Chapter 31 His Tenderness

It was Lauren's call. Charlie's quick response showed how important the call was to him. He answered it instantly. He didn't even care that his wife was right beside him.

"What's going on? Don't cry." Charlie's voice was filled with a gentleness I had never heard before. "Wait for me there, I'll come right away."

After hanging up, Charlie pulled over and urged me, "Take a taxi back, or I'll have someone pick you up. Just wait by the roadside for a while."

"What's wrong?" I curiously asked.

"There's something I need to handle," Charlie impatiently answered.

"Where are you going? Take me along, I'm bored anyway." I purposely refused to get out of the car.

I thought Charlie would refuse, but to my surprise, he turned to look at me, a hint of cruel amusement evident in his eyes. "Do you really want to go with me?"

Lauren must have encountered something problematic. She had probably called Charlie for help. If I went there, I would have to see him comforting another woman. I would definitely be jealous.

Charlie always enjoyed making me uncomfortable, so that I would regret marrying him. I replied firmly, "Yes, I want to go."

Charlie didn't waste any more words. He stepped on the gas pedal, and the car sped down the road.

Finally, the car stopped outside a shopping mall. When I got out of the car and glanced around, Charlie had already walked in. I followed behind him, and we arrived at the sixth floor, which was filled with various food stalls.

There seemed to be some commotion in a sushi restaurant, but I didn't go inside. I stood a short distance away, quietly watching.

Five minutes later, Charlie and Lauren walked out together. Lauren appeared to have been crying, her eyes red.

Charlie reached up and touched her hair, as if caressing an adorable little cat. He even slightly bent down and listened attentively to Lauren's words.

In the past, there were rumors and scandals everywhere, so he didn't bother hiding it in public.

There was a fleeting void in my heart, but after forcibly ignoring my emotions, I took out my phone, took a photo, then turned and left. As I descended in the elevator, I overheard people discussing what had happened in the sushi restaurant just now.

The gist was that Lauren went to the sushi restaurant for a meal, only to find that the ingredients were problematic. The salmon contained worm eggs. She tried to give feedback to the owner but ended up in an argument and was even locked in the kitchen.

Sometimes, a girl is just a girl, and it requires someone like Charlie to intervene. What annoyed me even more was that Charlie seemed to enjoy it.

After leaving the mall, I took a taxi back home and sent the photo I had taken to Dylan along the way.

It wasn't until I arrived home that I received Dylan's reply: "What do you mean?"

I didn't even know why I sent it to him. Was I hoping for his sympathy?

Just then, Yolanda called me out of the blue. "Rose, are you free tomorrow?"

"Yes, why?" I asked.

"Accompany me to try on wedding dresses. Arthur and I have tentatively planned to get engaged next weekend, with plans for a wedding at the end of the year." Yolanda's voice was filled with excitement.

"Congrats, Yolanda! I'm really happy for you. I'll be there. What's the address?" I was genuinely happy for her. They had always been a lovely couple.

"Thanks, Rose! God, I'm so excited! Be at LOVE Wedding Shop at 8. See you tomorrow!"

"See you."

I stood at the door for a moment and let out a sigh. Marriage had become a troublesome topic for me.

I then entered the living room to rest. Elizabeth and another maid were cleaning, and they both greeted me upon my return. I lay down on the sofa, closed my eyes, and in my mind, I could only see the image of Charlie gently stroking Lauren's hair.

It was the tenderness I had been longing for ten years, but Lauren effortlessly achieved it. Charlie willingly gave it to her.

"Elizabeth, I have a question for you." I opened my eyes and saw Elizabeth crouching down to clean the coffee table.

Elizabeth respectfully replied, "Madam, please ask."

After thinking for a few seconds, I asked, "I have a friend who is still in college. She has a great boyfriend who is around the same age as her. They have a good relationship. But recently, a married man has been pursuing my friend, and she seems a bit unsure. What do you think she should choose? Her boyfriend or the married man?"

Elizabeth exchanged a glance with the other maid and answered, "Of course, she should choose her own boyfriend. She must not get involved with a married man!"

"But what if the married man is wealthier than her boyfriend and pursues her relentlessly?" I stared at Elizabeth.

"Even then, she should still reject him. It would be morally corrupt to ruin someone else's family. Besides, what good can come from a man who cheats?" Elizabeth sounded quite passionate, and I could tell that she genuinely believed what she said.

How did our family's values become so corrupted in the past?

The other maid also expressed her indignation. "Of course, she shouldn't become a mistress. No matter how beautiful a woman is, if she becomes a mistress, she is just despicable!"

Elizabeth probably thought of her own daughter. After all, the background I described was very similar to Lauren's, except that she didn't know about the married man pursuing her.

She cautiously asked, "Madam, how old is your friend?"

I casually replied, "She's a senior in college and will graduate next year."

As soon as I finished speaking, Elizabeth visibly relaxed.

"Alright, Elizabeth, go prepare dinner," I instructed.

It was already evening, and all I wanted was to have a meal and lie down in bed alone, letting everything drift away.

Unknowingly, I fell asleep on the sofa until Charlie woke me up, saying, "Rosalie, wake up!"

Drowsily, I opened my eyes and saw Charlie's cold expression. In his hand, he held a lipstick, the one I had left in his car today. How did he discover it so quickly?

After leaving the mall, Charlie must have taken Lauren home. Otherwise, he wouldn't have found it so soon.

"What's wrong?" I pretended not to understand, sitting up and rubbing my eyes.

"Was this lipstick intentionally placed in my car by you?" Charlie threw the lipstick at me and sneered, "Aren't you waiting for our divorce? Aren't we supposed to do our own thing? Is this your idea of fun?"

I held the lipstick in my hand calmly and replied, "It's just a lipstick. Why are you so angry? It's not like I left a bottle of poison in your car."

Charlie looked at me darkly and said, "Stop pretending!"

"Oh, did the girl you played the hero for today see it? Is she jealous?" I casually apologized, "Sorry about that, I'll be more careful next time."

"Don't use these despicable means to deal with her. Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite to you!" Charlie seemed worried that I might harm Lauren.

I forced a bitter smile, finding it hard to maintain my composure. "Rest assured, I didn't follow you into the sushi restaurant today. I didn't even see your mistress. I don't even know who she is. So how can I deal with her?"

Charlie would definitely protect Lauren well, especially after today's incident. Nothing would be reported by the media, otherwise Lauren's reputation would be ruined.

Charlie turned and went upstairs, his figure enveloped in a cold aura.

He finally waited for Lauren to take the initiative and approach him. They got a little closer, but as soon as Lauren got in the car, she found another woman's lipstick, reminding her of his married status. The distance between them instantly widened again. It was strange if he wasn't angry.