Never

“You’re going on a business trip?” Willian asked.

“Yeah,” Linda answered.

“Why didn’t I hear about this?”

“Why would it matter to someone as busy as you, Mr. Wilson?” Linda replied with a hint of sarcasm in her

voice. “I thought you never cared about these things.”

Jimmy stifled a laugh. Perhaps considering Linda’s words a bit harsh and unaware of their shared history, he remarked, “Linda, you can’t expect everyone to put up with you like I do. Not everyone is going to

pamper you.”

“Mr. Cole, this is between Linda and me. Stay out of it,” William said sternly.

“And why should he stay out of it?” Linda looked at him. “He’s my boyfriend now. What? Did something he said offend you?”

William, of course, didn’t dare to say a word. Inside, he was burning with jealousy but could only watch helplessly.

When the waiter served the food, they noticed an additional guest at the table and promptly brought an

extra set of cutlery.

Linda and Jimmy chatted while they ate, and William just watched. He couldn’t follow their conversation, and Linda would go silent whenever he tried to join in.

Not wanting to spoil the mood, William chose to stay quiet, even though compromising wasn’t his usual approach.

After slipping on disposable gloves, Linda began peeling shrimp. William quickly put on gloves too and peeled a whole plate of shrimp for her. However, she couldn’t muster a smile.

“You don’t mind that not all of these were peeled by me, do you?” she asked, placing the shrimp onto Jimmy’s plate before William.

Jimmy ate them without a second thought, but William looked confused.

*No wonder Mr. Wilson is the ex, Jimmy quipped.

Upon hearing that, William’s face darkened.

Jimmy served Linda some ratatouille. “Mr. Wilson, didn’t you know Linda is allergic to shrimp?”

His words hit William like a punch in t

her allergies.

gut. He had never really paid attention to Linda’s preferences or

“Linda, you must have been pretty blind to things back then,” Jimmy said.

Linda didn’t deny it. “You can’t expect me to have had the same level of judgment when I was young and

inexperienced as I do today, can you?”

William’s heart sank with every word he heard in their conversation. It dawned on him how much of a jerk he had been, never paying attention to anything Linda did.

After that, he sat through the meal without eating or speaking a word.

After Linda emerged from the restroom after washing her hands, he grabbed her wrist, pulled her into the stairwell, and pressed her against the wall. “Linda, were those years deeply painful for you?”

Linda knew what he meant.

“Yes. After I moved on, I just wanted you to do the same.” She met his gaze. “William, the light is gone. from my eyes when I look at you now.”

“I don’t believe you feel nothing for me.”

“Mr. Wilson, I wouldn’t have moved on to someone else if I still had feelings for you.” Linda was talking about Jimmy. “William, it’s time to move on. I honestly don’t have feelings for you anymore.”

“I don’t believe it.”

“Whether you believe it, it’s the truth.” Linda pushed him away and strode back into the private dining

room.