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.

where do you want to

go back to the condominium,” said Kathleen

He proceeded to walk out of the hotel with her hand

on a pair of indoor slippers with

same pair of

them matching ones, but

most couple-themed

he saw it, they were nothing but childish things that

that Kathleen was a young girl herself, not to

their slippers, Samuel pressed

the kiss they had shared back in the

overcome with terror. Her dainty fist pounded on his chest as she fiercely uttered,

“Why?” He grimaced.

the

with her from then on, she would

would simply look forward to how exactly

after one month, you’ll give in to me?” he questioned while

she affirmed with a

whole month are,” warned Samuel. His calloused fingers tenderly brushed against her delicate chin, and he stared into her

know.” Kathleen was being

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

Hehe!

a shower,” he told

Kathleen nodded. “Okay.”

while she let out a sigh of relief and

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

call. “Samuel and I won’t be

arched a brow. “Has he gone to see Nicolette again? He’s

it,”

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

“Coming,” she answered.

heard that exchange, she could tell

it,” she said with a grin.

she hung

phone down and went to

opened the door to take it

could even beat that of the models in fashion magazines. No matter what he

about him that most

a rather conservative woman, Kathleen wasn’t really the type to open

that she

flush in embarrassment. Her face was so red that she looked like a tomato. She was so naive that it

innocence of hers were exactly what

had yet to be

instantly turned around. Even the tips of her ears

and nibbled on her ear with his

through her body. “You

that he had left behind, she still

for wounds

she needed was

to reopen that wound of hers right as she was trying to close it slowly. He was making her

she was bawling her eyes out in Samuel’s

she would be able to head back in that

covered her with it before pulling her

nice to me. Just stay indifferent. Quit trying to manipulate me,” Kathleen

you?” He felt like he was

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,

There was slight hoarseness to his voice as he asked, “Can you give me a

That left Kathleen startled.

time to straighten everything out,” he

speaking, he was quite reluctant to let

were pursed together. “I can’t keep dragging things out with

Samuel proposed in a

she replied, “I can give you that much,

they?” he questioned. There was a smile on his

your signature on it. If you and Nicolette are still hung up on each other after a month, I’ll sign the papers and

you’re as innocent

you going to give it

his hand against her outstretched

it by tomorrow,” she ordered, then bit her

He nodded

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

won’t trick you,” he promised while staring at

gaze turned cold as she trailed off. “You’re not allowed

that,

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

“Got it,” he agreed.

did she

incredibly on edge because she couldn’t

I going to do if he really is just trying to