Chapter 1572 She Still Can't Stay Calm in Front of Him
Ann forced herself to drive away the moment she got into her car. She didn't look at Paul. Even as their cars passed close enough to touch, she kept her eyes fixed straight ahead, hands gripping the steering wheel.
About a thousand feet down the road, she realized she'd gone the wrong way. She was supposed to be heading home, but this was the route to her office.
With a self-deprecating smile, she admitted to herself that she still couldn't keep her composure around him. Despite everyone saying she wasn't good enough for him, despite the whispers about her shamelessness, she couldn't let go.
That was just who Ann was. Back when Connie treated her terribly, she had been like a parched sponge, desperately soaking up every drop of affection Connie might carelessly spill her way, always telling herself it was fine.
Then came Brody. Seven years together, and even after shouldering hundreds of thousands in debt for him, even after he'd taken up with the boss's daughter, Ann had still caught herself wondering if he might have a change of heart.
In every relationship, she placed herself at the lowest point, down in the dust. But her feelings for both Connie and Brody had eventually faded. Once she accumulated enough disappointment, she would quietly walk away.
The fact that she couldn't let go of Paul probably meant she hadn't collected enough disappointment yet.
Ann turned the car around at the next corner. As soon as she opened her front door, a scruffy gray puppy came running, tail wagging frantically.
She removed her coat and lifted the dog high in her arms. "Tan, I'm sorry. I've been working late these past few days and haven't been home to see you."
Tan was an ordinary dog she and Paul had adopted together when they were staying in that house. Paul had probably forgotten all about him by now.
Ann held the puppy and noticed some dog food still remained in the bowl. She dumped out the leftovers, replaced the water, and cleaned up the droppings.
Tan was full of energy, constantly circling her legs with his tail wagging. Ann's heart melted as she cradled him, offering comfort and affection.
Tan was the most well-behaved dog she'd ever known. She had installed cameras at home and couldn't resist checking in on him while working late. He was still young, spending most of his time sleeping, waking only to eat before drifting off again—never causing any trouble.
Taking a deep breath, Ann carried Tan to the sofa and played with him for a while before posting on Facebook: [My Tan.}
To her surprise, Alex commented: [Nice name.]
The name had been Paul's choice, but Alex couldn't have known that.
She replied with a simple "Thanks" and went back to playing with Tan.
Alex stared at the Facebook post for a long time before forwarding it to Paul.
Alex: [Ann's puppy—haven't I seen this in your phone before?]
Paul, fresh from the shower and working from home, frowned at the message. He kept very few photos on his phone.
Curious, he opened his gallery and found several pictures of Ann—standing by the bed, in the garden, cooking in the kitchen, holding a small puppy, giving the dog a bath.
As he scrolled through them, his frown deepened, a strange emotion rising within him. His body grew warm as he coldly deleted the photos one by one.
He texted back to Alex: [You're mistaken.]
Alex raised an eyebrow, wondering if he truly had remembered incorrectly.
After deleting everything, Paul found his photo gallery completely empty. He rarely took pictures, but he could still recall exactly how he'd felt when capturing those moments with Ann.
Just thinking about it made something stir inside him.
He rubbed his forehead, forcing himself to focus on the documents on his computer screen.
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