To the Love of My Life

Chapter 516: So You Knew It All Along (26)
Pushing open the door, melodious music wafted into his ears. The waiter’s eyes shone with admiration as he spotted Steve Burton, greeting him with a hint of delight, “Sir, may I take your order?”

Steve raised his hand, silencing the waiter with a gesture, then nonchalantly pointed at the café’s daily special listed at the entrance and waved the waiter away. He headed straight towards where Ruby Gregory and Edric Reat were seated.

The backrests of the sofas in the café were high, creating partitioned mini spaces like a series of little walls.

Steve sat in a seat back-to-back with Edric’s sofa, perfectly positioned to hear the murmur of conversation behind him.

“All these years have passed and I still remember what you told me… ‘I’m sorry, I am engaged to Steve Burton.’

Steve’s leisurely resting fingers slightly trembled on the table as the waiter served his ordered coffee, “Sir, here is your coffee.”

Ignoring the waiter, Steve concentrated on the words falling from Edric’s mouth.

“You said, it was your childhood dream to marry him. You said, the Gregorys’ prosperity depended on Steve Burton.”

Steve’s face turned gloomy as he stared at his dark gray coffee.

“You had three wishes: to marry Steve Burton, to have a grand wedding, and to have a child.”

Wishes…Ruby’s wishes that he never knew of, but this man, Edric, somehow knew everything.

Steve’s facial expression vanished completely.

“Once I see you have a child and fulfilling your dreams, I will give up and pursue my own happiness.”

Quite the enduring love… Steve drew in a deep breath, unable to bear listening any further. He pulled out a red banknote from his wallet, placed it under the coffee cup, and left without expression. As he left, he heard one last sentence, “If you feel guilty, hurry up and have a child, so I can let you go.”

Exiting the café, Steve felt terrible. He pulled out his car keys, opened his car door, and slipped into the driver’s seat.

His car was conveniently parked to offer a clear view of Ruby, seated by the café window.

Unaware of their continued conversation, he noticed both of them stand up. Ruby passed a men’s blazer to Edric, straining his eyesight even more, Edric even raised his hand as if to touch her face.

Without further ado, Steve reached for the ointment he had bought for Ruby and flung it violently against the car window.

The echo of the impact resounded in the car, Edric emerged from the café. Through the rear-view mirror, Steve watched as Edric hailed a taxi and left. Meanwhile, in the café, Ruby slowly leaned onto the table, staring blankly out the window, displaying a hint of melancholy.

Was she feeling melancholic about relinquishing her connection with Edric to marry him?

Steve’s grip around the steering wheel tightened, his lips pursed tight, feeling a surge of jealousy storming inside him.

Time slowly slipped away.