Divorced But Never Letting Go Chapter 124

Cyril 

 I went back to my lodge, wearing that garment of shame. And for the second time, I had ruined my chances of getting back with Olivia. This time, I suffered humiliation from Kate—a lady who was once my staff. I had acted like a dummy in her presence just to achieve my goals, yet I still ended up shooting blank.

 It was at that moment that I realized just how much I had hurt Olivia. When she spoke to me, I looked into her eyes and saw the disappointment. If I could turn back the hands of time, I would have made things right again and become that perfect man she had always wanted.

 I got back to my lodge and realized that Rene wasn’t in the room. I was about to scream her name when I suddenly halted, hearing her engaged in a telephone conversation from her restroom.

 It wasn’t just a telephone conversation—she had left the shower on while the call ensued.

 Rather than calling her attention to announce my presence, I decided to pay attention to the conversation.

 I listened attentively and observed that Rene's mother was secretly planning to get someone to do something against her will.

 I didn’t hear the name of the person correctly due to the shower that was turned on. Suddenly, someone knocked at the door, forcing me to stay composed. I didn’t want to give Rene the slightest idea that I was eavesdropping on her telephone conversation.

 “Come in. The door is opened,” I told whoever was knocking. It turned out to be cleaner.

 “Good day, sir. I am here for housekeeping,” the cleaner said to me.

 Soon after, Rene dashed out of the restroom. She almost passed out when she saw me.

 The shock on her face screamed guilt. “Hon, you’re here? Honestly, I had no idea.”

 I forced a smile and narrowed my gaze at the cleaner. “Alright! You can proceed. I will be waiting outside.”

 I walked away and pretended not to have heard anything. The plan was to keep Rene in suspense until she finally succumbed to pressure and confessed her hidden crimes to me.

 I gestured to the hotel lounge to have a few bottles of vodka. My divorce from Olivia had suddenly made me miserable. I saw myself acting weird, as though a spell had been cast on me.

 The past few days have been terrible too. I saw myself evolving into a chronic drunk—something I had always kicked against while I was still married to Olivia.

 To worsen it all, Rene didn’t see anything wrong with my attitude. Oftentimes, she intentionally joined me to get high on liquor rather than forcing me to do away with such behavior.

 As I sipped my glass of vodka, I saw Rene approaching from a distance. I knew she was heading in my direction. After what happened in the room, it was damn obvious that she would want to come see me and ask some questions.

 “Hi, Cyril. I knew you would be here,” Rene started the conversation.

 I expected her to berate me for getting drenched in liquor. Unfortunately, that never happened.

 Rather, she ordered her liquor—preferably the ladies’ brand.

 “What’s wrong? You don’t seem too happy,” Rene asked, pretending to care about my well-being when it was obvious that she was suffering from self-guilt.

 I looked at her and became speechless. Plenty of questions hoarded my mind that needed to be asked. On second thought, I realized the damage those questions would cause if they were asked. I didn’t want to create a scene in public.

 “I am fine. I am just exhausted. I mean, considering what has been happening in recent times,” I responded. I never bothered to ask her about the telephone conversation she had in the restroom. Neither did I ask why she was shocked the moment she saw me in the room.

 “Alright! If you insist,” Rene said.

 A few minutes later, she revisited the topic. “Are you sure you don’t wanna talk about it? You know you can confide in me, don’t you?”

 An awkward glance from me was enough to push Rene away and make her quit the disturbing questions.

 “I’ve got a question to ask, Cyril. Before I proceed, I need you to assure me that you won’t be mad at me,” Rene said the moment I thought she was done.

 “What do you want to talk about?” I asked her. I acted like I was interested in the conversation, but deep down, I wasn’t. The thought of getting back with Olivia flooded my mind. I also spent time thinking about that strange conversation Rene was having in the restroom when I walked in.

 “Since I’ve taken over running the business from Olivia, can you please give me a permanent position on the board of directors?” Rene’s request left me stunned.

 “Permanent position?” My mouth widened. I forced myself to believe I had a hearing disability until she confirmed it.

 “Come on, Cyril. I bet that won’t be difficult for you to do, would it? I mean, I’ve proved to you that I can be useful to you in other departments,” Rene said.

 I read between the lines, and all I saw was a lady clothed in desperation. A lady who would kill to get what she wanted.

 “Sorry, I need to return to the lodge now. Just remembered that I’ve got a virtual meeting with some investors,” I took the silliest excuse ever and walked out on Rene. I couldn’t imagine myself seated next to her, having such a conversation.

 It didn’t take long for me to notice the difference between Olivia and Rene. Regardless of the situation, Olivia would never demand such a thing.

 Deep down, I knew I had made a mistake replacing Olivia with Rene. I would give up an arm to reverse that decision.

 After listening to her request, I started to understand the reason behind the awkward telephone conversation with her mother. From that moment on, I vowed to always play my cards right to avoid being caught unawares.