Walking in on someone after they've been dumped is pretty awkward. Before I could figure out how to break the silence, Robert took the initiative: “Sorry about that, must have been quite a show for you... Can you believe this..."

Before he could finish his sentence, his phone rang again.

He fumbled to answer it, clearly distressed.

The call was loud enough that I could hear every word perfectly without the speaker on.

“Dad, did you and Aunt Sophia get the marriage certificate yet? Hurry up and get to Ulden Hotel, Grandma's already booked the venue. Everyone's waiting for you two. We even invited relatives. Hurry up!”

Robert seemed flustered, stammering several times before he could get the words out: “Son, well... Aunt Sophia and I... we broke up.”

“What? You broke up? Weren't you just about to get the marriage certificate? I don't care, you must bring a wife back today. It's not just me saying this, Grandma insists too. How are we supposed to face all the relatives?”

With that, the call abruptly ended.

Listening to all this, I was in a dilemma, unsure if I should stay or leave.

Robert, however, acted like nothing was wrong. He gave me an awkward smile, sighed, wiped his face, and sat down on the steps, looking utterly dejected.

I wanted to comfort him: “Brother, you're a good man. Good men always get their reward.”

His eyes lit up when he looked at me and asked: “You're divorced, right?”

I held up my divorce certificate with a bitter smile.

Robert continued, “Look, you're divorced. The person I was supposed to marry walked out. Why don't we just pair up?”

I was stunned.

But thinking about his earlier kindness, his familiar eyes, and that smile, I found myself nodding instinctively: “Alright.”

“Well, do you have your documents with you? Let's go inside. Here, take this card. There’s $100,000 on it, consider it as bride price. I'll add another $100,000 later.”

I was a bit taken aback. When I married Percival, his family only gave me $30,000 as bride price.

Robert thrust the card into my hand and led me back into the courthouse.

Halfway, he asked me: “If you have second thoughts, it's not too late to back out.”

His words unexpectedly gave me courage: “No regrets. Let’s get married.”

When we came out of the courthouse again, holding the freshly issued marriage certificate, I felt a bit lost.

Did I just... get married again?

Robert extended his hand to me: “My name is Robert Colton. I'm forty-eight, a programmer at a gaming company. I have a twenty-three-year-old son and an elderly mother. But don’t worry, you won't have to take care of them. We can live our own lives.”

I took his hand slowly: “Hazel Farrar. I'm forty-five. I used to be a stay-at-home mom and don’t have a job yet. I have no other relatives. But don’t worry, I'll find a job soon enough to support myself.”

We exchanged smiles, feeling a surprising sense of familiarity amidst the strangeness.

Robert accompanied me to Percival's house to collect my belongings. Percival wasn't home.

My ex-mother-in-law sneered, "Already found yourself a new man? Have you made my son a cuckold?"

I smirked and retorted, "If you want to believe your son has been cuckolded, go right ahead. It's usually the ones who are despicable who think others are as well."

She turned red with anger but dared not say anything more. She started creating trouble while I was packing, saying I couldn't take this and I couldn't take that. I swept all my things into packing bags without even looking at her.

She tried to stop me, but Robert stepped in and held her back. In the end, she was so furious she resorted to cursing.

Back in Robert's old pickup truck, I felt a bit embarrassed and explained to him that I usually wasn't so fierce. It's just that my ex-husband cheated on me and demanded a divorce because I couldn't have children, and after that, his family openly started to make things difficult for me, so naturally, I fought back.

Robert chuckled, "Evil people need to be dealt with in an evil manner. You did the right thing, don't feel bad about it."

I remembered how Percival used to call me a shrew for talking back, saying I wasn't acting like a woman. My eyes moistened, and I turned my head away.

Robert continued to smile, "Let's go. We'll put your stuff at my place first, then I'll take you out to eat."

"Alright."

Robert's house was an old seventy-square-meter apartment in an older neighborhood. I was stunned the moment I walked in. This place, it felt familiar, like I've been here before.

Robert noticed I wasn't moving from the doorway and asked what was wrong. I gave a bitter smile, "I feel like I've been here before... maybe I dreamt about it."

Robert paused, then laughed, "That means we're destined to be. You've dreamt of my house."

I laughed too, but I didn't miss the redness in Robert's eyes as he quickly turned away. I lowered my head, pretending not to see. Just as I could regard Robert as a stand-in, if he saw me as someone else's stand-in, it was only fair.

Robert didn’t let me lift a finger; he carried all my luggage into the bedroom himself. I couldn't help but get up and look around the house. That familiar feeling was getting stronger—it wasn't just a dream—but thinking about it made my head hurt.

"Hazel, what's wrong? Here, sit down. I'll get you a glass of water..."

After drinking a glass of warm water, my headache eased a bit. I met Robert's worried gaze and smiled bitterly, "I had a car accident when I was young and forgot some things after that. My parents said it wasn't anything important, so I didn't care much. But sometimes, when I try to remember certain things, my head hurts."

A hint of heartache flashed in Robert's eyes, "Then let's not think about it. The past is past; what's important is the future."

I nodded emphatically.

"Rest a bit more. Do you want to lie down?"

I shook my head and stood up, "Your folks are waiting for you, right? Let's go over now. I'm feeling much better, and I can nap in the car."

Robert confirmed with me several times to make sure I was okay, his cautious demeanor softening my heart. How long had it been since someone cared for me like this? Since my parents died and my brother went abroad, I've lived like a puppet...

Going downstairs, Robert offered his hand, "Be careful, these old apartments have tall steps."

"Alright." I gently grasped his hand, a sweet feeling bubbling up inside me.