Jason stopped her and insisted, “You can’t leave until you explain.”
Daisy adjusted her slipping clothes and warned, “You need to mind your manners!”
Jason held her, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Come on, don’t test my patience.”
Daisy grinned briefly, then told him about what Ross had done to Penelope.
“You see, he doesn’t want me to marry you. So, why should I make him uncomfortable?” Daisy explained patiently.
“I only have one older sister. She’s been through a lot and finally found a man she likes. But Ross ruined everything. I can’t stand it,” Daisy continued.
Jason was shocked, “Did Ross really do that?”
“Yes,” Daisy replied firmly.
“Your sister had a relationship with him too?” He asked.
Daisy pushed him away and sat up to adjust her clothes. She said, “Are you getting too old for your brain to work? How clearly do I need to say it for you to understand?”
If anyone else had called him old, they might have been in trouble. But since it was Daisy, he couldn’t get upset with her.
Jason sighed, “I’ll take care of this problem.” He returned to the sofa, looking serious.
“I’ll wait and see,” Daisy snorted, heading upstairs.
****
Monica stared at Penelope in disbelief. “Honestly, if I got cheated on like you, I’d be furious.”
Penelope closed her eyes, applied the ice pack, and said, “I just feel so heartbroken.”
“Well, maybe he just needed some space,” Monica suggested.
“Warren was like half of my life,” Penelope replied, feeling sad again.
Thoughts of him, their little baby, made her heart ache as if it were burning and tearing in two. She wished she could instantly go to them!
But first, she needed to make things right and ask for his forgiveness when she returned.
Bump! Bump!
Suddenly, a series of loud knocks interrupted them. Someone was at the door.
“I’ll get it!” Monica hurried to open the door.
Outside stood Ross, his face bruised. “Is Penelope here?”
Penelope dropped the ice pack and walked out to confront him.
She initially thought about confronting him again, but when she saw his swollen nose and battered face, she could barely recognize him.
“You…”
“I got beaten up by my dad,” Ross explained as he walked in and looked at them.
Monica chimed in, “I’ve just realized you have the potential to play Lord Voldemort.”
Ross ignored her and stood in front of Penelope. “What happened to your eyes?”
With her red eyes and nose, she looked like a character from a cartoon.
“You don’t look much better yourself,” Penelope retorted, turning her head away.
Ross gazed at her, feeling a pang in his heart. He said, “I didn’t know you cared about that man so much.”
Penelope remained silent.
Ross continued, “Daisy told my dad she didn’t want to marry him, so my dad beat me and forced me to apologize to her and to you…”
Penelope waved her hand. “If you’re not sincere, then forget it.”
Ross replied, “Penelope, I’ve always loved you. Don’t you know?” He reached out to touch her shoulder, eager.
Penelope didn’t pull away. She turned to him, saying, “If your so-called love is about breaking me and my lover apart, then you really do love me, I see it now.”
“No…” Ross shook his head. “I didn’t want to divorce you. Part of the reason is I didn’t want Daisy to marry my dad. I dislike her a lot because my dad stopped paying attention to me when they got together. But most importantly, I still love you, and I want you to stay with me.”
“You shameless scoundrel!” Monica expressed her disdain.
“Shut up!” Ross glared at Monica.
Penelope looked at him and said, “Did you ever ask for my opinion? Love should be about mutual consent. You just followed your heart, cheated on me, and lied to me. Now, tell me, which of your actions can be considered love?”
“I know I have many shortcomings, and I regret not valuing our time together.”
Penelope responded coldly, “Well, you’ll have to live with that regret. It doesn’t matter if you sign the divorce papers or not. We can go through the legal process.”
Ross looked at her with sadness and quickly said, “I’ll sign it. If that’s what you want, we’ll get divorced.”
****
At nine o’clock in the evening, Penelope arrived in London. By 9:50 pm, she stood before Mrs. Brown with her luggage.
“Miss Seinfeld, why are you back at this hour? You should’ve let me know in advance,” Mrs. Brown said, looking at the tired Penelope. She asked with concern, “Have you eaten? Are you hungry?”
“It’s quite late, don’t worry. I can have some biscuits,” Penelope replied, glancing around.
“Are you looking for Mr. Duncan? He hasn’t returned yet,” Mrs. Brown immediately understood her concern.
“He’s been coming home late?” Penelope mumbled.
“It’s been a few days now. Every time he returns, he smells strongly of smoke and alcohol, but we haven’t said anything. Perhaps he’s troubled by something,” Mrs. Brown said, looking at Penelope. She then asked, “Is it because of you?”
Everything had been fine before he left on his business trip. But upon his return, he hadn’t mentioned her at all. Something was definitely wrong.
Penelope sadly smiled and said, “I’ll go take a shower upstairs. You can go to bed early.”
“Now that you’re back, you two should talk. Don’t let it turn into a fight, okay?” Mrs. Brown felt uneasy knowing they had a minor disagreement.
Penelope nodded, then went upstairs to check on Chris.
“Mom’s been away for a week. Why haven’t you lost any weight?” Penelope gently lowered her head and kissed her son’s forehead.
Chris is fast asleep, his little face chubby and innocent.
“Chris, Mom envies you a lot,” Penelope whispered beside his cradle. “You effortlessly win your father’s affection, unlike me…”
Although she had successfully divorced Ross, making Warren forgive her wasn’t easy. Outstanding young women constantly surrounded him, yet he remained unmarried.
He had chosen her, and then she had casually admitted to being married before. She felt like a complete fool. Penelope sighed, then got up, straightened the bedding, and headed to the bathroom for a shower.