?<strong>Chapter 119:</strong>


    A wave of embarrassment washed over Carrie as she realized she might have inted her significance in his eyes again. Without a word, she moved toward the door to sort through the shopping bags she had brought in earlier. Kristopher, meanwhile, withdrew his phone and began to manage some business affairs.


    They each retreated to their own corners of the room, enveloped in a silence that was both awkward and oddlyforting. As Carrie arranged her purchases, she briefly lost awareness of Kristopher’s presence.


    She took sce in the rhythmic motion of stocking the cab, the task offering her a reassuring sense of order. After spending a good half hour tidying up, her stomach protested with a loud grumble.


    Retrieving a pack of noodles from the newly filled cab, she made her way to the kitchen. Just then, Kristopher nced up from his phone and asked, “I haven’t had a bite either. Would it be alright if I joined you for a meal?”


    Carrie dismissed Kristopher’s presence and fetched a pot to boil some water. His voice drifted gently through the room. “No chili, please.”


    Her kitchen was open-n, and through the haze of rising steam, she could make out Kristopher’s form sprawled on the couch, his fingers flying over his phone as he answered emails. For a fleeting second, a sense of disbelief washed over her. This was the vision of married life she had cherished in her dreams—a cozy sanctuary where they could partake in their daily activities, yet always remain within each other’s gaze.


    A sardonic smile crept across her face. It was almostical that she was living out her marriage ideal on the brink of their separation.


    Caught up in her reverie, she absentmindedly reached for the pot with one hand. Today, she was preparing noodles for two, and the pot, filled to the brim with both water and noodles, was unusually heavy. Her grip faltered, and the pot tilted dangerously, sending noodles and scalding broth cascading toward her. She recoiled hastily, yet not before the hot broth sttered onto her foot.


    The skin on the top of her foot reddened immediately, a fierce burn and intense sting attacking her senses. She couldn’t help but exim in a pained whisper, “Ow!”


    “What happened?” Kristopher’s concern was palpable as he abandoned his phone and closed the distance between them in mere moments.


    “N-nothing, I merely lost my grip, and some water sshed on my foot,” she stammered, visibly flustered as she took a clumsy step back. She attempted to maintain a casual tone.


    Memories of how she once exaggerated the slightest difort to capture his attention flickered through her mind. It was both absurd and slightly pathetic.


    Kristopher observed her foot, now tinged with red, and bent down, extending his hand to lift her legs, poised to carry her. “I can walk,” Carrie asserted hastily, retreating and nearly losing her bnce. “No need to make this overly dramatic.”


    Kristopher refrained from insisting on carrying her. He straightened up, offering her a steadying hand, his voiceced with a trace of annoyance. “When I ignore yourints, you use me of not caring. Yet when I try to help, you im I’m overreacting. Isn’t that a bit contradictory? What is it that you truly want? Are you even sure?”


    Carrie allowed him to guide her to the sofa, her voice gentle yet resolute as she said, “Of course, I know exactly what I want. People change, Kristopher. There was a time when all I sought was your affection and a harmonious life together. But you met me with apathy. Now, I’vee to a realization—I no longer wish to linger in this one-sided marriage. And still, you’re displeased. You onceined I demanded too much. And now you’re questioning if I know what I want? Mr. Norris, perhaps it’s you who needs to reflect. My needs have always been clear. I longed for family and love before. Now, I yearn for freedom.”


    Kristopher had no desire to dive into a pointless debate over such obscure topics. Turning away, a hint of irritation in his voice, he remarked, “I never realized how eloquent you were before. You reallye prepared with a load of arguments, don’t you?”


    .


    .


    .