"Robert James, how could you do this?"
Denise Kamp quivered, her accusatory fingers pointing at Karen Sanders cradled in Robert's arms.
Karen was her best friend from high school, the two of them shared everything. She used to say she went overseas for travel, and they happened to meet here?
What a coincidence!
The ludicrous part is that Karen belly shows a slight bump now, confirming the unspoken truth of her pregnancy.
She is smiling, nestling in Robert's arms. It is self-evident who fathered her child.
"Denise?" Robert stiffened, his arm around Karen instantly letting go.
He turned around slowly. His expression changed from panic to deep embarrassment upon seeing Denise. The scene was utterly fascinating.
Who knows what this scumbag said to Karen, but she touched her belly, stayed silent, and quickly walked away, leaving Robert to confront the storm in Denise's eyes.
"Denise." A gentle smile lifted his face, a trace of guilt flashing in his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming? I could have arranged to pick you up."
Pick her up in advance?
Sounds pleasant, but probably he just wanted to let Karen leave quickly, right?
Denise's blood boiled as she thought about it. She had endured a ten-plus hour high-speed train ride just to see her boyfriend of ten years, Robert, but what welcomed her was this scene?
She felt as if a weight was constantly pressing on her. How could she possibly calm down?
"How long were you planning on keeping this from me if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes?"
Denise stared into his eyes, questioning, "A month? A year, or were you planning to wait until your child is born, bring him directly to me, and ask me to be the godmother, to raise your child for you?"
While speaking, she was so angry that her body couldn't help but tremble uncontrollably.
Robert looked guiltily at her but didn't speak.
They had loved each other for ten years.
Once, Denise was the light in his life. His family was poor, and he was inevitably disdained by his classmates in school. Yet, Denise never minded and always defended him.
Even after she graduated, she gave all the money she earned to him, supporting him to chase his dreams. When he left home, she helped him take care of his parents.
Robert knew in his heart that he owed Denise too much.
"It's too hot outside. Come inside with me." Robert took her hand and started walking
toward the school gate.
Due to Denise getting agitated just now and speaking loudly, numerous people were starting to notice them. He was always a man who cared about his reputation, and he wondered how he could hold his face high if news of his affair started spreading around the school.
"Don't touch me!" Denise immediately flung off his hand.
The thought of this hand having recently held Karen intimately made her feel disgusted and nauseous.
Robert froze. He hadn't anticipated the previously gentle and considerate Denise to completely change.
Denise gritted her teeth and asked, "I just want the truth today. How long have you and Karen been together?"
"Not long," Robert evasively avoided telling the truth.
"What do you mean by 'not long'?" Denise was irked by his action, not daring to admit his wrongdoing.
From the moment he cheated, she should have known this day would come!
She raised her voice and said, "Robert, you better act like a man and admit it. Don't force me to curse you."
"It's been a year." Robert said with a bowed head.
A year?
Denise had been sending him living expenses and tuition during this year!
"So you're with Karen now, but you still have the nerve to ask me for money?"
"Denise, don't say things that way."
Robert said unhappily, "Didn't you willingly send me that money? Besides, Karen is unexpectedly pregnant and needs money. As her good friend, why can't you lend us some money in this critical moment?"
"You know that I’m busy with my studies, working on experiments and writing papers. Where do I have the free time to earn money?"
Robert looked at the man in front of her, suddenly feeling like he was a stranger. Was this really the Robert she had deeply loved for ten years?
So this was his true nature?
She regretted being blind enough to fall for this kind of scum!
"Robert, I'm not a charity organization. Over the years, I've transferred a total of 200,000 to you, all with transfer records, remember to pay me back in full." Denise said without mercy.
She would give everything for love, but her love and kindness would only be given to those who deserved it!
Upon hearing the amount, Robert was taken aback, "Denise, are you trying to drive me to my death? Where am I supposed to find that much money?"
"You're such a joke. When it comes to collecting money, you never say no. Since when it comes to paying back, you act as if it's the end of the world?" Denise asked, mocking him coldly.
Robert immediately cowed down, "Denise, it's not just my fault that we've come to this point of breaking up! I've told you before that I feel lonely here by myself, and I want a girl around me to take care of me."
"You're always finding reasons to avoid living together with me. All these years, I've had to be super careful even to hold your hand for fear of rejection by you!"
"So, I lost control, and crossed the line with Karen. Love isn't about right or wrong. Since we're not destined to be together, I hope you will grace us by stepping aside!"
Denise found this ludicrous. Was it her, who was standing between them with a knife at their throats, forcing them together?
Cheating and still coming up with so many excuses?
"Robert, why can't you hold yourself back when I can? Do you think you're somehow superior?"
Exhausted by this weary dispute, she left him with an ultimatum, "I'll leave you two be, but you have to pay me back. Or else, don't blame me when I call the police and stain your record!"
With that said, Denise, luggage in hand, walked away without looking back.
Throughout this, Karen was acting like an ostrich, completely avoiding the situation, offering no explanation.
Tired as if the air was let out of her, Denise reserved a ticket for the night journey and walked around aimlessly.
Her hopes for a bright future seemed like a joke now.
For the first time, she entered a bar, contemplating whether alcohol could numb her senses.
Halfway into her drink, her phone rang suddenly. She checked, and it was her mother.
Looking for a quiet place, she picked up the call.
Mrs.Agnes Kamp asked on the other end, "Denise, are you and Robert still doing well together? How's the preparation for your marriage going?"