart before Charles fully unveiled her deceit. Perhaps then, if their paths ever intertwined again, there might linger a faint glimmer of hope."I'm leaving," Kayla declared, her packing was complete. As she ambled past Charles, she added, "Whether you choose to believe it or not, I've never lied to you."With her statement hanging in the air, she turned and began her departure. However, before she could fully exit, Charles' voice halted her, "Wait.""What now?" she retorted."Who obtained the hospital record for you?""My cousin," Kayla promptly responded, her excuse well-practiced and at the ready. "He works at the hospital. I didn't want my friends to worry about me, so I had him fabricate a fake one."Charles' gaze remained fixed on her, his skepticism evident. He didn't believe a word she said. Yet, as he mulled over her earlier confession, Daphne's face unexpectedly surfaced in his mind. "The surgery was actually three months ago at a different hospital, but due to unique circumstances, they don’t have any record of my stay," Kayla declared, her tone more convincing than if she were pretending to be vulnerable. "Elan Medical Center, from May 3rd to June 7th, you can verify that," she added."And the reason I returned to you, it’s the same as I previously stated."As she spoke, Kayla lightly touched her eye, mimicking the motion of wiping away a tear. However, no sobs followed her gesture. Charles found himself unable to pinpoint his emotions at that moment. Was he angry? No.Disappointed? Not exactly.His feelings weren't in tumult. He simply knew he didn’t want to see her again."Just go," he voiced impassively, his demeanor unaltered, "From this moment on, we have nothing to do with each other."Kayla forced a mournful smile, a final attempt to stir his sympathy: "Okay."She grasped her suitcase and departed. Prior to that day, the possibility of being exposed by Charles had haunted her thoughts. She had envisioned that by recounting her tragic tale, Charles, who was typically protective, would undoubtedly side with her against the world. But when the moment of truth arrived, reality struck her brutally. Charles, a man who had never fully committed to anyone, remained uninvolved even after learning of her predicament. What mattered most to him, she realized, was the question of whether he had been deceived.With this realization, her hand turned cold as it clutched her suitcase. The mere thought of failing her mission and returning to that person filled her with dreadThat place was a living nightmare!Despite her reluctance, she dialed the number after leaving. She was aware that there was no escape. Regardless of her efforts, she couldn't evade that person's grasp.The phone connected.The same casual yet chilling voice answered, "Failed?""Yes..." Kayla's hand, slick with sweat, gripped the phone tighter."Pathetic," the man drawled menacingly, "I'm assigning you one final task. If you botch this up, you'll find yourself back in that basement."Kayla felt as if she was plunging into a despairing abyss.The basement...No!She couldn’t return there!...Charles had dismissed Kayla’s affairs from his mind. After she left, he retreated into his car. Leaning back in his seat, Charles recalled his interactions with Daphne, including the conversation he had with Austin the previous day."Charles, when are you going to admit your feelings?" "Daphne's the only one who can truly unsettle you. You wouldn't argue over half that stuff with anyone else—not even with Kayla."The words echoed in his mind, stubbornly refusing to be shaken off.Caught in his thoughts, he dialed Samuel, who had just joined a film set. He had queries that demanded answers."Charles?", Samuel had just finished a scene and was shocked by his call.With a slightly darker gaze, Charles reclined in his driver's seat and asked in a cool tone, "What's it like to harbor feelings for someone?"Samuel blinked in confusion.Fancy?His mind raced. "You mean, you fancy Daphne?""Not me." Charles, a master at masking his emotions, bluffed, "It's Mark who's all confused about his feelings. Out of nowhere, he asked me what it's like to fancy someone.""I'm single," was Samuel's concise response."Weren't you in a romantic drama?" Charles slyly remarked, "Just give it a shot. I need to get back to him so he can concentrate on work."Samuel was speechless.How could he treat such a matter so lightly?However, he refrained from offering hasty advice, maintaining his usual composed tone. "You could try Googling it, or check Quora. They might have more professional responses."With a curt "beep, beep, beep," Charles ended the call.He opened his browser and typed in the search bar: What's it like to fancy someone?Searching.
Charles clicked on the first search result, his eyes skimming through the content. The article was about the signs of having a crush on someone. He frowned as he read the first point: an unconscious smile appearing on your face while chatting with them online. Smile? Daphne just managed to drive him up a wall.The second sign was an uncontrollable urge to think about them when they're not around, and the anticipation of 'accidentally' running into them. Upon seeing them, your heart would race uncontrollably. Charles was still puzzled. That wasn't the case for him.The third sign was feeling unworthy or not good enough for them. Charles sighed. No, not that either.The fourth sign was a sour feeling at the sight of them with someone else. Suddenly, the image of Daphne and Evan together popped into his head. Indeed, that did make him unhappy. Could it be that he fancied Daphne?As he pondered this, his fingers scrolled to the bottom of the page, where a bold, enlarged text caught his eye: As you read this, did an image of someone come to mind? If you relate to three of these signs, you probably have a crush on her. Charles muttered under his breath, "…Asshole!""This is between you and her," Daphne said, her tone devoid of regret. She was eager to get away from the situation. "The moment I found out six months ago that I was just a stand-in for her, I decided I wanted a divorce."If he had agreed back then, they would've gone their separate ways already. Yes, she was attracted to his looks, but that didn't mean she would endure everything for love. She didn't need him to breathe."You was never a stand-in," Charles felt compelled to clarify."Oh?" Daphne responded, her interest piqued."At the time, I thought you were independent-minded, and in many ways, we clicked. It felt right to marry you." Charles explained. And indeed, it proved to be true. For the first eighteen months, they never argued, solving any issues through discussion. Their days were genuinely warm and tender."Right for you?" Daphne asked, stung by his words."Yeah," Charles replied coolly. "You weren't paranoid or bombarding me with calls when I came home late. Most importantly, you were good to me."Daphne's emotions flared at his words. She looked straight at the man on the couch and asked bluntly, "All the good things you did for me, why?""If you're good to me, I should be good to you," Charles foolishly replied, "Besides, you're my wife. It's my duty to take care of you.""That's all?""That's all."Those simple words hit Daphne like a punch to the gut. Her once calm heart felt a sharp sting. She had always thought that over the past year and a half, even if Charles viewed her as Kayla's shadow, there must have been real affection for who she was. Now she realized it was only out of a sense of duty, because she was kind to him, not because of love.Objectively speaking, Charles was gentle, honest, would warm her belly when she had cramps, would blow-dry her hair when she was too tired after a wash, would massage her feet when her high heels made them ache. He took care of the household without making her worry, and she didn't need to earn money. Even without love, such a relationship should be considered happy. She shouldn't be ungrateful.And she knew if she didn't divorce him, Charles would continue to take care of her, tender and attentive. But she just couldn't accept it. Such affection was too fragile. Just one "I'm back" from the ex could shatter it completely."This time, I promise I won't bring up divorce again," Charles said, thinking her silence meant she cared about this. "I will take care of you for life.""You don't have to," Daphne said calmly, masking all emotion behind her eyes, "I choose to divorce."Charles didn't understand. "Why?""What do you think I need?" Daphne didn't want to come off as obsessed with romance, but she just couldn't help herself.Before she met Charles, she hadn't been in love. Yet, not having been in love didn't mean she hadn't dreamed about it. Her ideal romance involved two people deeply in love with each other, life full of ups and downs, but inseparable all the same. Just like the old saying goes, she yearned for a love that was fiery and passionate.Charles's brow furrowed slightly. After mentally filtering through everything he knew, he finally offered a response, "Security? Money?". Security had come up in previous conversations and money was mentioned during her divorce."You can leave," Daphne said, cutting through the pleasantries, "I'll pick you up tomorrow afternoon to go to the courthouse. Remember to bring your documents and ID."Charles was infuriated by her use of "get out": "Daphne!" He had come to have a serious conversation with her, and she had told him to get lost."Is there anything else?" Daphne asked. Her tone was noticeably more distant than before. "Just tell me what you want. Knowing your lifestyle doesn’t mean I understand what you’re thinking," Charles didn't know why she was angry.Daphne truly didn't want to talk to him. This man was useless, except for his divinely favored looks and money. She wasn't polite to him either, tossing a sentence his way, "I want you to leave immediately, without stopping for anything.""Fine," Charles replied, his cool demeanor almost tangible, "Divorce it is." At that moment, both were at the peak of their emotional turmoil. Daphne was frustrated by Charles's previous words, while Charles was seething with anger because Daphne rejected his attempts at reconciliation. He just couldn't understand why divorce was necessary.After leaving Daphne's place, Charles returned to his office. Mark immediately sensed something off about his boss's mood, and coupled with prior events, assumed it was about Kayla. After much deliberation, he decided to step in to ease his boss's spirit. After all, he had a report to deliver later, and if he didn't manage to improve his boss's mood, he'd be the one to suffer!
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