All Too Late

“I just want to have a proper husband, Samuel. If you can’t give me that, then stop trying to get yourself involved with me,” Kathleen pleaded in great distress. “Every time you kiss me, it makes me hesitate. I begin to wonder if you might like me just a little bit, but the things you do afterward shatter me completely. Please stop torturing me. I’m begging you.”

Tears were streaming down her cheeks uncontrollably.

The sorrow and pain she was experiencing were unbearable.

Kathleen was well aware of how much she loved Samuel.

It wasn’t just a matter of time. Rather, he had become a permanent part of her life.

Only she knew how agonizing it was to have to rip him out of her life just like that.

Despite the fresh wound that he had left behind, she still loved him.

It took time for wounds to heal, after all.

What she needed was time.

What she didn’t need was Samuel coming back to reopen that wound of hers right as she was trying to close it slowly. He was making her experience heart-wrenching torment once again.

At that point, she was bawling her eyes out in Samuel’s arms.

There was no way she would be able to head back in that state.

Samuel took off his suit and covered her with it before pulling her into his embrace. “Come on. Don’t cry.”

“Stop being so nice to me. Just stay indifferent. Quit trying to manipulate me,” Kathleen sobbed.

“Who else am I nice to other than you?” He felt like he was at his wit’s end.

“Nicolette,” she mumbled. Her eyes were red-rimmed. “I told you I wanted a proper husband, Samuel. If you’re willing to be one, we can live happily from now on. If not, we should make things clear right now. Then, we can go our separate ways in the future.”

He stared at how pitiful she looked. There was slight hoarseness to his voice as he asked, “Can you give me a bit of time?”

That left Kathleen startled.

“Just give me some time to straighten everything out,” he said while caressing her face.

Truthfully speaking, he was quite reluctant to let her go.

“How long?” Her lips were pursed together. “I can’t keep dragging things out with you, Samuel. There’s no way I can wait as long as a year, either.”

“One month,” Samuel proposed in a deep voice.

After a moment of contemplation, she replied, “I can give you that much, but I have my own demands.”

“What are they?” he questioned. There was a smile on his face.

“Give me a copy of the divorce agreement with your signature on it. If you and Nicolette are still hung up on each other after a month, I’ll sign the papers and leave,” insisted Kathleen. She wanted to have a backup plan for herself instead of waiting around like an idiot.

He chuckled in response. “Sometimes, I feel like you’re as innocent as a baby. Other times, I find you rather cunning.”

“Are you going to give it to me or not?” she complained.

Samuel slapped his hand against her outstretched one. “I will.”

“Good. I want it by tomorrow,” she ordered, then bit her lip.

“Sure.” He nodded his head.

Kathleen hesitated for a while, then stated, “This is really going to be the last chance I give you, Samuel. I hope you’re not doing this to lead me on or trick me. I know I’m soft-hearted, but I would never let anyone take advantage of me.”

“I won’t trick you,” he promised while staring at her.

“Also…” Her gaze turned cold as she trailed off. “You’re not allowed to get intimate with Nicolette ever again.”

Upon hearing that, Samuel frowned.

Get intimate with her? I’ve never even done that before. Is she talking about physical contact?

“Got it,” he agreed.

Only then did she feel better.

Nonetheless, she was still incredibly on edge because she couldn’t tell what Samuel’s true intentions were.

What am I going to do if he really is just trying to trick me?

“Let’s go back,” Samuel suggested. He grabbed her hand before heading outside.

“Shouldn’t we tell Dad?” Kathleen protested softly.

Even though she had just cried herself silly, she still hadn’t completely regained her composure.

On top of that, she hadn’t forgotten her manners either.

“Don’t worry about it.” He simply brushed the matter off.

“Where are we going, then?” she inquired.

want to go?” asked Samuel

the condominium,”

to walk out of the hotel

put on a pair

Samuel had used the same pair of simple

ones, but he had only complained about

most

way he saw it, they were nothing but childish things that only young

forgotten, however, was the fact that Kathleen was a young girl

slippers, Samuel pressed her against the wall and kissed

even more intense than the kiss they

pounded on his chest as she fiercely uttered, “You’re not

“Why?” He grimaced.

she muttered. “If you manage to pass the test after the month is up, I’ll give

chose to be with her from then on, she would come clean about the

forward to how exactly he was going to deal

you’ll give in to me?”

she affirmed with a

consequences of making me hold back for a whole month are,” warned Samuel. His calloused fingers tenderly brushed against her delicate chin, and he stared

know.” Kathleen was being

told him that she was pregnant and couldn’t share a room

Hehe!

to take a shower,” he told

Kathleen nodded. “Okay.”

go into the house while she let out a

truly intended to stay with her, then she could just act like she knew

“Samuel and I

see Nicolette again? He’s using you as his cover,

it,”

you get me a towel, Kathleen?” Samuel piped up with his deep

“Coming,” she answered.

that exchange, she could tell that it was Samuel’s

it,” she said with a grin.

she hung

and went to pass Samuel a

he opened the door to take it from her,

and he could even beat that of the models in fashion magazines. No matter what he wore, he still looked slender; when undressed, though, his muscles

had something unique about him that most

conservative woman, Kathleen wasn’t really the type to

she had was

red that she looked like a tomato. She was so

were

be

around. Even the tips of

towel around himself and approached her from behind. He lowered his head and nibbled on her ear with his icy, thin lips. “It’s been three

shiver ran through her body. “You

that he had left behind, she still loved

wounds to heal,

needed was

that wound of hers right as she was trying to close

bawling her eyes

way she would be able to head back in

suit and covered her with it before pulling

nice to me. Just stay indifferent. Quit trying

you?” He felt like he was

can live happily from now on. If not, we should make things clear right now. Then, we can go our separate ways

hoarseness to his voice as he asked,

That left Kathleen startled.

me some time to straighten everything out,” he said while caressing

he was quite reluctant to let

can’t keep dragging things out with you, Samuel. There’s no way I can

proposed in a deep

“I can give you that much,

There was

it. If you and Nicolette are still hung up on each other after a month, I’ll sign the papers and leave,” insisted Kathleen. She wanted to

as innocent as a baby. Other times, I

it

slapped his hand against her outstretched one.

I want it by tomorrow,” she ordered, then bit

nodded

you’re not doing this to lead me on or trick me. I know I’m soft-hearted,

he promised

she trailed off. “You’re not allowed to get intimate with Nicolette ever

that, Samuel

her? I’ve never even done that before. Is

“Got it,” he agreed.

did

incredibly on edge because she couldn’t

he really is