When My Husband Cheated On Me, I… - Chapter 8

“Right? Isn’t it strange to you too?”

Chloe pouted her lips and slipped the note I handed her back into her bag.

“Haah. Really… Even though times have changed a lot, I don’t think it’s easy for a woman to live alone.”

Chloe said this lightly, shaking her head. For someone directly involved, her attitude was almost overly optimistic.

“Don’t you think you should report it to the police?”

Chloe wrinkled her nose and let out a low hum.

“Well, if you listen to what senior actresses say, this kind of thing happens all the time. They all say it’s because the fans like them, and you can’t really get mad at every single one of them.”

Chloe smiled bashfully, her eyes crinkling.

“It’s unsettling, but what can they do, really?”

I was worried she was taking the situation too lightly.

“What about that guy you were seeing before? Did you talk to him about it?”

“Daniel? We broke up ages ago. Didn’t I mention it?”

Chloe tilted her head and spoke lightly.

“Oh, I didn’t know. So there’s no one you’re seeing these days? Still, wouldn’t it be less worrying if you had someone by your side?”

Even after graduating from the academy, Chloe had constantly been dating someone.

Thinking it might help to have someone looking out for her, I asked, and Chloe looked noticeably flustered.

“Huh? Oh, no. I’m not seeing anyone, nothing like that. And I’m not taking this lightly, I’ll try to handle it. Winter, don’t worry too much.”

Just then, the freshly baked bread was served. Chloe quickly picked up a piece and split it in half. The sweet smell of butter whetted my appetite.

“Okay. Let me know if you need anything. I’ll help out however I can.”

Chloe smiled softly as she ate the bread. Her cheeks, slightly lowered, were still faintly tinged with pink.

I tilted my head and smiled at Chloe’s unusual reaction.

“But Chloe, is there someone you like? Anyone on your mind?”

“Oh, come on. There’s really no one, Winter.”

Chloe, looking startled, shrugged her shoulders and brushed her hair behind her ear, avoiding my eyes.

Soon, the tips of her ears turned bright red. I found her embarrassed reaction cute and smiled softly.

I wondered if maybe it was someone I knew and she was having trouble saying it, and I naturally understood her feelings.

“Alright. But once someone again, introduce him to me too.”

Chloe, still avoiding my gaze, picked up her glass of water and took a sip.

For a moment, her eyes seemed to blur as if she was lost in thought. Soon, she regained her energy, propped her chin on her hand, and smiled softly.

“Actually, what about you introducing someone to me, Winter?”

“Huh?”

“Who knows? The person you introduce might be my soulmate. I want to experience that kind of love at least once. Like you and Hayden.”

Chloe giggled.

“Do you know how shocked I was when you two announced you were getting married? I was so surprised I almost fell over.”

“Our marriage did happen pretty suddenly.”

“Yeah. I didn’t even know you two were that close.”

Chloe laughed out loud.

As I looked at her, I couldn’t help but feel the atmosphere between us had subtly changed.

Chloe, still looking away, sipped the wine the waiter had poured.

Just as I started to wonder about the silence, the main course arrived. As the waiter filled the table, we searched for a suitable topic.

“Oh, by the way, did you hear? The second son of the Duke of Felterwins is attending the next ball.”

“The second son of the Felterwins?”

“Yeah. That man shrouded in mystery. He’s kept everyone guessing for a full year, and finally, at the last ball of the season, he’s going to make an appearance.”

Now that she mentioned it, I remembered hearing about the second son of Felterwins returning to the capital about a year ago.

I hadn’t paid much attention, but for the ladies with unmarried family members, it was a constant topic.

“He’s a second son, so he doesn’t have a title, but rumor has it he’s incredibly wealthy. You’ve heard the talk that the Felterwins family is on the brink of bankruptcy, right?”

“Yeah. I saw it in the newspaper.”

“They say it’s the second son who saved the family.”

It was a famous story. The perfect example of the risks of reckless business expansion.

It had been in the papers several times, about how titles no longer guaranteed dignity—if anything, not knowing was harder.

Naturally, I remembered another rumor about the Felterwins family. It was widely believed that the suddenly appearing second son was an illegitimate child who had been abandoned when he was young.