Chapter 9

At this moment, Nolan sat in his house and looked at the room he had just cleaned, which was still a mess. Then, he sighed. It wasn't the life he had imagined. He thought he would be greeted by a sweet and happy life after getting out of jail. At the very least, it would be a simple and peaceful happiness. But reality often turned out differently than expected. "Megan, can wealth and power really completely change a person? How disappointing." Nolan shook his head and didn't say anything else. It was already evening, and he hadn't eaten yet. When he was about to leave, the doorbell rang again. This time, he frowned and became a bit annoyed. Was there an end to all of this? However, when he opened the door angrily and saw a woman in a white dress, looking pure and kind, all his anger vanished. "Audrey, it's you. Why are you here?" The person who came was none other than Audrey, who had given Megan a call earlier. She was once a close friend of both Megan and Jeanne, although their current relationship was difficult to define. Upon seeing Nolan, Audrey couldn't help but smile. She was genuinely happy to see that he had gotten out of jail. "Nolan, it has been three years since we last saw each other. You've lost weight." Nolan smiled at her words and responded, "I don't think I've lost a lot. The food in jail wasn't great, but I ate well enough. Come on in and have a seat." Nolan wasn't lying about his treatment in jail, as he was treated differently from ordinary prisoners. Of course, Audrey wouldn't fully believe it. After entering the room, Audrey looked around at the messy room and frowned slightly. "Did Megan cause trouble here? Is it because she forced you to get a divorce?" Upon hearing that, Nolan glanced at Audrey and asked, "Aren't you best friends with her? I thought you would have known. But I wouldn't call it causing trouble. I think there's just some misunderstanding." Was it just some misunderstanding? Perhaps that was the only way Nolan could describe it now. After all, how else could he describe it? That his ex-brother-in-law came to beat him up? It was pointless to mention that. Audrey looked at Nolan and shook her head. "Megan and I haven't been in contact for almost three years. Our relationship completely changed after you went to jail. Nolan, I know what happened. I just want to ask if you regret it." After hearing what Audrey said, Nolan fell silent. Regret? Did he regret falling in love with Megan, being too good to her, or going to jail for her? Should he not have found so many people to help and protect her, leading to her smooth career growth and eventually becoming the bitter person she was now? Maybe he regretted all of that, but he felt he had brought it on himself for the situation to reach this extent. After all, if he hadn't doted on her so much, things might not turn out this way. "Audrey, what's done is done. There's no point in asking whether or not I regret my decisions. Let's not dwell on these unhappy things. What about you? How have you been all these years? Have you gotten married?" When Audrey heard that, her expression became bitter. She looked at Nolan and said, "Even now, you're still ignoring my feelings for you… "Nolan, I really want to know what Megan has that I don't. Why don't you like me at all when you clearly know that the person who loves you the most is me?" Audrey seemed to have realized she was a bit too worked up. She slightly shook her head and said, "I'm sorry for getting a bit emotional. I just think the situation is unfair to you." Nolan knew all along that Audrey liked him, but he only had one person in his heart from the beginning to the end. When he loved Megan, he never thought about betraying her. Audrey kept her distance from him as well. Their relationship was restrained and could withstand any suspicion. But that day, it seemed that Audrey didn't want to hold back anymore. "Nolan, I'm here today to visit you. It's getting late. You haven't eaten yet, have you? Let me treat you to a meal." Upon hearing that, Nolan smiled and said, "You're at my house. How can I let you treat me to a meal? Besides, I don't really want to eat out. If you don't mind, how about I cook? But I have to say something beforehand. Although I think my cooking skills are alright, I don't know if you'll like it." At that, Audrey glanced at him and said, "I tasted your cooking in the past, and I still think about it from time to time. It's just that I didn't have the chance or reason to trouble you. Since you're willing to cook today, I'm really happy." Then, she lowered her voice and said, "Having a simple meal with you and watching you cook for me can make up for some of my regrets." Nolan didn't hear what Audrey mumbled. With a smile, he said, "Just sit and rest. I'll go cook." Then, he entered the kitchen. Thankfully, he bought some groceries when he returned, although he was alone in the house. Otherwise, he would have no choice but to eat out. Nolan's cooking skills were great. As Audrey sat in the living hall, she watched him cook in the kitchen with an infatuated gaze. Her gaze never left him, as if she wanted to keep watching him until she could no longer do so. "I didn't make much. I only cooked a few simple dishes. See if you like them." After Nolan finished cooking, he placed the dishes on the dining table. At this moment, Audrey smiled happily and looked at the dishes in front of her. "There are spicy potato wedges, pork chop, omelet, and steak. Nolan, these are all the dishes I love. Thank you for remembering them." Upon hearing that, Nolan shook his head and smiled. "You're the first person who genuinely welcomed me after I got out of jail. So, I should be the one to thank you. After all, you made me feel warm again." That was right. Ever since he got out of jail, he had faced divorce, bullying, and being beaten up at his door. It seemed like everything had changed. All the good things from the past had become unrecognizable to him. And when he was feeling disappointed and down, Audrey came to see him with a sweet smile and a sincere heart. He was really touched and felt warm. Just as he was about to start eating, she pulled out a card and placed it on the table. "Nolan, I know you have a lot of pride and your own sense of dignity, but please give me a chance to love and help you. Please don't refuse me. "There's three million dollars on this card. It's my savings from the past few years. I know it isn't much, but since you just got out of jail and have to start over, please accept it… Even if it's just so I won't have any regrets."