Episode 20

...

Meanwhile, at the company's office, Daniel seemed tortured. He was buried in work, constantly seeking a way to avoid thinking about the past. No matter how hard he tried, thoughts of Lucy, particularly after his recent phone call and the manner in which he behaved, infiltrated his mind.

"Hey, Daniel, keep it together. Lucy really needs to move on, and whatever you're feeling, just swallow it silently. You deserve her contempt," he told himself as he assessed his own situation.

He continued to review some papers and around 10:00 am, Daniel started his online meetings—three in total, each lasting 50 minutes.

At 1:00 pm, Daniel thought it best to call it a day. It was time for lunch. He stood up, planning to leave the room, but that's when Matthew arrived holding a stack of papers. He put them on the table and said,

"Here you go, Mr. Daniel, the complete report on Lucy," he stated with a grin. Daniel, however, said nothing in response—just sat back down and began to read every word laid out in that report.

It mentioned that Lucy was a cardiologist who had worked for a year at a major hospital in New Jersey, near the farm where she had lived for two decades. The hospital was private, but whenever she had a day off or someone was in need, Lucy always provided free consultations, often helping with the purchase of medicine if the individual lacked financial means. Moreover, she had even visited several impoverished communities.

The document stated that she had moved and married into the Gonçalves family, but it offered no reasons as to why she did so or what she stood to gain. There was no additional information about Lucy's family.

When Daniel reached the part of the report detailing her activities over the last two years, he let out a long sigh, fearing complications. He believed no woman could endure what Lucy had without retaliating: the lies and betrayals.

Seeing his boss slightly apprehensive, Matthew cleared his throat and said,

"Any problems, sir? If there's something wrong I can..."

"Just quietly fetch my lunch order—I'm starving," Daniel replied, feeling nauseous, gesturing dismissively for him to leave. Matthew nodded affirmatively and quickly exited, contemplating quitting for the first time in years, due to Daniel's steadily worsening mood—quite the grump, that man.

Now alone with his thoughts, Daniel settled into his chair and began reading. With each word, he felt shame. It was he who had led a double life, not Lucy, who deserved nothing but praise. Whenever she left the mansion, she went shopping for children's gifts and would then head to the orphanage to present them to the kids and care for the sick, making her the godmother of the place.

After several failed attempts to call Lucy that morning, Daniel hoped the report would hold some contact information. Near tears, he realized there was neither a number nor an address.

At that moment, Daniel felt intense self-loathing for having misjudged Lucy so harshly. He lost control, tossing the report aside and knocking everything off his desk. He now saw himself as the worst man alive.

"Why didn't I give us a chance to get to know each other?" he muttered to himself while trying to regain composure.

Just then, his phone rang. It lay on the floor amid the scattered debris. He picked it up and answered without checking the caller ID:

"Hello?"

"Good afternoon, love. I'm just calling to see if you're coming to have lunch with me? I miss you," cooed Juliana's voice in his ear. However, Daniel was unaffected by her charm and retorted harshly,

"I don't like being disturbed when I'm working. We'll talk later," nearly giving Juliana a heart attack with fury, but she disguised it and planned an apology as Daniel ended the call.

Feeling like he had lost everything, Daniel dusted off his impeccably tailored suit, settled into a black leather armchair in the corner of the room, and began to fidget with his phone, as if his life weren't as chaotic as his office.

Soft knocks at the door reached Daniel's ears. After giving permission, Matthew entered, his eyes wide with shock and carrying a tray.

"There's been a hurricane..." Matthew stopped abruptly when he saw Daniel's complicated gaze, so he set the tray down on the table and planned to leave, but suddenly, Daniel said,

"Matthew, stay with me. I can't be alone right now."

This stunned Matthew. Daniel, a formidable business executive, ruthless and cold, now appeared as vulnerable as a child.

The assistant just nodded and sat down in a chair a good distance from his boss, aware that Daniel had wreaked havoc in the office and was still acting odd. Matthew thought it prudent to stay on guard.

Daniel started his meal, offering some to Matthew, who declined. No matter how Daniel tried, the food would not go down; a lump in his throat blocked his breath.

He pushed the food away, managing a bitter smile at Matthew.

"Do you know the worst part of a divorce?" he asked.

"I wouldn't know, sir. Thank God, my wife and I are very happy," Matthew responded, still smiling until he noticed the tears welling in Daniel's eyes.

"It's the realization that it was the biggest mistake of my life, especially because only now have I discovered that I love her," Daniel voiced, nearly causing Matthew to choke on air. It was rare for Daniel to show sorrow, and if he did, it was a clear sign of deep pain.

***This work has been signed with NovelToon, and piracy such as reprinting without permission is strictly prohibited.***

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***