Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
His feelings for Alicia had grown without him noticing, and by the time he realized it, he was already falling for her.
When the piece ended, Alicia pinned her long hair up and stepped out of the room.
“Blake,” she exclaimed in surprise when she saw him standing in the hall. “What brings you here?”
Blake quickly schooled his features and hid his burgeoning emotions. “I was thinking maybe we could discuss your proposal. If I agree to this partnership, would Caden agree?”
Alicia chuckled. “I don’t need his approval. I have the final say when it comes to the gallery.”
“I see.” Blake nodded distractedly, realizing that he had been overthinking. “I’ll think it over. Please give me some time.”
Just then, Ray ran over and grabbed his hand. “Blake!” Between these siblings, grudges never lasted long. Ray was already back to being clingy and affectionate with Blake.
Blake reached down and ruffled the boy’s hair. “Do you like Alicia?”
“I do,” Ray answered, his cheeks turning red. Then, in a soft whisper, he added, “What about you, Blake? Do you like her, too?”
Blake crouched down to meet his eyes. “Well, I really like the music Alicia plays. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
Ray found his brother’s response a little strange but said nothing more, running back to the piano. He struck a loud, discordant chord, slamming his fingers on random keys.
“Alicia, do you know where Caden has gone this time?” Blake asked, catching her off-guard. His voice was soft, almost inaudible, as if afraid to ask the question. But Alicia noticed the flicker of emotion in his eyes.
“I don’t know,” she said calmly. “He doesn’t need to report the details of his business trips to me.”
Blake straightened up. “So, he said it was a business trip?”
“Yes.”
Blake’s brows furrowed. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of injustice on Alicia’s behalf.
“He lied to you,” he blurted out, his words tumbling out before he could stop himself. Ray’s chaotic playing seemed to echo the turmoil rising in Alicia’s heart.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
Blake, wanting to be truthful, spoke carefully. “Even though I didn’t interact much with Caden when we were kids, everyone knew about his betrothal to Yolanda. It was arranged by both families. I know it rarely comes up now, but everyone in our circle knows. Before I came here, a mutual friend told me that Caden was seen at the Moss family’s residence today.”
“He is there to attend to family obligations,” Alicia replied.
Blake’s eyes widened. “You knew?”
Alicia’s face remained as serene as ever. “Yes, I knew.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me? Why pretend like you didn’t know all along? Are you letting Caden take advantage of you?” Blake asked, his tone laced with concern.
“How is this any of your concern?” Alicia finally snapped, her patience wearing thin. Blake’s expression shifted slightly, and he apologized softly, sounding awkward and embarrassed. “I apologize,” he said, his voice filled with regret. “I overstepped.”
Alicia let out a long breath and shook her head. “I know you mean well, but I have my own way of handling things between Caden and me.”
Blake pressed his lips into a thin line, nodding in silent acknowledgment.
It was clear that Alicia was the more vulnerable party in her relationship with Caden. Even if she tried to play mind games, she would only end up losing. Blake knew he was risking their friendship, but he decided to tell her the truth anyway.
“The reason I was so agitated earlier,” he began, “is because Yolanda posted a photo with Caden on her social media.” He paused, choosing his words carefully. “Her caption… the implication… Well, she used words that could easily lead to several misunderstandings.”
Alicia didn’t ask Blake to show her the photo. She knew Yolanda’s nature too well. The woman had enough cunning to turn white into black.
Alicia feared that seeing the photo would only cloud her judgment, and she didn’t want to lose her composure in Blake’s presence.
Whatever the truth was, Caden would explain it to her once he returned.
Alicia added, “Mr. Langstaff, you should return to your work. I’ll continue teaching Ray to play the piano.”
Blake stared at her for a moment, then sighed. “You really are in love with Caden,” he said quietly.
Alicia managed a faint smile. “If I didn’t love him, there would be no reason for us to be together.”
“But don’t you feel wronged? Like you’re being taken advantage of?”
“A single photo doesn’t prove anything. Dating isn’t a manufactured product. You can’t expect perfection just because you’ve given so much of yourself to it.” Alicia didn’t elaborate further, ending the conversation with, “I’ll wait for Caden to explain it to me himself.”
Blake was left speechless by her response.
He had been in love before, and quite deeply at that. He understood how love could deceive the mind, how it could make a person anxious and insecure.
But Alicia’s trust in Caden was unwavering.
Blake found himself wondering if she truly did love him, after all.
The Moss family’s residence, Devarlton.
A tense silence hung over the living room.
The three members of the Moss family sat across from Caden, each wearing a different expression.
Caden, on the other hand, appeared unbothered. “I believe I’ve made myself clear, Mr. and Mrs. Moss. Feel free to share your thoughts.”
Yolanda, her eyes red from unshed tears, started to rise, but Dorian grabbed her wrist and held her down.
He fixed Caden with a serious look. “We have no particular thoughts on the matter. You’ve shown us your sincerity. There’s no reason for us to be unreasonable. Please leave, and let us not have any further dealings between our families.”
Caden had come today to deliver the chip for the Lina robot.
The credit for the chip wasn’t entirely Yolanda’s. In fact, Caden had completed eighty percent of its development, with Yolanda contributing the remaining twenty percent.
However, in order to repay the favor he owed and clear the slate once and for all, Caden handed over the entire project to the Moss family.
The Lina robot was the most successful prototype in the tech industry at that time. Once it was officially launched and released to the market, its revenue was bound to reach unimaginable heights.
By relinquishing the project, Caden had basically cut off a piece of his own flesh.
But he had no regrets. He did everything to give Alicia a solid and irrefutable sense of security.
Under different circumstances, Dorian might have found the young man’s resolve admirable. However, as it stood, Caden’s attitude only offended him.
“We’ve known each other for so many years, Mr. Moss,” Caden said candidly. “There’s no need for you to be so hostile. I’m just a foolish young man acting on impulse. Think about my mother, would you?”
Dorian sneered. “How dare you speak of our ties after what you’ve done? Everyone knows that Yolanda is the apple of my eye, the most important person in my life. And you have deliberately hurt her for Alicia’s sake. Have you ever considered my feelings?”
Caden remained calm. “If you were in my position, Mr. Moss, and you were caught between Mrs. Moss and another woman, what would you do?”
“Are you going to marry Alicia?” Dorian demanded. “How can she be better than Yolanda?”
“Dorian,” Regina chided softly, “that’s going too far.”
No sooner had she spoken than Yolanda shot her a resentful glare. If one didn’t know any better, one might think she wanted to murder her own mother.
Regina frowned, feeling increasingly distant from Yolanda.
“Marriage is still a little far off in the future,” Caden replied lightly. “I don’t think I can give you a definitive answer at the moment. All I know right now is that I want her, and if something makes her unhappy, I need to resolve it as soon as possible.”
Dorian finally snapped upon hearing that. “In that case, we have nothing further to discuss!” he exploded. “Leave!”
Beside him, Regina slowly stood up. “Dorian is too emotional,” she told Caden in a calm and steady voice. “I hope you don’t take his words to heart.”
“I do understand your position, Mr. Moss. However, I would hate for something trivial to ruin our longstanding friendship.”
In truth, friendship was secondary to Caden. What mattered more was that he didn’t want to make another enemy within the Moss family.
He was still young, after all, and his footing wasn’t solid yet. If Dorian were to take action against him, it would shake the fragile foundation he had built.
“Let me see you out, Caden,” Regina offered.
Caden wasn’t in a hurry to leave, though. “I’m taking the first flight tomorrow morning. In the meantime, I was hoping you could do me a little favor.”
Regina’s curiosity was piqued. “Is that so? What is it?”
“Can you please teach me how to make your best dish-zabaglione with strawberries?”
Pleasantly surprised by his request, Regina took the initiative to ask, “Are you planning to make the dessert for Alicia?”
Caden nodded readily, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Meanwhile, Yolanda felt as though her heart had been stabbed by a dozen daggers.
She broke free from her father’s hold and rushed forward. “How can you treat me like this, Caden?” she screamed. “I’ve liked you since I was a child! I worked hard to keep up with you despite my poor health, but you won’t even look at me! If you’ve never liked me, why did you give me hope? Why did you lead me on? What kind of spell did that bitch, Alicia, cast on you to turn you into such a cheap, pathetic loser?”
Caden, who had been amiable throughout his visit, turned to her with a glower. “What did you just call her?” he asked slowly, stressing each syllable.
Regina’s chest tightened at the animosity that hung in the air. She quickly pulled her daughter back. “Watch your language, Yolanda.”
But Yolanda shoved her away. “You’re not fit to be my mother! You’re weak, incompetent, and a hypocrite, to boot! You’re not even worthy of my father’s little finger!”
Regina’s body went cold. Acting on instinct, she pulled back her hand and slapped Yolanda across the face.
Yolanda had never been hit by anyone in her entire life. She held her cheek, frozen in shock and silence.
“Not only am I an incompetent hypocrite, but I also deliver quite a hard slap,” Regina said coldly. “Surprised?”
Yolanda finally lifted her tear-filled eyes and glared at her mother.
Feeling sorry for her, Dorian stood up and tried to pull Regina away. “She’s just a child,” he admonished his wife. “Why are you being so harsh on her?”