Semua Bab A Thousand Second Chances: Bab 41 - Bab 50

Unlike Shirley, who always had to check if a seven-day hotel stay would go over her travel budget, Matthew never worried about things like that.He had just hung up the phone when he noticed Shirley open the window and toss the garlic croissant straight into a trash bin outside. Her aim was perfect.Matthew's face went pale. He instinctively hit the brakes, but it was too late to slow down. He looked unsettled. "Why'd you throw that out? Didn't you want the croissant?"Shirley let the cold night air sweep through the car, blowing away the rich smell of garlic inside. She brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Oh, I don't feel like it anymore. If I eat, I'll just gain weight."Matthew's temper flickered, but he drew in a deep breath and quickly soothed himself. He even tried to comfort her. "Don't worry about that. If you want it, just eat it."Shirley asked, "What if I'm 200 pounds? Would you still love me then?"Matthew chuckled, teasing her on purpose. "That I can't promise."

Matthew slowly relaxed."I barely even remember anymore. And there's no way she'd ever find out. Don't bring up the past again—it wasn't anything serious. Astrid is my sister-in-law now, and if Tony hears about it, it won't sound good."Simon froze for a second, then gave an awkward nod. "Yeah, true enough."Who didn't have a crush back then? Astrid was the most popular girl in the department, pursued by plenty of guys. Simon was just one of them.But Astrid had feelings for Matthew, and the rest of them didn't stand a chance.All Simon could do was watch from a distance, holding onto her as some untouchable dream. Now that Astrid had married Tony, she was even further out of reach.Standing here, Simon suddenly lost the mood to reminisce.Right then, room service arrived. He used that as an excuse to head out.From inside, Matthew heard the blow dryer humming and let out a quiet sigh of relief. He knocked on the door. "Come out and eat something, okay?"He knocked patiently t

Shirley still had to get back to class.Once she was away from Matthew, her emotions steadied a little. She didn't spiral into overthinking anymore.After class, she thought about going for a walk around campus, but then her phone rang. It was Noelle."That fox showed up at Kevin's office again. You should go check. I already talked to Kevin—he promised he'd let me know every time she comes by."Shirley's grip on her phone tightened.She knew things only ended in humiliation every time she went. And yet, spying on their secret somehow felt both cruel and thrilling, as if she was cutting poison out of her own bones.She headed for the counseling office.Kevin, dressed in his white coat, was waiting for her. He nodded politely and pointed at the computer. "Ms. Carter, could you look over this slideshow for me? I need to step out and meet with a patient."Shirley nodded. "Thanks."Kevin smiled, the perfect gentleman.The room was quiet. Even the air felt calm and comfortable, al

Shirley couldn't help but be impressed.She glanced at Matthew, curious to see how he'd react to running into his old flame. After all, he had claimed he only saw her as family. But Matthew didn't even bat an eye. He held Shirley's hand and walked right past Astrid without a word.Astrid froze awkwardly on the spot.Even Shirley found it unbelievable. Astrid usually loved to pretend to smooth things over and keep the peace. Why wasn't she taking this chance to say something pointed?Instead, Matthew brought Shirley around to greet people. She smiled politely, doing the bare minimum.Still, because of Matthew, and because she was a college professor and Johnny's daughter, the others treated her with more respect than most of the other wives who were there.After making the rounds, they spotted Paulina coming downstairs with a group of lively socialites, her smile as bright as ever.Seeing Matthew, she called out cheerfully, "I just took the girls to look around your room. They

Matthew didn't even look at Astrid. His tone was careless as he said, "You'd better pray the Dittmans don't collapse. Otherwise, Tony's gonna find himself a richer father-in-law sooner or later."He grabbed Shirley's hand and walked her out, not noticing the stiff look on Astrid's face.Behind them, Paulina was still muttering under her breath, smiling for appearances while cursing under it all.Milton, though retired from the frontlines, still kept control of the family. He frowned at Matthew walking out. "What the hell are you doing? Trying to give your mother a heart attack?""I wish she'd die that easily," Matthew replied flatly.Just then, more guests came over to make small talk. Matthew took the chance to slip outside with Shirley.They ran into Tony on the way. His eyes flicked over Shirley, and he gave a polite nod, showing no trace of annoyance from what had happened at the hospital before. He said to Matthew, "Good timing. I need a word with you.""What about?""Th