GoodReadHe stood there, tongue-tied and silent for an awkwardly long time.
Karen burst into laughter. "Got cold feet, huh? Leave me alone from now on, okay?" She shrugged off Jeffrey's grasp and strutted out.
Only a few steps out, she bumped into Dorothy and Everett walking straight towards her.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtThe moment Dorothy laid eyes on Karen, she pieced together most of the story. She turned slightly to Everett and said, "I need to have a word with Karen. Take the kids inside, will you?" Everett nodded in understanding. "Alright." As Karen approached, Dorothy reached out and grabbed her arm.
"Leaving already?" "Yeah, | just can't bear to sit with Jeffrey any longer." Karen's eyes felt dry, but there were no tears—nor the inclination to shed them.
Jeffrey wasn't worth it.
"I'll drive you home," Dorothy offered, seeing Karen's reluctance to elaborate and choosing not to pry. "Your parents’ place or Kenneth's?" "I'll catch a cab. Don't trouble yourself, especially after a flight. You must be exhausted." Karen patted Dorothy's shoulder with a smile. " I'm fine. | just genuinely can't stand Jeffrey. Don't worry about it." "Is there something between you two?" "Nothing but a couple of flings—hardly sweet memories. Consider it like sampling some fancy fruit!" Karen laughed, her carefree demeanor almost making Dorothy feel herself overly concerned.
"Okay, then. If anything comes up, or if Jeffrey bugs you again, give me a call.” Karen shrugged nonchalantly. "I doubt he will." Judging by Jeffrey's surprised and confused reaction earlier, he probably thought she was getting too big for her boots.
But Karen was speaking her mind, not hiding her feelings. Being with a playboy like Jeffrey wasn't about love. It was about whether she could pick herself up after being kicked to the curb by him! If Jeffrey had agreed earlier, she would have married him on the spot. After all, should he cheat later, she could always divorce and get her share of the assets. That sounded much better than wasting years only to end up with nothing.
"Why?" Dorothy seemed confused, not quite catching Karen's drift.
Karen smiled. "Dorothy, men like Everett are rare, maybe one in a million. Jeffrey definitely isn't one.” Dorothy remained silent.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"Bye, we'll talk tomorrow!" "Sure." Dorothy watched Karen take a taxi and then turned back to the restaurant.
Inside, Jeffrey was chatting with Langston, though he seemed distracted.
Everett glanced up at Dorothy. "She's gone?" "Yeah." Dorothy sat down, her gaze fixed on Jeffrey.
"Jeffrey, let Karen go. You two aren't right for each other." Jeffrey tensed for a moment, then gave a tight-lipped nod. "I know." Everett knew what Karen meant to Dorothy. She had been starved of familial affection since childhood, and the love Karen offered her was probably more than anyone else's. In Dorothy's eyes, Karen was her sister.
With a serious tone, Everett said, "Let's turn the page on this one, Jeffrey." "Yeah." Jeffrey's response was muffled, his mood evidently sour.
Truth be told, Dorothy could see that Jeffrey had feelings for Karen. But flirting was one thing, and marriage was another. Karen might entertain a romance with Jeffrey, but when it came to marriage, they were a mismatch.
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