when she left he went crazy (Hope and Christopher)

CHAPTER 2

‘Jewelry?’

I frowned and said to Christopher, who had just entered the bathroom, “Christopher, Evelyn is here. I’ll go downstairs first.” Almost immediately, he strode out, his expression icy. I had never seen him look so cold before.

“I’ll handle it. Don’t worry. Go and freshen up.”

Christopher, usually calm and composed in front of me, revealed his complex emotions through his voice this time. He seemed agitated and nervous, which I found strange.

“I’ve already freshened up. I even squeezed toothpaste for you. Did you forget?”

“Alright, let’s go down together so the guests won’t wait too long.”

I took Christopher’s hand, and we headed downstairs.

The staircase was spiraled. When we reached the halfway point, I could see Evelyn, elegant in a white dress, sitting gracefully on the sofa.

She heard and looked up, smiling serenely. When her gaze fell on the hands Christopher and I held, the cup in her hand trembled, spilling some coffee. It must have been hot, she exclaimed in a fluster.

Christopher abruptly let go of my hand, rushed downstairs, and took the cup from her.

“Why are you so flustered? Can’t even hold a cup?” His tone was stern and cold, but he took Evelyn’s hand gently and led her to the sink, rinsing her hand with cold water.

Feeling frustrated, Evelyn tried to pull her hand back. “I’m fine. You don’t need to worry”, she said.

“Shut up. Don’t you know burns can leave scars if not treated properly?” Christopher reprimanded, still not letting go of her hand.

I stood on the stairs, watching this scene, feeling a bit dizzy. A certain image flashed in my mind.

It was when we had just gotten married that I found out that Christopher had a weak stomach, and I started learning to cook.

Although we had Donna at home, her cooking didn’t suit his taste. As I had never cooked before, I often accidentally cut myself or get burned. Once, I carelessly overturned a pot, and the hot oil spilled all over my belly. My clothes were soaked, and my skin was very painful.

Christopher heard the noise and came over, as gentle as ever, and said, “Are you okay? Go take care of yourself. I’ll handle the cooking.” He was gentle and considerate but also very calm. Occasionally, I would have a vague feeling that something was off.

I had secretly liked Christopher for many years, and countless emotions recorded in my diary were about him. I was quite satisfied with marrying him. I just thought that he was naturally indifferent and reserved before.

“I just poured lemon water for Ms. Evelyn.” Donna’s words brought me back to reality.

I didn’t realize until tears filled my eyes. I was so upset that I couldn’t breathe.

Look.

It was clear that Christopher took the cup from Evelyn, but he was too concerned to check if the water was hot or cold.

I took a deep breath, walked down the stairs, and looked at them with a faint smile.

“Honey, Donna poured lemon water for Evelyn. It’s cold, so it can’t scald her. Or you should be worried about her getting frostbite?” I tried to tolerate, but I couldn’t help but say something sarcastic.

Christopher’s movements stiffened, and only then did he let go, avoiding my gaze and blaming Evelyn. “Why are you screaming just because you poured cold water on your hand? You’re the only one who’s so delicate.”

Evelyn glared at him and looked at me softly. “That’s just how he is; he likes to take things seriously. That’s it.”

With that, she walked to the coffee table and picked up a velvet box, which looked very expensive, handing it to me. She smiled gently, “I was coming to return this to you.”

When I took and opened it, I was instantly taken aback. Was Evelyn the woman in the video?

When I looked up again, I concealed my emotions. I wanted to laugh, but I couldn’t.

Last night, I forced Christopher to take back the necklace. Now, the necklace was in my hand, but I didn’t feel relieved at all.

I looked at Christopher inquisitively. His eyes were complicated, and then he reached out and pulled me into his arms. “Do you like it? If you do, keep it. If you don’t, give it to anyone. It’s just a worthless jewelry. I’ll buy you another gift.”

“Okay.” I compressed my lips. In front of Evelyn, I finally gave him some face. Or should I say, I wanted to preserve my dignity. For a while, I was confused about Evelyn’s reason for coming today.

‘Did she sincerely feel that she shouldn’t accept the necklace?’

‘Or was she trying to convey something?’

A certain emotion flashed across Evelyn’s face, too fast to be caught.

She smiled. “I was afraid that this necklace would cause a misunderstanding between you. It seems that it hasn’t. I’ll go back then.”

Donna guided her off.

When the door closed, I broke free from Christopher’s arm. “Didn’t you say it was for Ivan? And isn’t Evelyn already married? When did she become Ivan’s girlfriend…”

He kissed my lips directly, abruptly cutting off the rest of my words. He kissed me with a sense of urgency and aggression as if he was venting something.

When I found it difficult to breathe, Christopher finally let go of me, gently stroking my head and admitting. “I lied to you.”

He pulled me into his arms. “Ivan got divorced, and I was afraid she would be unhappy, so I gave her a gift.”

I was stunned. I understood what Chris meant by “congratulations on your new life” in the video. I pursed my lips, still somewhat skeptical. “Is it just that?”

“It’s just that,” Christopher replied firmly. His voice was warm, and he explained slowly, “You should know that her mother had an accident while trying to save me. I can’t just ignore her.”

I had heard Donna mention this incident. Christopher’s biological mother died in childbirth. When Christopher was five years old, his father, Charlie Valence, remarried. The woman he married was Evelyn’s mother. Although Evelyn’s mother became Christopher’s stepmother, she treated him well and regarded him as her son. Even when he was in danger, she risked her life to save him and then stayed in a vegetative state for many years.

If that was the reason, it made sense. I took a deep breath and couldn’t help but remind Christopher. “I believe you are just repaying a favor and treating her as a sister.”

The necklace was eventually thrown into the storage room.

However, my suspicions had not completely disappeared. They were just temporarily suppressed and could easily resurface one day after being repeatedly backlogged. It would be very intense by then.

But what I didn’t expect was that this day would come faster than I imagined.

I majored in fashion design in college. My internship was in the Valence Group’s design department. My marriage to Christopher did not affect my career plans. After four years, I became the deputy director of the design department.

“Ms. Royston, why didn’t call me for lunch?”

That day, I was having lunch in the company cafeteria. My college roommate, Elissa Wilson, carried her tray, swaying her slender waist, and sat down across from me.

” After I finish my meal, I gotta hurry back to work on the design draft.”

I noticed that she had been winking at me, so I ask, “What’s wrong?”

“I heard from the HR department this morning that the candidate for the director of the design department has been decided!” Elissa’s beautiful face lit up with a brilliant smile.

“I knew it must be you, so I came early to congratulate you on your promotion. Remember to help me more after you get promoted.” She said playfully.

“Who can guarantee this is true before the appointment letter comes? Keep your voice down.” I replied.

The department director resigned in mid-January. Everyone said I was likely to get this position, and I had some confidence, but I was still afraid of unexpected changes.

“How can this be uncertain? You are the president’s wife,” Elissa said in a lower voice because my marriage to Christopher was not made public.

The outside world only knew that he doted on his wife, but they didn’t know that his wife was me.

Then, she kept praising me, “After you joined, everyone can see the performances you have achieved. You have done a great job in brand design and private customization. Many companies secretly want to poach you! Why shouldn’t the Valence Group promote you?”

Just as Elissa finished speaking, my phone and her phone rang at the same time. It was the appointment letter.

When Elissa saw the words in the email, she was happy and excited. Suddenly, her brows furrowed, and she looked angry.

“Who is Evelyn Valence?”