Chapter 4
The next morning, before I even stepped out, I received a breakfast delivery. I figured it was another of Kenji Sullivan’s little ploys, so I didn’t bother opening the door or responding. The delivery guy called once and left it on the doorstep.
I thought this might buy me some peace. Yet, on my way home from work, I found myself trapped. Just as I was about to swipe my card at the entrance gate, carrying the fruits and vegetables I’d bought outside the neighborhood, Kenji suddenly hugged me from behind. The familiar scent of his cologne wafted over, along with his body heat. I jerked away sharply, causing him to lose his balance and land on the ground.
Ever since I overheard him with his so-called “female friend” the night before, my feelings for
him had changed. A mix of disgust and disdain now filled me. His touch made me want to
retch.
Kenji lay sprawled on the ground, looking up at me with a pitiful expression, reaching out a hand. “Emmeline, it’s me. Wow, you’re really strong.”
“Can you help me up, please?”
Transferring some of the fruit from my left hand to my right, I replied, “Sorry, my hands are full. If you’re okay, why not rest there a bit?” With that, I turned towards the complex.
Kenji slipped in just as the door was about to close. “You don’t answer my calls or reply to my texts. I was really worried about you,” he said, jogging to keep up and holding onto my arm. “I
knew I could catch you here.”
“Admit it, you must have been thinking about me. All these groceries-you bought them for me.’ That wave of nausea hit me again, and I had to put some distance between us.
I shook my left hand, displaying the groceries. “Take a closer look. These are Brussels sprouts, which you can’t stand, and pulled pork, which you say smells bad.”
“Pulled pork sandwiches are my favorite. Even if you don’t like them, you can’t stop me from eating them.” I shook my right hand. “And here’s blue cheese, your least favorite. Kenji, these are
all my favorites. I’m not expecting you.”
Kenji’s expression shifted as he finally seemed to grasp my mood. “Are you still mad? I told you it was nothing. Why don’t you believe me?”
No reasonable person would accept being cheated on like this. With this thought, I quickened my pace and reached my doorstep in no time. Kenji remained glued to me.
As I prepared to close my door, Kenji’s hand suddenly shot out. “Wait! This is your birthday gift. Let me in to talk, okay?”
I lived on the ground floor, and passersby kept glancing at Kenji. It was already getting dark. Leaving him outside did feel a bit harsh. So, I stepped aside, and Kenji darted inside.
“Emmeline, I spent ages picking this gift for you. You’re going to love it.” Kenji eagerly presented
a box to me.
So he did remember yesterday was my birthday; he knew everything but still didn’t meet my expectations. All these years, it was the first time Kenji had given me a birthday gift.
In the past, gifts I received were mostly what others didn’t want. They’d be tossed to me, regardless of the occasion. A worn suit jacket with condoms in the pocket. A water-damaged watch with mysterious initials on the back. The most absurd was a box of custom-made underwear with his name printed on them. In retrospect, it was all junk discarded by his “female
friends.”
And Kenji, he’d already given me the greatest gift: the clarity that comes after betrayal.
I shoved the box back into his bag. I didn’t even have the slightest interest in opening it.
Kenji panicked immediately. “Don’t you like it? But you haven’t even looked…”
I pushed him towards the door. “There’s no need. We had no genuine connection in the past, and there’s no point in pretending now.”
His display of affection wasn’t meant for me. He was irritated by my decision to divorce him. Kenji’s nature is such-he can reject others, but he can’t be rejected, especially not by a woman.
“Emmeline, let me explain…”
“I have so much I want to say to you…”
Bam-a loud noise as the door shut, muffling his voice on the other side.
The scent of him still lingered in the air, churning my stomach. I was truly, nearly over him.
