Chapter 25 I'm Glad We Divorced Back Then
A coldness flickered in Martin's eyes. Hunter? The same Hunter Patricia used to dream about?
As soon as this thought crossed his mind, Patricia woke up and rubbed her sleepy eyes. She picked up her phone and glanced at it, then accepted Hunter's friend request.
Hunter immediately sent a message, saying, "You're still awake so late?"
Patricia replied, "Yeah! And what about you? Why aren't you sleeping?"
Hunter responded, "I was on a business trip the past few days and wasn't in Ivara City. I just got off the plane. When are you free? Let's have a meal together."
Without hesitation, Patricia agreed. "Sure! When are you available?"
Hunter replied, "I'm available anytime. So, let me know when you are free."
Patricia sent a shy emoji.
Martin, who was openly observing their conversation, felt puzzled. Patricia continued, "Alright, I'll message you after I finish up what I'm currently dealing with."
Hunter responded, "Okay! It's getting late; you should rest. It's good for your skin to sleep and wake up early."
Patricia smiled. "You too!"
"Goodnight!"
"Goodnight!" Patricia replied.
Watching the two bid each other goodnight reluctantly, Martin pursed his thin lips. His handsome face remained expressionless, and his eyebrows were furrowed.
As Patricia was engrossed in her conversation, she remained completely unaware of Martin behind her. It wasn't until a shadow fell over her that she suddenly felt a chill down her back. She turned around abruptly, meeting Martin's icy and piercing gaze, causing her to startle.
"How long have you been standing there?”
Martin curled his lips, forming a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Not long. I just happened to see your entire conversation."
Patricia frowned. "Do you even understand the concept of privacy?"
"I'm not sure," Martin said, his lips still bearing that enigmatic smile while his eyes remained cold, exuding an icy aura.
This unusual display of childlike behavior from Martin momentarily left Patricia more astonished than angry. She stared at him in bewilderment as he turned away in frustration.
Glancing at the time on her phone, Patricia noted that it was one in the morning. They hadn't eaten dinner, and hunger was beginning to gnaw at her. With Randy sound asleep, she quietly made her way downstairs to search for something to eat.
After rummaging through the fridge, she found some meat and noodles. Slicing the meat into strips, she stir-fried it in a pan and combined it with the cooked noodles. A sunny-side-up egg crowned the dish, creating a mouthwatering aroma that wafted through the kitchen.
Just as Patricia was about to leave the kitchen with her bowl of noodles, Martin, who had silently seated himself at the dining table, caught her off guard.
"What are you doing here? You almost gave me a heart attack," Patricia exclaimed.
Martin, unfazed, replied, "I want to eat too."
"No. If you want to eat, you can make your own," Patricia stated firmly as she sat down. She used her hand to fan the scent of the noodles towards her face, savoring the aroma. "These smell so good."
Martin, having tasted Patricia's cooking earlier, couldn't resist. Without a word, he reached over and helped himself to her bowl of noodles.
Patricia was left momentarily speechless by his audacity. "Martin, these are my noodles, not yours."
Martin shamelessly replied, "Eating your food is my honor."
Patricia let out a dry chuckle. "Well, thank you! Thank your entire family, in fact!"
Her words, however, felt off, and she shot him an irritated glare before getting up to make another bowl of noodles for herself.
"Put on more. This is not enough for me," he said.
Was he treating her like a servant?
Patricia smiled, though she was angry. "I'm not a servant; you can find your own staff if you want to eat."
"I don't like the food they prepare for me. I enjoy eating the food you make, and you should be grateful that I do."
Patricia seethed with anger. "Mr. Langley, please understand that I'm not your servant, and I have no obligation to take care of you."
Martin remained unperturbed. "But you're using ingredients from my house. I provide the ingredients, and you provide the labor; we'll owe each other nothing."
Patricia was momentarily at a loss for words. Seeing her hesitation, Martin impatiently urged, "Hurry up, I'm almost done eating."
Patricia gritted her teeth in anger. She wanted to leave with dignity, but her stomach kept growling uncontrollably. After weighing her options, she reluctantly swallowed her pride and made another bowl for Martin.
Martin appeared to be in high spirits, savoring the meal and generously complimenting her. "It's been five years, and your culinary skills have improved significantly. They're better than many five-star chefs."
No wonder even a simple salad tasted so delightful. Patricia responded with a touch of self-deprecation, "My skills haven't changed; yours have."
When she had married Martin, he had been in poor health, and she had learned to cook and take care of him. Unfortunately, Martin had never truly appreciated her efforts, his heart belonging solely to Debbie.
Over the past five years, her cooking skills had remained constant, but the recipients of her food had changed.
"Is that so?" Martin paused in his eating, a cryptic glint in his dark eyes.
Thinking of stir-fried cucumber, he suddenly expressed a desire to taste it. "Let's have stir-fried cucumber tomorrow, just like the one you made for Randy in the hospital. Also, tomato scrambled eggs, organic chicken soup, and corn stir-fried with shrimp."
Patricia slammed her cutlery on the table in frustration. "Do you really think of me as a chef?"
Martin adopted a businesslike tone, saying, "I can compensate you for your services."
Patricia raised her chin and said, "No thanks. I can earn money on my own."
Martin ceased eating, a mocking gaze fixed on her. "I also provide the money you earn."
Refusing to yield, Patricia retorted, "I earned it through my own abilities."
Martin chuckled, his face radiating scorn. "And you earn it based on your abilities too! It's one and the same."
His cutting words felt like a sharp blade, piercing directly into Patricia's heart. She stood frozen, her eyes gradually losing their luster as a sense of despair enveloped her from head to toe.
If it weren't for Randy, she wouldn't have wanted to stay another second in this place. Her unyielding pride prevented her from enduring such humiliation. She stubbornly said, "I'm glad I divorced you back then."
She stood up and left without looking back. Watching her retreating figure, Martin felt as if his blood had rushed to his head, a sharp knife had pierced deep into his heart, making it difficult for him to breathe. The noodles in his mouth instantly lost their taste.
Slowly, he set down his fork, his eyes filled with regret. It was evident that what he had said earlier didn't reflect his true feelings, but somehow, in the heat of the moment, spurred by thoughts of her sweet conversation with Hunter, hurtful words had escaped him without thought.
Now, he deeply regretted it.
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