Chapter 5:
1544 Words
For the first time, Dominic found himself being challenged and questioned like this. And amusingly, his challenger was just a second-year college student, ten years his junior.
Dominic concealed any irritation from his face and gently said, "Miss Miller, there’s no need to beat around the bush. Just speak plainly."
“Do you need a woman?”
Nora’s words struck Dominic like a lightning bolt. He had never encountered someone so direct, without any pretense or hesitation.
“Are you sure?”
Dominic moved closer, narrowing the distance between them until there was only a thin sheet of paper separating them. Nora could feel his breath.
He traced his fingers over Nora’s beautiful face, stopping at her luscious lips.
Nora’s heart raced with every move he made. She bit her lip to hide her fear and vulnerability. She hadn’t expected Dominic to act this way, and her hands kept rubbing together, clearly displaying her panic despite her attempts to hide it.
Suddenly, Dominic stood up and tossed his coat to Nora, laughing out loud.
“Go home. I’m not interested in a young girl like you.”
“Why not? Do you only like older women like Mrs. Taylor?”
Mrs. Taylor, whom Nora mentioned, was Elias's mother and Dominic’s lawful wife.
Dominic remained calm, glancing at Nora before looking away.
“I don’t know why you want to become my woman. But there are two things you should know, Miss Miller: First, I already have a wife, and second, I’m not interested in someone ten years younger than me!”
“You!” Nora wanted to curse. No wonder people said he had peculiar tastes; now she saw it firsthand. That woman was twelve years older than Dominic, yet he could still sweetly call her “wife.”
And it explained Elias’s arrogance and recklessness, flaunting himself as the young master of the Anderson Corporation, backed by his stepfather Dominic. Thinking of Elias’s bragging, Nora felt disgusted.
“Young lady, take my advice. It’s best for you to return to your studies. Don’t sell yourself for any reason. It’s not worth it.”
“Your future is long. Don’t do something you’ll regret later,” Dominic continued.
“I won’t regret it!” Nora asserted.
With that, she stormed out.
Nora wandered aimlessly down a familiar path, her mind heavy with thoughts. She recalled the sweet memories with Elias, her first love. But now, they felt like daggers in her heart, leaving her unable to move on.
Nora’s steps were aimless, unsure of where to go.
Dominic’s words echoed in her mind, “Your future is long. Don’t do something you’ll regret later.” Her head buzzed with confusion, too many events had unfolded in just one day. Her body felt exhausted. Nora’s mind was a tangled mess; she didn’t know what to do next, but one thing she was sure of was that she wouldn’t regret it. By any means, she had to enter Dominic’s life and make Elias and Anna pay.
The cool evening breeze carried the scent of the roadside irises. Nora’s high heels wobbled on the path, and blood seeped from her ankle.
As night fell, she finally arrived home.
“Nora! Nora, you’re back!”
Elias had been waiting outside her house since the afternoon. As soon as he saw her, he hurried over with a bouquet of flowers.
In the past, Nora might have jumped with joy, but now, facing the man she once loved wholeheartedly, she felt only disgust.
“Nora, can we talk?” Elias approached, gently taking her hand.
“Damn it,” Nora muttered. She never expected that Elias would be shameless enough to come looking for her.
“Nora!” Elias called out loudly, running towards her with a fake smile. “I want to talk.”
Nora gripped her handbag tightly, trying to control her anger. “What else do you have to say, Elias?”
Elias stepped closer, extending a bouquet of flowers towards her. “I want to apologize for earlier. I know I was wrong to cheat on you with your best friend. But I hope we can put everything behind us and start over.”
Nora couldn’t believe her ears. Could a normal person really say something like this? He spoke so lightly, she couldn’t feel even a bit of regret or guilt. Nora felt like she was being humiliated all over again.
“Are you really sorry? Your attitude doesn’t show it. You don’t even seem remorseful at all.” Nora looked at Elias, her eyes now filled with nothing but disgust.
Elias's expression changed, his patience starting to wear thin. “What do you want me to do? I came here, I brought you flowers, didn’t I?”
“Is that what a caught-in-the-act cheater says, Elias? Do you think your bouquet is worth anything?” Nora’s face turned red with anger as she yelled at the man in front of her.
“You are so unreasonable. Always throwing these pointless tantrums!” Elias retorted, his voice full of arrogance.
Nora glared at Elias. “Pointless tantrums? You slept with my best friend! And now you think a bouquet of flowers can fix everything?”
Elias, now enraged, threw the bouquet on the ground and shouted. “You are impossible to deal with. Think it over yourself!” He turned and walked away, leaving Nora standing there in fury and pain.
He hadn’t walked far when his phone rang in his pocket. Without looking at the screen, he assumed it was Nora calling to apologize.
“Ha, I knew it! How could she leave someone as wonderful as me!” Elias thought smugly.
“Hello, regretting it already?” Elias answered with a triumphant tone.
“What are you talking about, regretting what?” It was Tracy, Nora’s half-sister.
Elias realized his mistake and looked at the number on the screen. Indeed, it wasn’t Nora.
“What’s up, Tracy?” Elias’s voice dropped. He felt a bit disappointed. For Elias, both Tracy and Anna were just casual flings. In terms of looks and intelligence, Nora outshone them.
“Who did you mistake me for earlier?” Tracy pouted.
Elias responded indifferently, “No one, I thought it was a friend calling.”
“How did it go?” Tracy asked sweetly. “Did Nora agree?”
Elias frowned slightly. The name “Nora” had become sensitive to him at that moment. But he quickly adjusted his attitude. He didn’t believe Nora would let him go! Loving him meant half a step into the Anderson Corporation; no one would be foolish enough to miss such an opportunity!
Elias sneered. “Don’t worry. She’ll regret it and come crawling back in a few days.”
“You shouldn’t spoil her too much!”
“I know, I know, I only have eyes for you.”
Elias responded with the typical charm, but to him, Tracy was just another notch on his belt.
Tracy continued to whine. “I really like a new handbag. Can you get Nora to give you some money for me?”
Elias thought for a moment. “I’ll figure something out. But don’t push it too far, okay?”
“We’re in a tense phase right now.” Elias said, raising an eyebrow.
Tracy giggled. “I know, don’t worry.”
“Alright, be good and I’ll get you whatever you want!”
“Okay.”
“So, do you want to meet tonight?” Elias asked slyly.
“Hotel Lennozo?” Elias added.
“Okay, I miss you.” Tracy replied coquettishly.
After getting Tracy’s agreement, Elias casually hung up. Among all the women he had his eyes on, only Nora remained elusive. The other women, to him, were like rags he could trample on at will. Love, pampering, gifts, he could give all, but never marriage.
The hotel Elias chose tonight was the same one where Nora used to work, and where he and Anna had been cozy just this afternoon.
“Guess I’m quite the regular here!” Elias said, smirking, looking as sleazy as ever.
In the darkness, a man silently observed everything. He took in all of Elias's actions earlier. The mysterious figure adjusted his clothes, pulled down his hat, put on his glasses, and then left.
As for Nora, she broke down in tears. She sat down on the ground, sobbing silently, feeling as if her throat was being squeezed, unable to breathe.
Nora looked at the wilted bouquet on the ground, feeling like her heart was in the same state. Since she discovered Elias in the hotel with Anna, it had shattered into pieces. The love she had devoted herself to, the love she had worshipped, was worthless in someone else’s eyes. Her heart-wrenching sobs echoed in the dark night, and it took nearly thirty minutes for Nora to calm down. She wiped away her tears, picked up the bouquet from the ground, and slowly stood up. With the bouquet in her hand, she walked forward. She stopped in front of a trash can.
“It’s over! Completely over.” Nora decisively threw the bouquet into the trash. This was the end of their relationship.
- Writer
