Chapter 21
To prevent her condition from deteriorating further, Ryan scheduled the first round of chemotherapy for the day after tomorrow.
Chemotherapy has many side effects. In the first two weeks after undergoing chemotherapy, the body becomes extremely weak, and hair loss is common. Aveline needed to make arrangements for her affairs
in advance.
Anthony showed no signs of regaining consciousness. Fortunately, she didn’t have to worry about medical expenses. After paying a certain amount of money, she returned home.
The house, originally meant for her and Alexander, reminded her that she would soon be moving out. She was worried that her body wouldn’t be able to endure the chemotherapy, so she had called a moving company in advance.
Her best friend, Maya Anderson, had also arrived. She was dressed in formal attire, carrying a bag, wearing high heels, and holding two roasted sweet potatoes. She rushed over in a hurry.
From a distance, Aveline heard her loud voice, “Aveline, you’re finally escaping from your misery! I just received my commission from selling a house last month. I’ll treat you to a night at the Ivy Vibes Club. These three–legged frogs are hard to find; men with two legs are everywhere.”
Maya had been away traveling for the week that Aveline had been missing, unaware of her health condition. She thought Aveline had finally come to her senses about getting a divorce.
Aveline smiled and said, “That won’t work. I’m afraid your husband will fly over to hold me accountable if he finds out you went to the Ivy Vibes Club tonight.”
“Let’s not talk about it. I no longer believe in true love in the northern hemisphere. I wanted to surprise him, but guess what? He took the commission he earned, and he’s using it to support another woman.”
Maya cursed and tears couldn’t hide her pain. Seven years of love had ultimately died due to the long–distance relationship.
Aveline wanted to comfort her, but she realized her own marriage was in shambles, and she couldn’t
save others.
“With your temper, aren’t you causing a huge scene?” Aveline asked.
Maya pulled her to sit in the garden, and she handed Aveline one of the roasted sweet potatoes. Then, she
고
Chapter 21
ate her own as if nothing had happened.
“Perhaps it’s the years of being in a long–distance relationship that has worn down my stubbornness. Maybe I had a premonition. When someone loves you, they can find countless reasons; when they don’t, one reason is enough.”
Maya continued. “In the past, he would cross half the world to be with me for a few days of vacation, just to spend Valentine’s Day with me. But he hasn’t been back for three years.”
he’s been “In the past, he would say good morning to me under the moonlight. Over the past two years, chatting with me less and less. At first, I thought it was because he was busy with his Ph.D. studies, trying to make a better life over there. I even started working part–time in real estate while I was still in college. I worked so hard to earn commissions to make his life easier there. My hard–earned commissions paid for
his house.”
“Aveline, do you know that the situation was like something out of a melodrama? I thought I’d go crazy when I saw that he was still wearing the red underwear I sent him from the United States. I suddenly
found it all so ridiculous.”
Although Maya was smiling, tears fell onto the roasted sweet potato in her hand. “I couldn’t even buy a cup of Starbucks in the United States. I was a medical school student, running around different properties every day, and I ended up keeping a white–eyed wolf. Maybe he maxed out my credit card.”
Aveline extended her arms to embrace her. “Stop crying. He doesn’t deserve
you.”
“That’s what I think too. You can’t imagine how beautiful I am, Aveline. I don’t complain, I don’t make a fuss. I sit down, smoke a cigarette, and start to calculate all the money he owes me. Luckily, the house was in my name. That night, I made him and his mistress get out of my house.”
Aveline was somewhat surprised. She didn’t expect Maya to be so resolute. “Did he agree to that?”
“Of course not. When he heard that I wanted the house back and for him to repay all the money he spent over the years, he knelt down and begged me to forgive him. When I saw that person crying and begging. I thought about how I could have liked such a person in the first place. I stayed there for a few more days, sold the house, and completely cut ties with him before coming back.”
Maya quickly wiped away the tears on her face. “Aveline, we’re past the age of being lovestruck. You have to choose between love and bread, right? I advised you to get a divorce a year ago, and now that you’ve figured it out, I’m really happy. With Alexander being a diamond bachelor, his wealth can keep you entertained for the rest of your life.”
Maya, although smiling, was also slightly annoyed. “You’ve lost your man, but you can support ten or eight good–looking guys with the money you earned from him. Isn’t that great?”
Chapter 21
Aveline, somewhat embarrassed, replied, “Well, I only have a ten million dollars divorce settlement.”
“What? That jerk had an affair within the marriage, and he has the nerve to offer you only 10 million?” Maya was incredulous.
“That bastard was generous to you before, right? And now he’s being so stingy? He’s not short of money.”
Aveline didn’t explain further. “When he loved me, it was like the stars in the sky. He was so afraid to let me go, but when he stopped loving me, it only took one reason. Besides, I called you here to help me
move.”
“Sure, after we finish moving, I’ll treat you to dinner tonight. Let’s have a good time.”
Aveline smiled. “Great.”
Everything in the house had been arranged by Alexander, so Aveline didn’t take much with her. When she said she was moving, she was only packing up some of her essential belongings.
Looking at the wedding photos hanging on the wall, in each one she was smiling sweetly. Alexander, who was usually reserved, had a faint smile when he held her waist.
Maya couldn’t stand to see her like this. “What are you going to do with these wedding photos? You might as well take them for scrap. You might even get roasted sweet potatoes for them, or just burn them.”
af
Aveline shook her head. “No need. Since it’s a divorce, we’ll each take our share.”
Aveline had someone remove all the photos and cut out her portion before hanging them back up.
The only thing she was reluctant to part with was the baby room she had personally designed, which had been arranged by Alexander. She didn’t want to let any of Nora’s future children use it.
The room that had been with Aveline for a year. She only took the baby crib and had everything else disassembled.
The traces of hundreds of nights spent there were cleared away in just a few hours.
Standing at the door of the villa, she thought of the joy from her first visit here. Back then, she couldn’t have imagined that she would end up in such a situation with Alexander.
She took a final look at the house, as if bidding farewell to her past self, and left without looking back.
Aveline walked up to Maya and spoke, “Maya, come with me to the hair salon.”
Chapter 21
Maya patted her shoulder enthusiastically and said, “Alright! A new hairstyle for a new beginning. Forget about the scumbag! I’m thinking of getting pink highlights in my hair. How about you, Aveline?”
Aveline hadn’t thought much about her appearance. “I want to cut my hair short.”
“Aveline, although you look great with both long and short hair, I think you should avoid going too short in case you regret it later.”
What Maya didn’t know was that Aveline’s decision to have short hair wasn’t for looks but because she was worried about excessive hair loss due to chemotherapy.
Aveline softly smiled and replied, “No regrets.”
C (0)
