Chapter 2
With a cold look on my face, I pushed open the door and walked in without hesitation.
Perhaps because she didn't expect me to arrive so soon, Cheryl got off Nathan in a panic.
"I just saw a spider on Nat, but I couldn't find it anymore after searching for a long time."
Nathan nodded silently and lowered his head to evade my gaze.
Looking at the poor acting of the two people before me, I suddenly found it a little funny.
I nodded and sat opposite Cheryl.
Cheryl paused and looked at me with an unnatural expression.
She said, "What's wrong? Are you too tired from the wedding?
"If you feel tired, just take a good rest. I'll take care of it for you."
I glanced up at Nathan, who was silent beside her, and said casually, "I thought this meal was just for the two of us."
Hearing this, Cheryl was stunned for a moment before she soon reacted and said in a gentle tone, "Nat just called me to ask about the internship. I thought I couldn't explain it clearly in just a few words, so I asked him to come over.
"We can't finish all the food anyway, so it's no bother to invite him to eat with us."
After saying that, Cheryl changed the subject and asked with a smile, "How is the wedding dress? How do you like it? Did it meet your expectations?"
I chuckled with a perfunctory nod, "It looks good, but I don't know if I was seeing things today. I designed the groom's wedding dress myself, but I saw another one that's exactly the same.
"What's even stranger is that the name on that wedding dress is familiar to me."
Cheryl looked a little uneasy and said in a quivering voice, "Maybe they have the same name. After all, it's not surprising to have the same name in our big country."
As soon as Cheryl finished speaking, she picked up a piece of my favorite pork ribs in sweet sauce for me with a flicker of guilt in her eyes.
I glanced at Cheryl and saw her constantly tearing the tissues on the table with a blush.
I had been together with her for so many years, so I knew her too well. She was like this whenever she lied.
I felt something in my heart slowly crack and seemed to hear the sound of cracking coming from a distance.
Cheryl looked at me in surprise when she saw me put the food she picked up on the plate on the side.
"What's wrong? Is it not to your taste?"
I said lightly, expressionless, "Nothing. It's just that I saw something disgusting."
Hearing this, Cheryl and Nathan looked at each other with a hint of alarm in their eyes.
Cheryl asked tentatively, "What disgusted our great president Mr. Jeffers so much that you can't even enjoy your favorite food?"
While I was putting the food that Nathan had picked up for me onto the plate beside me, I gently swirled the coffee in my cup.
"Well, it's nothing. I have a friend who is getting married soon.
"Unexpectedly, he saw his fiancée kissing a man intimately. Guess what happened next?
"My friend's fiancée and that guy were both left disabled in a car accident.
"Serves them right! Don't you agree, Cher?"
I was still swirling the coffee as I chuckled, but Cheryl looked nervous and stuttered in a trembling voice, "Ye-yes."
Nathan also looked awkward. After a long while of hesitation, he forced a smile and said, "After all, we are not them, so we don't know what on earth was going on. What if your friend's fiancée no longer loved him? What's wrong with people pursuing their true love?"
Chapter 3
Hearing this, I looked up at Nathan and said lightly, "Brother, you're still too young.
"Think about it. If my friend's fiancée did love the other guy, then she should marry him instead. How could she insist on marrying my friend while dating the other guy?
"I suppose my friend's fiancée might just be dallying with the other guy. After all, if you love someone, you would make your relationship with the person you love public and introduce him to everyone by holding his hand.
"Those who mess around secretly and don't want to be seen by others are just doing it because they are just seeking temporary happiness without any love."
What I said was already very clear. Ashen-faced, Nathan hemmed and hawed for a long time but still couldn't say another word in the end.
I stood up, picked up the coffee pot, and walked toward Cheryl and Nathan.
I poured a respective cup of coffee for Cheryl and Nathan.
"Try it. It's the latest coffee this year. Its aroma is good."
With that, I looked at Cheryl and asked sarcastically, "Cher, why don't you try it? Does it taste familiar to you?"
I was just about to bring up the idea of breaking up when the waiter came in, pushing a serving cart.
There was a birthday cake and a plate of spaghetti in the cart.
Looking at everything in front of me, I sat back in my seat and arched an eyebrow in surprise.
"May I ask who Mr. Nathan Hance is? Ms. Cheryl Holmes left your information with us. Today is your birthday, so here is the free cake and spaghetti we prepared for you."
Cheryl sprang to her feet, looked at me awkwardly, and explained anxiously, "I had a fever the day I registered at this restaurant. I can't believe I was so confused that I left the wrong information.
"But since today is Nat's birthday, we might as well celebrate it for him."
Seeing that I looked unmoved, Cheryl glanced at me with bewilderment.
Cheryl asked the waiter for Nathan's favorite wine and poured it for him herself with gentle eyes on him.
She then walked toward me, ready to pour me some as well.
I moved the glass aside and filled it with warm water.
Seeing this, Cheryl looked upset and said with a trace of displeasure, "I know you've been busy and tired recently, but it's Nat's birthday today. Nat has had such a hard time. Why can't you show him some respect?"
Hearing this, I picked up the glass and gulped down the water.
I straightened my sleeves and responded unhurriedly, "I can't drink the wine."
At the sight of my indifference, Cheryl got angry.
She snatched my glass, filled it with wine, and snapped impatiently, "Zachary Jeffers, have I been too kind to you recently? How could you be so disrespectful?
"You've been talking nonsense since you walked in today. I understand that you feel weary after working hard to prepare for the wedding.
"But you know best how important Nat's birthday is to him. Why is it so hard for you to have a drink with him? Why are you so selfish now?"
"You said I'm selfish?
"How careless my fiancée is!
"After that serial car crash, I forgot everything except you!
"But what about you? How come you don't even remember that I suffer from a splitting headache once I drink?
"Or do you intend to murder me on Nathan's birthday?"
My words left Cheryl speechless. Her mouth twitched for a while before she uttered weakly, feeling she'd been wronged, "I was just too busy recently to think of it for a moment.
"No one is perfect. Why do you have to make such a big deal out of it? Besides, you haven't drunk yet, have you?"