Chapter 4
Contacts and WhatsApp chats were all working fine. It seemed that Davis had indeed invited him out for drinks that evening. Just a few minutes ago, Davis was still checking in to make sure he'd gotten home safely, given the rain and the drinks. I went to browse Alex’s WhatsApp contacts but couldn't find the person from my social media circle, confirming they weren't friends.
Was I mistaken? When we first started dating, Alex had been upfront about his past relationships. He confessed that he had a previous girlfriend, but they clashed on numerous issues and fought constantly. In the end, she cheated and left with someone else. Whenever Alex spoke of her, his face showed clear disgust and anger. It seemed unlikely for Alex to reconnect with her. Was I just being paranoid?
I hesitated for a moment. Seeing Alex about to enter the room, I quickly put down my phone and pretended to be asleep on the bed. My mind was in a whirl, unsure how to confront him.
A moment later, Alex tiptoed into the room. He gently whispered, "Eleanor? Are you asleep?" Since I didn’t answer, he turned off the light, climbed into bed, and gently wrapped his arms around me. He murmured softly, "It's so wonderful. The day after tomorrow you'll be my wife. I love you so much. Goodnight."
I turned toward him and buried my head in his chest, silently crying. "I love you too. So very much." Maybe I was overthinking. We were about to get married; how could I doubt him? We were deeply in love. Once I stopped worrying, I quickly fell asleep.
The day before the wedding, Davis called again, suggesting a drink. I frowned, "Didn't you just hang out yesterday?"
"Well, it's because of old Jim. He couldn't get time off yesterday and only managed to arrive this afternoon," Davis explained.
Alex held me, sounding reluctant, "Come with me. Otherwise, I won't get to see you for over twelve hours."
I thought for a moment and declined. "It's a guys’ night out. I wouldn't enjoy it, and besides, I have stuff to take care of."
Eventually, he left reluctantly. After a while, I remembered that I had forgotten to give Alex the gifts I had prepared for them. With the busy day ahead tomorrow, I knew I’d forget once I got caught up. So, I had no choice but to drive over.
Half an hour later, I arrived at the private room where they were meeting. It was eerily quiet, not the lively atmosphere I had expected. Just as I was wondering if I had the wrong room, I heard Davis's irritated voice from inside. "I'll ask you again, where were you last night?"
Hearing that, I stopped abruptly.
"Alex, do yourself a favor—after you marry Eleanor, break things off with Lisa. Build a real life with Eleanor."
Suddenly, I felt my breath catch as if struck by lightning. Alex pressed his lips together but didn’t respond. Davis appeared agitated. "What are you thinking? If you can't move on, why break up in the first place?"
After a moment, Alex remained silent. The others, noticing this, tried to change the subject, "Hey, let's not dwell on this today. It's a celebration, right?"
"Yeah, but you keep playing with fire, eventually, you'll get burned. If you don't deal with it now, it'll explode later, and then it'll be too late!"
Alex lit a cigarette, his voice raspy. "Morgan and I have a physical connection, nothing else. But with Eleanor, it's the exact opposite."
He sighed. "Eleanor's amazing, but she's so clingy, can't fulfill my needs."
"You know how it is with guys, right? Who doesn’t have a side deal? I'm just sticking with one, it's more straightforward that way. Trust me, I know what I'm doing."
"I only meet Morgan for the physical part, no emotional attachment and no overnight stays. It won't affect my marriage with Eleanor."
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