Chapter 10
Dominic stood dumbfounded, my indifference triggering massive anxiety within
him.
This wasn’t how things usually went. I was supposed to confront him, demand to know why he favored Faye.
“Sienna, what are you talking about? How could I possibly leave you to go with Faye?” Dominic’s voice was frantic, as if trying to cover his own uneasiness.
I gave him a strange look. His words were bizarre–hadn’t he always done exactly
that?
Hadn’t he abandoned me countless times for Faye?
I even remembered last winter when I had a dangerously high fever at home and
begged Dominic to get medicine because I was too weak to get up.
Dominic went out but never returned. When I finally called him, he said, “Faye just
cut her hand while cooking, so I took her to the hospital first. You only have a fever -it’s not like it’s an emergency.”
Then he hung up and stopped answering my calls.
He claimed my illness wasn’t urgent, but if I hadn’t dragged myself to the hospital that day, I could have suffered serious lasting effects.
Later when he returned, he kept apologizing, saying he hadn’t realized how
serious it was–he thought it was just a normal fever.
He stayed by my hospital bed for three days until I was discharged, then took
meticulous care of me at home.
So we silently agreed to forget about the incident.
But I never truly forgot. I just cared about him too much and didn’t want to fight. I
believed he loved me too.
Suddenly, Faye adopted a wounded expression. “Sienna, I know you don’t like me, but there’s nothing between Dominic and me. I’m sorry–I’ll leave now.‘
She ran off. Dominic looked anxious, torn between me and his precious Faye,
unable to abandon either.
Finally, Dominic bit his lip. “Faye’s gone now, so stop being upset. Let me take you
to
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lunch, then I’ll drive you home.”
But his expression betrayed him. He desperately wanted to chase after Faye. Though I didn’t understand why he stayed, I smiled slightly and agreed: “Fine.”
I wanted to see how long he could stand it.
Sure enough, during the drive, Dominic kept zoning out. He constantly tried calling
Faye, but she wasn’t answering.
Throughout lunch, he was completely distracted. If I hadn’t been there, he probably would have raced off to find Faye immediately.
Since he wasn’t bringing it up, neither would I.
I deliberately ate slowly, intentionally prolonging the meal. Dominic grew increasingly anxious until he finally asked, “Sienna, are you finished eating?” I shook my head and gave him a knowing smile. “Are you in a hurry to leave? Weren’t you the one who wanted to have lunch with me?”
My response left him speechless. He couldn’t admit he was desperate to find Faye, so he had no choice but to sit back down and wait.
After all, we hadn’t shared a meal in ages, as Dominic himself well knew. Just then, thunder rumbled outside. Dark clouds quickly filled the sky as rain began to fall, growing heavier by the minute as wind howled through the streets. Dominic’s hands clenched tightly. He kept glancing outside until he finally couldn’t take it anymore. “Sienna, it’s raining. Let me take you home before it gets worse.” I put down my fork and napkin, calculating that I’d delayed him long enough. “Alright.”
Dominic seemed relieved. He stood up immediately, but just then his phone rang. Even from across the table, I could hear Faye crying on the other end: “Dominic, I’m scared! I’m alone on the street… and I think someone’s following me.” “What?! Where are you? I’m coming right now!” Dominic’s expression turned
panicked, filled with concern for Faye.
He rushed past me, then suddenly stopped. “Sienna, Faye’s in danger. I need to find her–you should go home by yourself.”
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Then he hurried away, afraid of wasting even a second while his precious “sister” might be in trouble.
What perfect timing–not too early, not too late, but exactly when we were about
to leave.
Moreover, Faye lived in a bustling commercial district, in an apartment Dominic owned. How could there possibly be safety issues there?
It was obviously just another one of her performances, but Dominic chose to believe it, so I guess it was real to him.
