As time went by, she did not blame him for that matter anymore.
“Hudson Ball!” She gently said it.
He was surprised because this was her first time to call his name throughout these four years. She called his name with a soft tone and her clean voice was special. “Yes?”
“Let’s do the formalities tomorrow. I don’t want to delay it anymore!”
Her words were so hurtful and his heart was like being stabbed as if he was falling into a cold iceberg at the Arctic Pole. He took a deep breath and looked at her, who had a similar worrying face to him. He put his hands aside and clenched them tightly like he was tolerating something.
Winnie Ball’s heart throbbed after seeing his hand but she still said, “Thank you for today!”
“I don’t want your gratitude!”
“Then, what do you want?” She asked.
‘I want you to accompany me for the entire lifetime!’
But when he opened his mouth, he was unable to speak out this sentence. He changed his sentence into a question, “Have you loved someone else?”
She was slightly shocked and she just wanted to get rid of the current relationship which was vague. She did not want to hurt herself anymore so she nodded. “Yes, I have loved another person!”
While saying this, Winnie found that she was helpless and she was upset with her inner side.
“Is he that foreign man?” Hudson did not have any expressions while standing there. There was a sore feeling in his swollen black eyes.
He could not bear from clenching his hands but he released them afterward.
“Yes!” Winnie planned to make use of Rio. But, after she had said those words, she felt even more helpless and she was dizzy.
She thought that Hudson would say something else but he did not do so. There was not any expression on his face and he appeared to be more and more indifferent.
She was sinking slowly in his heart while he was in a short silence, finally, she gave him a beautiful smile, “I am going back!”
“Let me accompany you!” He only said these words then he said, “You may go back after drinking the soup!”
Therefore, she sat silently beside the dining table on the first floor. She looked at him who was serving the soup and brought it to her front. It was a soup of tonic. There were ginseng, wolfberry shrub, bones, red date, and other ingredients in it. The soup was hot and it was like being stewed in a clay pot for a long time. There was an extremely thin mist formed on her eyes probably because the steam from the soup had covered her eyes. She finished it fast and then said, “It was delicious!”
‘If possible, I wish I could always cook it for you in the future!’
However, he still could not say it out because she had a boyfriend. Since he never gave her happiness, how could he destroy her happiness again?
They looked at each other and became speechless. She was looking for the bag of her changed clothes but he said, “They aren’t dry yet!”
She was stunned!
Unexpectedly, he washed her shirt which was filled with blood.
My god!
Was he still Hudson?
“I will send it to you when it is dry later!” He said again.
Winnie was silent but even she could not figure out the reason that made her remain silent. Under the silence, she seemed to hear a long sigh from Hudson. The continuous sigh was coming with a sense of tiredness.
Then, he outstretched his hand to reach for her body. “Let me hug you for one more time!”
With such a close distance, his breath appeared to be stronger, even her heart was tightened by him. Suddenly, she wanted to cry and she bit her lips forcefully before her tears dropped down. She did not push him away.
He smiled bitterly and said softly, “Winnie, you have to be happy. Alright?”
She sobbed and nodded.
While going back in the car, they remained silent, and the entire atmosphere was gloomy. When the car reached Winnie’s house, Rio’s car arrived there just in time. Winnie got out of the car and the three of them met each other.
“Are you back?” Rio was sending his greetings.
“Yes!” Winnie was carrying the underwear and sanitary pads bought by Hudson then Rio helped her to take over them instinctively. He was a gentleman who was worried about a woman carrying heavy stuff.
Winnie said to Hudson, “Let’s do it tomorrow morning!”
After saying this, she followed Rio and entered the apartment.
Did they stay together? Hudson finally settled down his anxiety because he should give up since he had witnessed it. As long as she was happy, it would be fine!
Hudson stood downstairs and watched them leave. Under the drizzly rain, he turned around to get in the car. But instead of directly leaving, he lit a cigarette and smoked it slowly…
When the lift was moving upwards, Rio looked at Winnie’s face occasionally.
“Rio, I want to take leave tomorrow!” Winnie started to speak first. “I need to deal with some personal matters!”
“OK!” Rio nodded.
When the lift reached the twentieth floor, they had arrived at their destination.
While standing in front of her own door, Winnie took out the key card to open the door. But meanwhile, Rio called her, “Winnie!”
“Yes?” She turned her head.
“Actually, I always love you and I hope that I can take care of you. I hope that I can stay forever with you.”
“Always love!” She could not bear from repeating his words. Although it was only a few words, it seemed like a touching promise.
However, Winnie just smiled and looked into his eyes. “Rio, please don’t let this kind of stuff affect our collaboration? I don’t want to resign! The reason that makes me reject you is not that I am indifferent and arrogant but I am afraid that I am unable to accept another man for now.”
She could not become immoral. Since she did not love him, she would not force herself to love him. She did not love Rio and she did not want Rio to become someone like her in the future.
Rio looked at Winnie’s eyes and his eyes were flickering. Then, his eyes were filled with pity and sorrow, “Winnie, I understand. Please don’t be worried. I will keep accompanying you until you feel better.”
When he was saying this, Winnie could felt that her heart throbbed obviously. However, she said firmly, “Rio, thank you. But, I just want to tell you that please don’t waste your time on me! I am going in!”
After walking into her apartment, Winnie put the bag on the cabinet near the door. Then, she walked to the bathroom and took a hot water shower. After changed her clothes, she felt more comfortable and she poured a cup of hot tea then walked towards the window. The rain was still drizzling. This spring rain came with continuous pain.
She was going to be freed although she thought that she had been freed four years ago. But, she did not expect that she needed to experience it again. She felt a bit of bitterness again in her heart and she could not calm herself down for a long time.
When she looked downstairs instinctively, she abruptly noticed a car that was parked there. Although her location was too high and she could only see a little dot, she could easily recognize that it was his car. Did not he leave?
Her tears were rotating in her eyes and she felt shocked in her inner side. She was thinking about the moment when he was asking her at D University. Did he still have any chance? Did they still have any chance? Did he want to continue staying with her?
She could not bear from looking downwards again because she never saw Hudson like this. He used to be persistent towards Esther Price and she was the lonely one staying silently behind him. But now, Hudson kept staying below her apartment and was reluctant to leave.
What did she want to do?
When she recalled back the moment when she agreed to his question regarding whether she had loved the other man, she saw that there was not any color on his face. Even though he was handsome and tall, he looked lonely and weak at that moment.
Since she got in the car and reached home then until now, she kept thinking of his exhausted look. His face kept appearing in her mind and she could not stop it.
There was a hidden uncomfortable feeling in her heart and she could not tell what it was. Instead of feeling happy, she felt even more sorrowful.
She could not understand the reason that made him do so.
She never believed that he actually loved her and she never dreamed it before. During these four years, he never appeared but when she returned to this country, this was what happened now. She thought that perhaps he still felt guilty but it was not necessary because she did not require his compassion. In this world, the sympathy she needed the least was his.
Everything should end now or even earlier! But finally, her tears escaped and dropped down from her eyes.
‘Anyway, he could park anywhere he likes to.’
She was too exhausted and she just wanted to sleep.
So, she slept until the next morning.
When she woke up, she remembered that he sent him back yesterday afternoon and wondered whether he was still there or not. Thus, she ran to the window and looked downwards. Unexpectedly, the car was still there. Throughout the entire night, the location of the car did not change as if it did not leave for a whole night.
Her heart throbbed suddenly and she changed her clothes hurriedly. Then, she grabbed her bag and went downstairs. Meanwhile, she met Rio who was going out too.
“Winnie, morning!” Rio sent his greetings.
“Morning!” Both of them walked into the lift.
When they reached downstairs, they walked out the door of the building together. Winnie saw the car which was truly parked at the same location as yesterday. Hudson, who was in the car, was looking in their direction. Through the glass, she could see Hudson’s stunning eyes. His deep eyes were filled with disappointment and sorrow.
When Rio saw Hudson’s car, he adjusted his clothes then said goodbye to Winnie. He drove his car to work.
Winnie walked towards Hudson’s car and she did not expect that he could wait there for the entire night.
She walked near the driver’s area and looked at him through the glass. He looked at her indifferently and remained silent. Suddenly, he raised the corner of his mouth as if he was mocking himself then he opened the door. “Let’s go!”
“Didn’t you go back last night?” She asked. Then, she smelt a strong smell of cigarettes and wine. Did he drink?
He was stunned and said slowly, “Just arrived!”
But she looked at his exhausted face and his eyes were filled with blood vessels. This meant that he had lied. Did he smoke and drink downstairs?
Just when Hudson saw them going upstairs and coming downstairs together, his heart was like being stabbed wildly. He could imagine the feeling of blood flowing out but it was not painful for him. He just felt shocked and apathetic. He stayed there for the entire night but he did not want to admit it. Also, there was no need for him to admit.
When looking at Hudson who was in pain, she got in the car and touched his forehead. She noticed that his forehead was slightly hot and actually Hudson was suffering from severe dizziness. But, he was tolerating with huge difficulty.
He was drinking and smoking there for the whole night. But, instead of being drunk, his mind became clearer.
“How can you drive in this condition?” She said, “Get off the car!”
He was shocked and his reaction was slow due to the effect of wine.
“I said get off the car!” Her tone was slightly firm.
He truly got off unexpectedly.
Winnie squeezed him into the front passenger seat and drove the car herself. He was stunned. The car arrived at a villa which was their previous house.
“You take a nap first, then we can go to do it later!” At that moment, how could she feel reassured on Hudson who was drunk?