“Work is important, but your health is too. Stop eating the deliveries that the company ordered in. Call me. I’ll bring you food instead. Also…”
The smile on Larry’s face was only growing wider over time. He pressed her head on his chest and breathed in the scent of her shampoo. “Got it, my dear bossy wife.”
He then cupped her cheek and tapped his nose on hers. However, the expected kiss never came. Instead, Larry had a solemn look on his face. “You were drinking?”
Feeling embarrassed, Joan stuttered, “J-Just a little bit of red wine.”
“You can’t drink when I’m not with you the next time. Not red wine and not even a cocktail. Not even with girls!”
When she heard that, Joan felt the urge to tell him that she had dinner with Dustin. Things would have been fine if Larry did not know Dustin, but he did.
To avoid any misunderstandings, Joan swallowed the words at the tip of her tongue.
She buried her head in the crook of his neck. The cologne on him made her feel at ease, and she rubbed her face on his shirt.
The world was so big, but his shoulders were the safest spot she found.
The more one feared a misunderstanding, the more it would happen. That was how cruel fate was.
On the third week of returning to Nirhaven College, Joan felt no difference in her routine. She went to classes and did her revisions. When she was free, she would return to her work at Opulent Designs. However, her workload was much lesser than before due to the little time she had.
A solemn-looking Dustin in glasses was a common sight she saw on campus. Every time he saw her, he would smile at her as he touched his glasses.
College students had an abundance of free time. Although the two were only greeting each other normally, the scene became a topic for the college students to gossip about.
“Isn’t Joan the wife of Norton Corporation’s president?”
“What? I thought she’s studying here after studying abroad?”
“She wasn’t studying abroad. She dropped out early on, so she’s just back to study.”
Even in a prestigious college like Nirhaven College, gossips were the norm. At the start, Joan did not mind the words, but soon, many joined in the gossips. In days, the rumors were like thunderclaps, deafening in her ears.
She never forgot Dustin’s confession before he left. He was the one to cure her, and that was something that made her feel guilty until now.
It was not that she did not know what Dustin’s feelings were. Hence, to avoid the rumors from spreading, she decided to keep a distance from him. From then on, every time she saw Dustin, she would lower her head and walk away. In fact, Joan was even wearing darker clothes to keep a lower profile.
Dustin was quick to figure out what was going on. However, he did nothing about it. Instead, he went to the design department’s classroom and left a note at Joan’s place. I’ll be waiting for you in the library until you come. From Dustin.
After reading it, a myriad of emotions surged into Joan’s heart, and she kept the note away.
She wanted to pretend as if she did not see it, but the thought of how Dustin was the only one to keep her company when she was deathly ill overseas plagued her mind.
When she was trapped in a tight spot, Dustin was the one who said he would stay by her side. Joan could not choose to avoid him. Eventually, she had to find a way to resolve it. Facing it was the best way to resolve it.
The dusk was as beautiful as a watercolor painting. Before the sun fully set, Joan reached the library.
By then, Dustin had been there for a while. When he saw her, he softly said, “I knew you’d come.”
“I was thinking that I have to eventually resolve some things.” Joan pulled the chair out. “Dustin, I’m immensely grateful for how you’ve cured my illness back then, but let’s keep a distance on campus. We’ll avoid seeing each other whenever we can.”
