“Your kissing skills have gotten worse, huh?” Ethan, no longer showing any gentlemanly demeanor, tugged at the collar of his pajamas, lifted her, and spread her legs, holding her tightly in his arms.
“What about that photographer from last time? Didn’t you kiss him?” He bit her lower lip hard, almost as if he wanted to draw blood.
Phyllis could barely breathe, and in the next moment, he threw her onto the bed.
“You know what I’ve been learning from others these past few days?” he asked.
Phyllis was confused. “What?”
“Chase after the woman you want until she can’t escape. Strong women fear clingy men.” After saying that, he kissed her again. “Weren’t you curious about who I prefer?”
“Surprised that I suddenly want to get engaged to someone else? Then come find your own answer.” He felt the taste of blood on his lips.
“Phyllis, my answer has always been clear. How much clearer do you want me to be? Heartless thing.”
Phyllis, who had initially resisted, slowly started to surrender to his embrace.
“Ethan, aren’t you afraid of repeating the mistakes?”
“The neighbor isn’t afraid, so why should I be?”
Conrad wasn’t entirely useless either, he thought.
He figured that if he wanted to learn, there was still much more to grasp.
It was just a pity that his own puzzle was something he had to solve himself.
******
The next morning, everyone had already changed into their outfits, and the two kids could barely contain their excitement to go out and play.
Quincy kept wondering why his mom and dad still hadn’t come out to join them.
Conrad simply scooped him up and said, “Don’t wait anymore. Your parents are busy.”
That bastard Ethan… Seriously, only Lillian still believed that guy was some innocent fool. The moment his ex-wife showed up, he didn’t even bother with his son. They probably have made love in the room all night.
When Andrew pulled the car up downstairs, the group followed the GPS up the mountain to visit a newly opened guesthouse and go rafting.
They didn’t return until the evening. Jasmine’s face was all red from the sun. Conrad was carrying one child in his arms and holding another under his arm, while the two little ones kept spraying each other with water guns.
When they reached the gate, they saw Ethan standing there, accompanied by a woman. Conrad didn’t even want to give this couple the time of day and just walked in without acknowledging them.
Ethan said, “I brought Phyllis along. I hope you don’t mind.”
Lillian smiled. “Of course not. We’re happy to have you. Come on in. Quincy was talking about you earlier today when we were out. He kept saying it would be great if you guys were here.”
Quincy struggled to slide off Conrad’s lap and ran over to Phyllis, chattering away about all the delicious food and fun things he had seen recently, many of which he’d never seen before. It was clear he was having a great time.
Phyllis glanced at Conrad with a complicated expression.
When men and women came together, if they got along, they’d naturally find things to talk about, but if they didn’t, they’d find no common ground to speak.
Conrad couldn’t understand it. Why did this guy get everything?
Those two had been holed up in their room all day, from morning till afternoon, cuddling and being all lovey-dovey.
Meanwhile, he had to babysit their kid.
Conrad was getting more and more irritated with Ethan.
Meanwhile, Lillian went out of her way to brew some coffee and invited Phyllis to sit in the yard.
“I wasn’t expecting you to come over, so I only have these for now. Phyllis, I hope they’re to your liking.”
Phyllis smiled. “You don’t have to worry about it. Let’s just sit and talk.” She looked around the small yard. “So, did you and Ethan break up?”
Lillian almost choked on her coffee.
“So you broke up with him first? If you don’t mind me asking, what did Conrad have that Ethan didn’t?”
Lillian smiled. “Phyllis, which one do you think is better?”
Phyllis replied irritably, “Conrad? He’s not someone who could settle down. He acts like a beast. If you choose him, aren’t you afraid he’ll strangle you in the middle of the night? If it were up to me…”
She almost blurted out her answer but stopped herself, unwilling to say more. “I’d still pick being single.”
Lillian propped her chin in her hand. “Oh, so you prefer someone like Ethan after all? Well, I think I’ll pack my things and move out today.”
Phyllis felt a little jealous again. “So Ethan was abandoned by you and came to find me in A City?”
Lillian was surprised. Ethan hadn’t told Phyllis about their relationship from the beginning to the end?
“Is that really what you think, Phyllis? The person he’s always wanted has never changed… I mean, people say those involved often can’t see clearly, but sometimes they’re the ones who know best.”
Phyllis gave a bitter smile. “If you ask me… honestly, I’m not even sure who he really wants.”
Phyllis added, “But I’ve heard some things about you. I heard Conrad is also pursuing you. My advice? If you need some physical comfort, go ahead and sleep with him. At least he has a great figure. As someone who studied art, I can tell you, he’s a top-tier model. But don’t agree to reconcile with him too easily Love comes from the heart. Giving in to figure might be a moment of impulse, but whether it lasts depends on your heart.”
Conrad, clearly annoyed, muttered, “Is she your ex-wife or Lillian’s? What kind of nonsense is she spouting?”
A man who sleeps with women without responsibility is a jerk, but now women were being praised for casually sleeping around and leaving afterward? Especially if Lillian was the one taught by her.
Conrad’s mood soured even more, and his mind started to race. Without thinking, he gave Ethan an up-and-down glance and couldn’t hold back. “You’re not… uh… having trouble in bed, are you? No wonder she doesn’t want to sleep with you long-term.”