Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
Gerry responded, “It’s been ages. What have you been up to these last couple of years?”
“Things have been alright,” Alicia replied.
“Your accomplishments haven’t gone unnoticed. Well done,” Gerry commented directly.
“You’ve returned because of Caden this time…”
Alicia clarified, “I’m here to finalize a contract with Caden. I’m leaving early tomorrow. When there’s a chance, I’ll return, and we should all have dinner – you, Monica, and me.”
Gerry attempted to continue.
“Over the last couple of years, Caden has-“
“Alicia, it’s getting late. I need to leave,” she said, nodding slightly before starting to walk away.
Understanding the strained relations, Gerry did not press the issue. He exhaled in resignation and went back to find Caden.
Seeing that only Caden was left in the interrogation room, Gerry remarked, “Why didn’t you follow her and make more of that opportunity?” Caden simply looked at him.
“Make more of the opportunity?” he replied, his tone calm.
“You managed to,” Gerry retorted with mockery.
“Engaging in such reckless behavior on your very first day of meeting each other. I really don’t know what you’re thinking.”
Caden compressed his lips.
“I had no intentions of causing any trouble.”
All he desired was a kiss as a reward for the strenuous past two years.
Gerry was not interested in listening.
“We should head home. It’s dark outside.”
“I’m unable to move,” Caden responded, his face emotionless.
“Why? What happened?”
“I’m partially paralyzed.”
Gerry was caught off guard. Then, recalling something, he said, “Was that stun baton from Alicia really that strong?”
Caden remained quiet. The impact of the stun baton wasn’t what lingered in his mind. Instead, it was the determined look on Alicia’s face as she wielded the chair and swung it at him before he blacked out. It seemed that she genuinely believed him guilty of assault.
“She still harbors feelings for me,” Caden remarked as he opened his eyes once more.
Gerry was startled by this assertion.
“She still feels for you yet accuses you of assault?”
“Why did she wait to tase me after the kiss if she felt nothing?” Caden stated calmly.
“She’s merely playing hard to get.”
Lost for words, Gerry hesitated, wondering if the stun baton had somehow scrambled Caden’s thoughts.
Despite Alicia’s ruthless ways, she ensured that the media never caught wind of anything negative about Caden. As it was, only those close to him knew about the incident.
It was late at night when they returned to Joy Mansion, and everyone was asleep.
“Are you all right now?” Gerry asked, his concern clearly evident in his voice.
Caden plopped down on the sofa and rubbed his lips. He simply nodded in response.
Gerry, thinking Caden was thirsty, went and fetched him a glass of water.
“For the record, I wouldn’t be waiting on you if you weren’t in such bad shape,” he said as he handed over the glass.
Caden frowned.
“I don’t want it,” he replied quietly. He had just shared a rare kiss with Alicia, and drinking anything would only wash away her taste.
“God damn it,” Gerry grumbled.
“I bring you water, and you won’t even take it. What do you want, then? Oh, right, I’m just about to pee. Should I offer you some of that instead?”
Before Caden could respond, someone flicked the lights on.
Gerry whipped around in alarm, his expression softening when he saw Ciara walking toward them.
“Ciara! I was just joking, of course. I would never do something like that.”
Caden glared at his friend, completely at a loss for words.
Fortunately, Ciara was familiar with the dynamic between the two and simply smiled at Gerry.
“Why are you back so late?” she asked.
Caden shot Gerry a warning glance, to which the latter responded with a reassuring look.
“You see, Ciara,” Gerry began, “Alicia returned to Warrington today. Your excellent grandson here made up some dumb excuse about signing a contract to harass her. He ended up spending several hours at the police station as a result.”
Caden’s jaw dropped in shock.
Ciara looked surprised as well, but for a completely different reason.
“Alicia is back?” she asked, sitting beside Caden. She immediately began questioning him.
“Where is she staying?”
“She said she had something urgent to take care of and left,” Caden replied, his voice tinged with frustration.
A wave of disappointment washed over Ciara.
“You’ve been incredibly reckless!” she scolded Caden without hesitation.
“You haven’t seen each other in such a long time, and yet you went and upset her the moment she returned. When are you going to have another chance to meet her?”
Caden shot Gerry a menacing glare before turning to explain to his grandmother.
“Calm down, Grandma. I’ll tell you more about our encounter tomorrow, okay? I’m not feeling well tonight.”
Ciara noticed his pale face.
“Why? What made you ill?”
Ever the chatterbox, Gerry interjected, “Alicia jabbed him in the stomach with a stun gun.”
Caden glared at him again, curling his upper lip in silent threat.
Ciara sighed in relief.
“Oh, then it’s not a big deal.”
“A stun gun doesn’t do much damage. It’s just a little jolt, that’s all.”
Caden’s face twitched. That was no ordinary stun gun. If he hadn’t dodged in time, Alicia could have easily fried him right on the spot.
Ciara suddenly remembered something, and her eyes darted to his lower abdomen.
“Besides your stomach, is everything else okay?”
Caden sensed something odd in her gaze.
“What do you mean by that?”
Since there were no outsiders around, Ciara didn’t mince her words.
“Weren’t you previously diagnosed with impotence? Do you think the shock therapy Alicia gave you tonight might improve your condition?”
Caden was too embarrassed to utter a single word.
Beside him, Gerry’s eyes widened comically.
“How in the world did you become impotent again?”
Caden closed his eyes briefly and said in a defeated voice, “I’m going to bed.” He stood and left without a backward glance.
That meant that Gerry’s curiosity remained unaddressed. He sidled up next to Ciara and asked, “How did Caden suddenly become impotent?”
“I accidentally saw his medical records last time. Aren’t you supposed to be close friends? How come you didn’t-“
“Of course he wouldn’t tell me something like that. You know, he’s too proud. Well, his issues shouldn’t surprise us. I daresay he’s just lovesick. Once Alicia is back in his life, I have no doubt his performance would return to normal.”
The next day, Alicia slapped a contract directly onto Corey’s face.
Corey almost exploded with rage and was ready to lash out at her, but he held himself back when he saw that the machine was secured.
“When are we going to inspect it?” he asked, trying to regain control.
“Didn’t you say the hotel was full of your people?” Alicia responded coldly.