Chapter 6

Linda's words were as suggestive as the man's clothes in the shopping bag, especially since the boxers were placed deliberately on top of the rest.

She was clearly bragging to Tina that Henry had spent the night at her place.

Moreover, as Tina turned away from the boxers, she saw Linda brushing her hair behind her neck, seemingly not realizing that she revealed the hickeys on it.

So, she had done the deed with Henry last night. Unable to vent his libido with Tina, he ran straight to the other woman.

They were quite vigorous, from the looks of it as well.

While Tina felt slightly pricked that Linda was trying to hurt her, her gaze turned cool as she remembered her daughter.

She slowly stood up, looking down loftily at Linda as she scoffed. "It's Henry's clothes, so return it to him yourself. I'm not a garbage truck."

Linda was stumped—she did not expect this.

Before she could react, she felt a chill emanating from behind.

She turned to see that Henry was already standing there, his very presence icy.

"What are you doing here?" Linda was immediately on her feet and hurried to his side.

Henry said nothing, however.

His eyes were fixed on Tina with a coldness that cut to the bone, and Linda could not resist a smile.

There was a flicker of smugness in her eyes as she turned to Tina and tugged on Henry's sleeve as Tina watched. "It's alright, Henry. She's not hurting me… not this time."

Tina, however, was used to this.

The details and the situation did not matter—Henry would always take Linda's side.

He had been searching for her, the apple of his eye, for over several years, never giving up because she was just that important to him. Then, when Linda appeared with a token eight years ago, she immediately became his girlfriend, as if it was her right.

Since then, Linda was the only person Henry cared about, while Tina was suddenly the villainess in romance novels, not caring what she did to slander and hurt Linda just to drive them apart.

It used to tear Tina apart that Henry absolutely adored Linda and would blame her for everything.

But now, it did not even matter.

She no longer wanted him, which was why she called him here, to set things straight once and for all, so that they would not hound her relentlessly, and she could have a normal life!

"Linda, I've already broken up with Henry," Tina announced flatly right then. "You can keep anything he leaves at your place, since trash belongs to trash anyway."

With those words, she strode up, not intending to stay.

She did not even glance at Henry, but as she brushed past him, he seized her by the wrist.

Tina glowered and struggled against her grip, only for him to tighten his hold as if to break her bones.

The man really did not give a shit!

Amid the pain, rage flared in Tina's eyes as she snapped, "Let go! Are you deaf?! Linda just said that I didn't hurt her!"

Henry ignored her, doing whatever he liked as usual.

But even as he glowered and dragged her outside, Tina suddenly gave up and followed while counting down under her breath. "Three… Two…"

Even before she reached one, Linda called out from behind them. "Henry…"

Then came the audible thud, and Henry stopped in his tracks.

Letting go of Tina without hesitation, he turned and sprinted back to Linda, who had collapsed on the floor.

Tina did not even need to look to see how nervous he would look just then—a far cry from his apathy and disdain last night.

Such was the difference between the loved and the unloved.

Still, Tina smiled ever so slightly in self-deprecation as she looked down at the distinct redness on her wrist.

This might not be the first time that Henry had chosen Linda over her, but it would be the last.

-

After leaving the cafe, Tina went shopping for stationery, as she was going to take part in a jewelry design competition.

Early in the week, she had surveyed over thirty columbariums in search for her daughter's final resting place, and the best cost at least a hundred grand.

However, she did not have the money.

Over the last five years, Henry would give her around ten grand per month for expenses.

She was no spendthrift, so it was enough, and she could even save some each month.

That was until Sophie fell ill, and Henry refused to believe that the child was ill, so her savings were spent in no time at all for Sophie's medical bills.

Though her only choice was to ask Henry for help, he would hang up or walk away, refusing to let her a chance to speak.

The only way she could get money at that point was to lie, and Sophie had to suffer with her for that too.

That was why she did not want to ask Henry for help now—she would just insult her memory of Sophie further.

No, she would make money on her own.

While she was racking her brains on how to get the money soon, she ran into Professor Walls, who had been her lecturer back in university and one of the judges for an upcoming design competition.

He had admired Tina back then, always praising her talents.

She was only in her first year when he was insistent on giving her a recommendation to take part in the competition that year, and he proclaimed that she would definitely take first place!

Even now, as he looked through the designs she came up with over the years while idling at home, he nodded in approval and encouraged to take part this year too.

Tina was naturally interested, not just because she liked jewelry design, but because the prize money for first place just happened to be a hundred grand too.

-

Tina was soon done with her shopping and took the elevator to the lower basement parking lot.

When she passed a Rolls-Royce Ghost, the rear door suddenly opened and a large hand reached out, seizing her by the wrist.

"Ahhh!" Tina's eyes widened, and she tried to call for help in her panic.

However, the man did not even give her a chance and pulled her into the car with one swift stroke.

Bang!

The car was shut even as the world seemed to spin around Tina, and she eventually found herself pinned against the back seat.

"Get off me!"

Flustered, she tried to hit the man in the face with her shopping bag, but he parried the attack with one hand before seizing her by the jaw and kissing her possessively.