I followed the direction of Callum’s finger and saw two servings of spaghetti on the dining table, their colors and aromas inviting.
It was only then that I realized Callum could cook.
I remembered a time when I couldn’t stomach the food from outside, vomiting uncontrollably and sweating from stomach pains. I’d asked for a simple bowl of plain stew but he had said that he couldn’t make it.
Ha, so it wasn’t that he couldn’t, he simply didn’t want to cook for me.
I smiled politely and declined the invitation before heading upstairs to prepare the gift I intended to give the birthday celebrant that evening.
Technically, with the divorce process already underway, I didn’t need to attend any more banquets with Callum.
But the hostess that night was Mrs. Gwen Bolton, my first client and the matchmaker between Callum and me. It would be improper not to go.
I had chosen a hand-sewn handbag according to her preferences. The leather was soft, and the design was simple.
However, when I finished packing everything and came downstairs, Callum stopped me.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
As I gazed at him coldly, he seemed momentarily lost but quickly brushed it off.
“Don’t go tonight. Give the gift to Hannah instead,” he said quietly as if embarrassed by his own request.
“Hannah is about to graduate and wants to join the entertainment company under the Bolton Corporation. If she earns Mrs. Bolton’s favor, things will be much easier for her, and her future path will be smoother.”
He didn’t know how much effort I had put into my gift, how many hours I’d spent sewing until my fingers nearly bled.
No, that was not true.
He knew but I wasn’t worth his care.
So, with a casual remark, he dismissed all the time and energy I had invested.
Something in me had shattered but then came an unexpected sense of lightness and release.
You see, when it came to this relationship, I no longer had even the slightest attachment left.
I smiled and handed over the gift box.
“Fine, then you can give it to her.”
I had never lost contact with Mrs. Bolton. She knew everything that had happened here.
Even if I didn’t go that night, it would be the same if we met tomorrow.
As for the gift, I could only say that no matter how heartfelt the present, if it did not come from the right person, it would not mean anything.
Callum seemed surprised by how quickly I surrendered but then a smile appeared on his face.
He handed me a brooch.
“Didn’t you always say that you wanted something like this? I was wrong before, not paying attention to your words. I’ll make it up to you in time.”
Callum played the role of an emotionally abusive husband very well.
