To the Love of My Life

Chapter 807: Chapter 807: Overbearing CEO Falls for the Delicate Wife (7)_1
 

After finishing his cigarette, Howard Coleman took a long breath out, tossed it into the toilet, flushed it away, and then walked out of the restroom. As he stood washing his hands at the sink, suddenly a woman emerged from the ladies’ room and stood beside him. When the woman turned on the faucet, she glanced at him, her hand paused momentarily, and after a short while, she finally spoke up, calling out, “Howard?”

That voice was all too familiar to Howard; he jerked in surprise, his hands washing at the sink slightly faltered, and his head, previously bowed, fixated on the water gushing from the golden faucet for quite a while before he slowly turned his head. The charming face from his memories was now before him.

For a moment, Howard felt as if someone had grasped his throat tightly; his gaze remained intently on the woman in front of him. After what seemed like a long time, he finally opened his mouth, his voice slightly hoarse as he called out, “Anita.”

Anita Madris tightened her grip on the faucet, her gaze fixed at the bottom of Howard’s eyes, shimmering with a watery light, and her lips curved slightly, “It really is you. What a coincidence.”

“It’s quite the coincidence,” Howard replied, and said no more.

Silence entwined between them for about half a minute before Howard spoke again, asking, “When did you come back? Why didn’t you let me know in advance…”

Howard had wanted to say “Why didn’t you contact me earlier,” but halfway through, he realized they were no longer the loving couple they once were. Howard swallowed hard, pushing the words back down, his long eyelashes fluttering slightly.

“I’ve been back for a week.” Anita finished speaking and gave Howard one of those familiar, sweet smiles from his memory. She seemed to anticipate what he might ask next, paused for a bit, then continued, “I told our old friends not to tell you I was back.”

Howard nodded, somewhat at a loss for words. His gaze never left the woman before him, and about half a minute later, he finally said, “Anita, how have you been these past six months or more?”

“Pretty good,” Anita replied with a forced smile, “You? Are you doing okay?”

Howard nodded again, and said nothing.

Anita Madris glanced at her wristwatch, “I have to go, I have another appointment.”

With that, Anita turned on the faucet, washed her hands, and took a paper towel to dry the droplets from her hands. As she turned around, she noticed that Howard remained in the same stance, his gaze firmly on her. Her figure hesitated momentarily, before she opened her handbag, fished out a pen, and a shopping mall voucher. She scribbled down a number and handed it to Howard, “This is my phone number, let’s catch up when you have time.”

Howard glanced at the number on the voucher, noticing it was a new one, his lips tightly pursed. He reached out and took it from her.

Anita Madris waited a moment, and seeing that Howard did not speak, she hesitated before saying, “then, I’ll be off.”

“Goodbye,” Howard’s voice sounded somewhat parched as he spoke.

Anita also said “Goodbye,” pulling a bright and beautiful smile for Howard, then walked away gracefully in her high heels, neither too fast nor too slow.

Long after Anita had left, Howard stood as if he had lost his soul, still foolishly standing at the sink in The Sapphire Bistro.@@novelbin@@