Chapter 2

Leroy stood in the kitchen for a long time before coming out of his daze. The ingredients had been prepared, and he skillfully prepared Scarlett's favorite dish, honey-glazed pork ribs. After some pondering, he summoned their private primary chef. "Scarlett prefers her food slightly different from the usual recipe. Also, I'll list down the steps to making her medicinal food. In the future, the kitchen is all yours." The primary chef, Lester Jackman, joked, "Only you know how to make the perfect dish with the perfect flavor profile for Mrs. Olson. I'm afraid the rest of us can't master it." The feelings from the past crashed over him like an ocean wave, rendering him out of breath. "We're getting divorced soon. So, I won't be around anymore." While Lester remained in a stun, Leroy carried the dish out of the kitchen. When he arrived at the dining hall, he found no sight of Scarlett but saw an uninvited guest instead—Cedric. Leroy suppressed his turmoil of emotions. "Hi." However, Cedric couldn't bother lifting his head to look at him. "Thank you for cooking. You guys should rest after this. I'll clean up after the meal." Leroy, preparing to place the dish on the table, froze in silence. It was only then Cedric lifted his head. "Oh, it's you. Lettie told me all about you. Thank you for taking care of her for me all these years." Every word he spoke felt like a slap in the face to Leroy's years of effort. "What I did for her all these years has nothing to do with you; it's between us." He served up the dish and sat across from Cedric. Instantly, Cedric narrowed his eyes and began scrutinizing Leroy. Then, he continued to assert his dominance. "But you act more like her mother than like a husband. So what if you've looked after her for seven years? Even after you treated her legs, she still willingly returned to me with just a phone call. "Perhaps you should start letting go of things that no longer belong to you. You're not in the place to hold onto them, anyway." Leroy's brows tightened, and the exploding pain in his chest made him say, "You're such an actor, Mr. Reid. You left the country without second thoughts as soon as she got into that accident because you thought she would never recover. "Yet, here you are now, eagerly trying to return to her side. What's your motive?" Cedric squinted slightly, his countenance increasingly hostile. But as soon as he glanced at the moving shadow behind Leroy, he quickly lowered his head. "It was all my fault back then." He continued, "I wanted to go to the hospital as soon as I found out about the accident, but at that time, I discovered I had lymphoma and that it could've been terminal. I didn't want Lettie to be saddened by the news, so I chose to receive treatment abroad. "What I didn't expect was my family cutting off all my connections with her to ensure I focused on my treatment. That's why I'm extremely grateful for you. Thank you for taking such great care of her." Leroy's hands formed into fists under the table. He was reluctant to take that as an answer. "Can you swear you didn't return at this perfect timing because you were eyeing her money?" Immediately, a cold and resolute voice rang behind him. "You're wrong about him." Amid Leroy's daze, Scarlett walked over to the table and sat between them. "Do you think everyone is motivated by money like you, Leroy? Don't project your insecurities onto others and make vile accusations like this." She couldn't be any clearer. Leroy looked at his wife in disbelief. The old Scarlett would've never verbally attacked others. Even when encountering tricky situations from her higher-ups back then, she had never had a public fallout with anyone. Yet, Scarlett now had used his difficulty from seven years ago to mock him, all in an attempt to defend Cedric. As expected, their seven years of marriage meant nothing to her as far as Cedric was in the picture. Faced with Leroy's grim expression, Scarlett decisively looked away. "Please leave. I don't think I'll have the appetite to eat with you here." Her words resembled a freshly sharpened dagger, slowly stabbing and twisting in his heart. Almost immediately, he turned on his heels with reddened eyes. Leroy, too, had suppressed plenty of negative emotions over the years. He didn't want Scarlett to be affected by his bad days, so he always dealt with his feelings alone. With Cedric's return, it became the final straw for him. While it might've been insignificant to him, it was enough to break the camel's back. "Fine. I'll go. Text me when it's time to process the divorce. Once that's done, we won't have to see each other anymore." Leroy fished out his house keys and placed them by Scarlett's hand. Without turning back, he walked out of the villa. She stared at the cartoon keychain and fell into a daze. Back then, she gave it up because it was old and casually tossed it to Leroy. To her surprise, he had it with him until now. The dining hall remained in a prolonged silence. By then, Cedric's eyes were filled with satisfaction and smugness. "I'm sorry for breaking up your family, but I… I really missed you." He gripped her hand on the table, pulling her focus back to reality. "Oh… It has nothing to do with you. Our marriage is based on a contract from the start. It's just a title, nothing more." Cedric's gaze flickered. "But having a title without a bond is still different from one that's real, even if it's unacknowledged." His words conveyed an underlying meaning, yet they put Scarlett into deep thought regarding her relationship with Leroy. For seven years, they had not slept in the same bed. In the beginning, she would even hide a Taser underneath her pillow for safety. It turned out that she had worried for nothing. Leroy was an upright man with a gentle temperament. He exuded a magnetic yet controlled charm, especially in his white coat, and looked like a character straight out of a romance book. At times, she even found him more attractive than Cedric. That said, Cedric was someone she had loved for years. How could she have a change of heart just because she felt indebted and grateful to Leroy? They were simply not meant to be. Scarlett's heart finally relaxed after convincing herself. Her eyes flashed with an added hint of affection when she gazed at Cedric. "Fret not. Once I finalize the divorce, we'll get married." Cedric's eyes lit up for a split second before he revealed a hesitant look. "But people are going to think I drove Leroy away and see me as the homewrecker." Of course, Scarlett had anticipated that. "Don't worry. I'll offer him monetary compensation and ensure he'll live without worrying about money again. That's the best I can do." "But the public opinions—" "I'll tell the PR department to buckle up and have everyone know we share a history way before Leroy's appearance." Having received the answer he wanted, Cedric pulled Scarlett into an embrace, looking smug and victorious. "Thank you, Lettie." She was unaware of his feelings. Closing her eyes, she tried to reconnect with the spark of their old relationship, yet for some reason, the intoxicating warmth no longer seemed to exist with him. The next day, Scarlett sat in the dining hall and was subsequently served with her medicinal food. As soon as she took her first sip, she spat it out and tightened her brows. "Why is the medicine taste so heavy in this? It's completely different from usual. Didn't Leroy give you the recipe?" Lester scratched his head. "He did, Ms. Payne, but this is our first time making it for you since Dr. Olson had been preparing it all this time. I supposed we didn't control the measurements and heat well." Her frown deepened, and she stirred the medicine, losing all her appetite. "Alright, I got it. Proceed with your work." For some reason, Lester's words made her chest feel stuffed as if a rock was weighing down her heart.