If there were a hole in the ground right now, I would have crawled into it.


    But there wasn’t.


    And I knew the more I tried to avoid facing the situation, the more Josh would start to overthink things.


    Besides, Josh seemed to think he could be open with me-saying whatever was on his mind, no matter how inappropriate, and acting without hesitation.


    He really didn’t treat me like an outsider.


    At that thought, I forced myself to lift my head and reply, trying to sound casual, “Oh? Well, words are just words.”


    “Mm,” Josh said, taking a sip of water, “I could…”


    Hearing those words made the rm bells in my mind go off. “Josh, shut up.”


    In the end, I was the one to give in.


    “I mean, if you need me to prove it, I can go to the hospital,” Josh blurted out.


    It wasn’t anything that was hard to hear, but it still made me feel ufortable.


    Why did he think I needed him to prove anything? I wasn’t his girlfriend.


    “Josh, save the proving for your future wife,” I said, standing up, making my way to the bathroom to escape.


    But as soon as I turned the corner, my arm was grabbed. The familiar scent told me who it was before I even looked.


    It was Alvin, gripping my arm tightly. “Zoe, are you really having dinner with a little lighting tech in a ce like this?”


    His anger was clear, and the jealousy was almost palpable. I smiled, “Can’t we eat here? Did Mr. Dolton buy the whole ce out?”


    “Zoe,” Alvin said, his forehead vein popping out, “If you want to find a man, at least find someone decent.”


    From the way he spoke, it was clear he had nothing but disdain for Josh.


    And of course, he was throwing a jab at me as well.


    “Josh is a senior engineer, dual degrees from top universities. What does Mr. Dolton have thatpares?” I shot back sarcastically.


    I’d looked up Alvin’s info this morning, just out of curiosity, and found that Alvin had been far from the academic star he liked to pretend to be. Sure, he was sharp, but his actual educational background didn’t stand out.


    He was a brilliant businessman, no doubt, but when it came to intellect, he wasn’t even close to Philip.


    Some people shine in different ways, and Alvin was too proud to recognize that. He only saw his own shine.


    “Zoe, is that how you see me?” Alvin’s face had turned red with frustration.


    “Not exactly ‘bad,” I said, not going too hard on him. After all, he was the man I had loved for ten years. If he was really a lost


    F


    cause, my obsession would just make me look foolish.


    “But let’s be real-you’re no better than Josh,” I finished, using Josh to push Alvin’s buttons.


    Alvin’s grip tightened, almost crushing my arm, but just moments ago, he had been so gentle with Thea.


    A sharp pain hit my heart, and I said quietly, “Alvin, I’ve told you this before-we’re done. You don’t get to control who I eat with or what I do anymore.”


    My words made Alvin’s expression darken, but he smirked and replied, “Zoe, if you want to prove you’re capable, then go find someone better than me. Someone who’s stronger and more sessful.”


    I smiled back, “Alvin, you’re with a widow, and you don’t mind the gossip. Why should I care? If you find someone better than me, I’ll happily wish you well. But you’ve chosen a widow, with someone else’s child inside her…”


    I paused and added, “But I guess that shows just how generous you are, doesn’t it?”


    Alvin’s face twisted with rage, but he couldn’t get a word out.