NOVPUB
Chapter 77 - 77- so popular
Somehow, the conversation eventually turned to Albert Wilson treating everyone to dinner. Cynthia's first reaction was to firmly oppose it. She didn't want him to be involved in her circle of friends. He had already become part of her orphanage life—how could he infiltrate her social circle as well?
Out of the five people, only she objected strongly, while the others silently agreed, and in the end, she had to give in to the majority. Bonnie and the others confidently decided that they would go to Glory Hotel for dinner, and Albert Wilson didn't even flinch before agreeing.
After a while, Bonnie and the others left, obviously not wanting to disturb the sweet couple's private time. Once they were gone, Cynthia, with some determination, retreated to the attic to read for the rest of the day, deliberately ignoring the man.
By the time evening arrived and it was time to head to Glory for their dinner appointment, she stood at the entrance, hesitating. After several moments of internal struggle, she couldn't hold it in any longer.
"Albert Wilson, could you please change those flashy shoes of yours?"
He had dressed in a full gray athletic outfit, the form-fitting material showing off his good physique, which was about to be on display not only for her but for everyone outside. That was fine—show off the body—but why did he have to pair this otherwise dull outfit with bright red, shiny, attention-grabbing shoes? Was he trying to pull all eyes onto himself? Could he at least consider that the woman standing next to him might not want to draw all that attention?
"What's wrong with my shoes?" he asked, confused, as he threw on a short puffer jacket over his sportswear.
"You think you're going to a beauty pageant? You look so flashy!" Cynthia shot him an annoyed glare, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She had to admit, though, even in such a casual outfit, he managed to look effortlessly stylish.
He ignored her jabs and stepped closer, wrapping an arm around her, then looking down seriously at her, fully bundled up in her attire.
"Dear Cynthia, this is a matter of personal taste!"
Fuming, she pulled away from him and stormed downstairs, "Fine! If you want to dress like that, then I don't have to go with you!" Seething with frustration, she rushed downstairs and, just as she reached the door, a taxi arrived. She hopped in and told the driver to go without waiting for him.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before he called her in a flurry.
"Wait outside for me and pay the fare!"
Cynthia immediately felt a sense of satisfaction in her heart. It was probably the first time in his life that Albert Wilson had found himself in a situation where he had no money to pay for the taxi fare. It served him right for being too lazy to go get cash these past few days!
After about five minutes, she arrived and saw him dark-faced, stepping out of the taxi. His expression was so grim that if they weren't in the middle of the street, she felt he would have torn her apart on the spot.
Bonnie and Vivian were already there. They had skipped eating all day just for this dinner. The Glory Hotel, the globally renowned luxury hotel, was a place everyone had heard of. Glory represented the pinnacle of service and the ultimate in luxury. You'd find Glory in every bustling metropolis around the world.
The dinner was delightful. While Albert Wilson was in the bathroom, Bonnie mysteriously pulled out a stack of papers and leaned over to Cynthia.
"Cynthia, Cynthia, do you remember that guy who confessed to you in school?"
Their school had created a scenic spot with an artificial lake beside the teaching building. Despite the lake having a poetic name, the students, in their mischief, started calling it
Vivian and Nancy couldn't help but laugh when Bonnie brought up the topic. Cynthia, feeling confused, asked, "I remember, but why bring this up?"
Bonnie grinned and opened the stack of papers. Vivian and Nancy immediately leaned over the table, clearly already familiar with the contents of the letter.
Cynthia looked at the thick pile, which seemed to be about ten or more pages long, and beads of cold sweat began to form on her forehead. No wonder—this was from the literature department. Only they could write a love letter that turned into a long essay of several pages.
"Ahem—" Bonnie cleared her throat, looking at Cynthia with a playful glint in her eye.
"Cynthia, I think this love letter must be read aloud by someone with my eloquence to truly express the deep affection written between the lines!"
Cynthia knew Bonnie was about to start causing trouble, so she didn't stop her and just leaned back in her chair, leisurely sipping her tea.
"C——"
Bonnie only read one word, and Cynthia's hand holding the tea trembled, causing goosebumps to form all over her body.
With a dramatic tone and exaggerated expressions, Bonnie continued reading,
"Do you remember me?"
"Pff—"
As soon as she read the second sentence, Cynthia spat out the tea in her mouth. Vivian and Nancy were already in tears from laughing.
Cynthia wiped off the water stains on her clothes, looking at Bonnie with a pleading expression.
"Laurence, can we stop? How about we just rip it up and throw it in the trash?"
Bonnie ignored her completely, continuing with a soulful delivery,
"You moved my heart in class. Never has a woman so elegantly and handsomely defied the teacher... uh..."
Just as Cynthia reached out to snatch the letter, she saw Bonnie suddenly freeze, as though she'd bitten her tongue. Cynthia turned around to see Albert Wilson striding back from the bathroom.
The group was momentarily stunned, then quickly scrambled to act. Those who needed to sit properly did so, while others hastily hid the letter, but it was all in vain under Albert Wilson's sharp gaze.
He gracefully took a seat, then looked at Bonnie with a smile, though his tone was a bit awkward. 𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖕𝔲𝔟.𝔠𝖔𝖒
"What were you all talking about? It seems like a fun conversation!"
His sharp eyes, however, had already fallen on the paper Bonnie was hastily trying to shove under the table. Leaning forward slightly, he swiftly grabbed the paper and unfolded it. Judging from their expressions, the paper was no ordinary letter, and he had noticed Bonnie struggling to hide it when he entered.
The mood in the room instantly shifted, and Bonnie was now nervously watching Albert Wilson. He glanced around at the others before opening the paper and starting to read.
The more Albert Wilson read, the darker his expression grew. The more he saw their nervous breathing, the more intense the pressure in the room became. And of course, the love letter was several pages long. He read it with such seriousness, as though he were trying to memorize every word, every sentence.
Finally, when he lowered the letter, Cynthia and the others were on the verge of suffocation. But then, Albert suddenly pulled Cynthia into his arms, his lips curling into a smile, and he said softly,
"My wife is so popular. I feel very... proud!"
Bonnie and the others might not have noticed, but Cynthia clearly felt the last two words were ground out through clenched teeth.
Afterward, Bonnie and the others were cautious, even afraid to breathe too loudly, but Albert acted as if nothing had happened. His face still wore that warm, harmless, charming smile. It was as if he hadn't just been reading a deeply personal letter.
Eventually, the atmosphere lightened, and when the dinner ended, the women were a little tipsy. They dropped Bonnie and the others off, and Cynthia and Albert were the last to head home.
On the way back, when the taxi stopped and they still had to walk a bit, Albert wrapped his arm around her waist, and they stumbled toward her apartment. His voice suddenly rang out from above her,
"Recite it for me!"
It was a domineering command, tinged with a childish hint of irritation.
He had been furious reading that long letter, and the way it described her stance—so suave and poised—was driving him crazy. Damn it, what kind of stance was that!
She stopped walking, looked up at him, her small face flushed slightly from the alcohol, and her clear eyes sparkled like the stars twinkling above them at that very moment.
The intense connection between them seemed to simmer in the air, an unspoken tension that slowly eroded their rationality. In that moment, as their gazes locked, it felt as if nothing could stand between them. And then, he leaned in, and their lips met in a desperate kiss, their bodies entwined in an embrace that seemed to erase the rest of the world.
However, this passionate closeness was abruptly interrupted after only a few days. It ended as suddenly as it had started when he received a phone call and left in a hurry. He didn't even say goodbye. That evening, after returning from the grocery store with an armful of food, she entered the small apartment only to find it eerily empty.
It wasn't long before she learned that the people from BlackRock had returned from their holidays, and the one person he had been preoccupied with was back. Even though she didn't love him, a flicker of sadness crossed her heart. She realized that to him, she had been nothing more than a temporary distraction, someone to fill the silence when he was lonely.
That night, she spent hours in the small attic, standing on her hands, forcing herself to erase every memory of their time together—the anger, the smiles, his warm embrace, and even his wild passion. All of it had to be banished.
His things were still scattered around. She meticulously washed his clothes, folding them neatly and packing them into his oversized suitcase. He didn't send anyone to collect them, and she didn't bother to return them as she had done before. The large suitcase remained in the corner of her small living room, its size making it seem even more out of place in the cramped space. Every day, when she left the apartment, she couldn't help but glance at it, though she tried to ignore the gnawing emptiness it reminded her of.
