Chapter 32 - Kept in the Drawer (1/2)
Inside of his office, Tian Yuo stared intensely at the sealed yellow envelope in front of him. While his secretary reported his schedule for the day, it was obvious that his attention was elsewhere. With his hands interlocked and chin resting on it, he looked troubled.
In fact, his mind was concentrated on something that he had never imagined he would one day think about. This morning, after breakfast, he turned his room into a mess that looked even worse than a hurricane's disastrous visit.
After not seeing any notes or letters of farewell from her, he even missed a step to the edge of his bed and landed on his butt instead of the mattress. He stayed on the floor for half an hour before getting ready for work.
The sealed envelope on his desk held the divorce papers that Susu had signed and adjusted. With the red marks and alimony sections all crossed out from his memory, he sighed deeply and closed his eyes.
Hearing his awkward sigh, the secretary stopped speaking instantly. The man looked tired and confused at the moment. Over the years of accompanying Tian Yuo, she had never seen him show any emotions during work.
After a few minutes of silence, she asked, ”Mister Tian, would you like to have a cup of coffee? Or maybe I should come back later when you are in a better condition to discuss about work?” She couldn't help but feel nervous while standing in front of his solemn, bankrupt looking expression.
”You can come back in an hour. No need for coffee. I've already drank five cups of it this morning.” He answered in an indifferent tone.
The secretary bowed and quickly exited his office as if she finally found the exit to a difficult maze.
After she had left, Tian Yuo's phone screen flashed brightly, making him squint. It was Karen, who texted him.
He sighed once again as if he had the power to read minds, ”She is probably asking me if I sent the divorce papers to the lawyer yet.” Normally, he would be happy to get a text from her that he would stop everything just to reply back. For some reason, a chill was creeping through his chest and a taste of slight sourness lingered in his throat.
There was no one word that could describe how he was feeling and why he felt this way. Didn't he always love Karen? Wasn't Susu the obstacle all along? So why was it that he felt odd after seeing her sign the divorce papers without the tiniest bit of hesitation?
Bzzt Bzzt
His phone vibrated loudly against the solid surface of his desk, giving him a headache. Sighing, he picked up the call.
”Karen?” He answered without his regular cheerful greetings. Sensing that his tone had changed, she started feeling uneasy. 'Could it be that the divorce had some kind of impact on him?' She thought to herself and decided to lay out her chess pieces for her future checkmate move.
”Brother Yuo...I feel very ill. My chest feels tight. My body is heated up, and nobody is at home right now.” She whimpered like an abandoned kitten; so weak and needed protection.
His tone became gentler, ”how could nobody be home to take care of you? What happened to the maids?”