Chapter 3

Leroy didn't leave many belongings at Scarlett's place. Since her recovery, he had been occupied at work and rarely returned home because he had more freed-up time. Later, he took all his daily clothes and essentials and brought them to the assigned hostel near the hospital. Hence, he didn't need to pack much and headed straight to his home. Once he entered, he was welcomed by his elated parents. His mother, Olivia Hersey, embraced him emotionally. "Roy, you're finally home! I missed you so much!" The sight of his parents, whose hair had turned white, rendered Leroy emotional. Why did they seem to age so rapidly? Olivia wiped her tears away and asked, "Are you hungry? Let me cook for you. Also, where's Lettie? How's she been lately?" At the mention of Scarlett, Leroy stayed quiet briefly. "Scarlett and I are getting a divorce." Olivia was startled. "It's normal for couples to fight. If it's not something unfixable, you two should apologize to each other and move on." His voice was hoarse. "She suggested it." She sighed deeply, looking sorry for his son. "Well, I guess it's about time. Back then, you two married because you wanted to treat your father. Now that you've treated her legs and looked after her for years, I suppose you've repaid her enough. "Truth be told, I've always felt guilty for making you sacrifice your happiness." Leroy suddenly froze. In the past, he would swallow every grievance and pain he endured without asking for help. But now that his mother gazed at him with empathy and care, he couldn't help but crumble to vulnerability. His voice choked up. "Mom, I didn't marry her simply because of Dad. I had feelings for Scarlett, too. You shouldn't feel this way." That year, at the orientation party, Scarlett donned a white dress and stunned everyone present. Perhaps that was the exact moment she had made a lasting impression on his heart. Thus, later, he changed his major to medicine for her, and for the sake of the contract, he diligently took care of her for the next seven years. All that happened because of one simple moment—the second he fell for her. Leroy smiled wryly. Seeing his dejected look, Olivia couldn't help but shed tears and embrace her son. "You're a good son, Roy. I'm sorry to have put you through hardships. Your dad and I have opened a store and can fend for ourselves now. "From now on, follow your heart and do things you want to do." After Leroy settled back home, he applied for a long leave at the hospital to spend more time with his parents. The next day, he awoke and was immediately summoned by Olivia to the living room. "Leroy, do you still remember the girl next door, Eve? She's always had a thing for you. Now that you're single, you two can finally get to know each other." At that moment, the doorbell rang. Leroy headed to the door and burst into a bitter smile. "Mom, I'm still a married man. Aren't you afraid to smear the innocent girl's name?" Olivia glared at him, rebuking, "Nonsense. Didn't you say you've signed the divorce agreement?" "You're not wrong." With that, he opened the door. She continued, "Since you're divorced, you might as well set up a meeting with her. If she's not your cup of tea, you can still be friends with her." Leroy affirmed and turned to the opening door. Standing outside was Grace Farmer, Scarlett's best friend and secretary. "Long time no see." Grace smiled brightly. Before he could say anything, Olivia excitedly exclaimed, "Are you a friend of Leroy? Come on in!" Grace refused with a smile. "It's alright, Mrs. Olson. Dr. Olson and I will be stepping out to talk about something." "Alright then. Be quick!" Grace led Leroy down the building and found a cafe. There, she pulled out a document listing all the terms outlined in the contract, as well as the compensation for Scarlett's early termination of the agreement. "There's a supplementary contract at the back, stating an additional compensation. Everything totals up about 80 million dollars." He understood Scarlett had always been generous. Although they shared a mutually beneficial relationship, he didn't expect her to offer him additional compensation. Staring at the astronomical figure on the paper, Leroy began to feel an emotional turmoil again. Grace was somewhat skeptical after seeing his stiff expression. "Are you sure you want to give up on her?" Suppressing the bitterness in his heart, he picked up the pen and signed the document. "We're reaching a mutual agreement. There's no such thing as giving up anything as long as she's happy." Grace was taken aback. She truly didn't expect him to be this gracious and cool-headed. She was suddenly at a loss for how to comfort him, eventually saying, "At least she's generous to you. You won't have to worry about money ever again." Leroy glanced at her. "Do you think money can compensate for all the time and effort one puts into a marriage? She's doing all this because she wants her man to feel less guilty, and I'm graciously accepting it only because I don't want her to feel bad." Grace wore a complicated look. At times, she envied Scarlett for having a man who gave his everything to her. That was something she knew as a fact from the observer's perspective. Yet, to her surprise, Scarlett acted unfeeling like a robot and chose to long for someone who abandoned her while she was at her lowest. When that person returned, she even deserted her companion of seven years for him. Retrieving the signed document, Grace let out a sigh and told Leroy to take care of himself before leaving the cafe. Once she entered her car, she dialed Scarlett's number after much consideration. "Lettie, I heard your ex-mother-in-law is arranging a blind date for Leroy. Are you sure you want a divorce?" The receiver stayed silent momentarily before coldly saying, "We're divorced. He can see whoever he wants for all I care. Besides, I already have Cedric. So, please refrain from updating me about his life from now on. "I have no interest in it and do not want Cedric to misunderstand us." Her words caught Grace off guard. For some reason, she found Scarlett's tone rather strange. Thus, she jokingly probed, "Is that so? Does that mean I can start pursuing him? I'll be honest—he's actually my type. He's so hot and gentle, and he was so good to you. "A doctor is hella busy, yet he came home every day to look after you. Seriously, if he wasn't so smitten with you, I would've pursued him. But then again, you said you've always liked Cedric and Cedric only… "You wouldn't call this breaking the girl's code, would you?" This time, Scarlett stayed silent for so long that Grace thought she had ended the call. "Scar—" "Do what you want." Scarlett interrupted and immediately hung up, leaving Grace no chance to respond. Grace chuckled helplessly, shaking her head and keeping her phone. In the meantime, Scarlett sat on the edge of her bed and stared at her incoming call, feeling a sudden thirst. Usually, at this hour, Leroy would've prepared a cup of passion fruit tea, her favorite, by the bed. Instead, what lay on her nightstand was a bunch of tangled charging cables. A wave of frustration slowly engulfed her.