<h4>Chapter 92: Apology</h4>


    Rain thoroughly enjoyed her time talking with Eric. His jolly personality and story of his own experiences as awyer made the conversation not only insightful but also entertaining.


    He was generous with advice, offering valuable pointers for her career while keeping the atmosphere light with hisical anecdotes from inside the courtroom. Their conversation flowed effortlessly.


    As they sipped their tea, Eric leaned back in his chair, chuckling. "You know, there was this one trial where I was defending a man used of stealing a prized parrot. The prosecutor was so focused on grilling my client, asking all sorts of questions, when suddenly, out of nowhere, the parrot flew into the courtroom and started mimicking everything the prosecutor was saying! The poor guy could barely get a word in, and every time he tried to speak, the parrot would just repeat him—louder!"


    Rain and her father-inw burst outughing, while Eric grinned, clearly enjoying the memory.


    "That’s ridiculous!" Rain eximed through herughter. "What happened next?"


    "Well, the judge couldn’t keep a straight face, and the jury was in tears fromughing. Needless to say, the case was dismissed, but that parrot? It became more famous than all of usbined!" Eric shook his head, still amused by the absurdity.


    "Sounds like a circus, not a courtroom." Alexander suddenly mumbled under his breath.


    Rain shot him a quick nce but didn’t let it dampen her mood. "I guess even the most serious jobs have their light moments," she said, still smiling.


    Eric, unfazed by Alexander’s grumbling, nodded. "Exactly! The courtroom can be intense, but you’ve got to have a sense of humour to survive it. It’s not all about being stern and serious—sometimes the unexpected is what keeps us sane."


    Alexander, however, muttered again, "Or just proves how absurd the whole system can be."


    Her father-inw teased, "Son, are you this grumpy because you didn’t get your beef stew?" Hisment made Rain and Eric chuckle.


    Alexander didn’t respond to the teasing. Instead, he nced at his wristwatch and said, "It’s already nine in the evening." He then turned to Eric and added, "You should head out now, Eric. Let my father and wife get some rest."


    Rain blinked in surprise at Alexander’s directness, but Eric, clearly ustomed to Alexander’s no-nonsense attitude, simply shrugged with a smile. "Alright then, I’ll head out. We can continue our conversation tomorrow."


    Rain gave Eric a grateful smile. "I really enjoyed talking to you. Looking forward to learning more," she said warmly.


    Eric tipped his head and said, "Thank you all for the lovely dinner."


    Rock gave a heartyugh and replied, "Anytime, Eric! Just don’t mind my son’s abrupt manners."


    "It’s nothing new," Eric said with a smirk.


    As Eric gathered his things and headed toward the door, Rain shot Alexander a curious nce, wondering what had provoked his unusually brusque behaviour. Or was this simply how he interacted with close friends?


    "Hmm, I’ll head to my bedroom now. Goodnight to the two of you," her father-inw said. Rain bid him goodnight and watched as he made his way to his bedroom on the ground floor.


    Rain and Alexander walked upstairs together in silence. As they reached their respective doors, Rain turned to Alexander and said, "Good night."


    He nodded curtly and replied, "Goodnight."


    Just as Rain was about to enter her room, Alexander called out, "Rain." She turned to face him, noticing his hesitation as he rubbed the back of his neck.


    "What is it?" she asked, trying to encourage him to speak freely.


    "About Chef Sarah," Alexander began, "It’s not that I’m against firing her, but I think it would have been better to address the issue quietly rather than making a scene. I understand you wanted to set an example, but I prefer to handle such matters more discreetly."


    Rain bit her lip, feeling a pang of guilt. Had she overstepped? She recalled her conversation with her father-inw, who had given her the authority to handle issues within the residence as she saw fit.


    "I didn’t intend to make a scene," Rain exined. "I only wanted to give her a silent warning that I knew about your allergy. I hoped she would realize her mistake and apologize to meter. But instead, she denied it right that instant and called me a liar..." Her voice faltered. "Being treated like a joke is something I can’t tolerate. I’ve been mocked and dismissed my whole life because of my father and my stepfamily. I can’t stand it when others try to disrespect me."


    Alexander’s expression softened as he listened, but Rain felt a growing difort about having shared so much. She didn’t want to delve further into personal matters or linger on the topic.


    "I’ll be more mindful in the future," she said with a nod, her voice firm yet slightly strained. Without waiting for his response, she quickly slipped into her bedroom and closed the door behind her.


    Rain stared at her phone, blinking in disbelief. *Is he seriously apologizing?* she thought, reading the message over and over again. Her heart, once steady, began to beat erratically as the words sunk in.


    <i>My Husband: "Rain, I owe you an apology. I didn’t realize how much the situation with Chef Sarah affected you, and I should’ve supported you better. I’m sorry if my reaction made you feel ufortable. Thank you for looking out for me. Sleep well."</i>


    Rain mumbled to herself, "This is... unexpected." For a moment, shey still, trying to process the unexpected apology then a small smile tugged at her lips as she typed her reply.


    Rain typed, <i>"Thank you, Alexander. I appreciate it. Goodnight."</i>


    She stared at the screen for a moment, then muttered to herself, <i>"Will that be enough?"</i>


    Not feeling sleepy yet, she hesitated. For some reason, she wanted to keep the conversation going. After a pause, she deleted thest part and began typing again.


    <i>Rain:</i> "Thank you, Alexander. I appreciate it. I’ll cook you some beef stew tomorrow—no peanut butter, I promise! ??"


    Smiling to herself, she hit send and waited for a reply.


    <i>My Husband: "Alright."</i>


    Rain stared at the screen, her smile fading into a soft sigh. "That’s all?" she muttered, feeling a bit deted. But despite the short response, a faint warmth settled in her chest. She ced her phone on the nightstand and closed her eyes, the thought of their brief exchange wasforting enough to lull her to a good night’s sleep.