Chapter 182


    Chapter 182 Hometown Tales


    They scrunched up their face in contempt at Ben’s obnoxious behavior.


    He snickered coldly, “So you think she likes this vige just because she says so?”


    “You im she shared everything about this vige with you. Why don’t you tell us what exactly did she


    say?” Ben continued.


    Damien’s lips twitched as he responded, “Oh, Ben, I think you’ll find this quite intriguing. Vivian went on


    three blind dates before she settled with her current husband.”


    “The first suitor found our quaint vige a bit too remote for his liking. This led to a collective uproar


    among the vigers.”


    “The second suitor? Vivian had reservations about his suitability. The entire vige conducted a


    thorough analysis and ultimately deemed him unsuitable.”


    “Now, as for the third suitor…” Damien’s smirk deepened.


    “Shut your mouth!” Ben seethed; his anger was simmering.


    Vivian’s ego, severely bruised, couldn’t hold back any longer. “Cherise? You share even these vige


    matters with your husband?”


    Her words hung in the air, plunging the surrounding vigers into an even more resounding silence.


    Damien’s earlierments had, ironically, confirmed that Cherise had indeed confided. in him about


    vige matters.


    “Fine, let’s not talk about this then.”


    Damien continued indifferently, “Mrs. Levine, the oldest in the vige at ny-three, was remarkably


    healthy, although she broke her leg a couple of years ago. She walked with a noticeable limp.”


    “The neighbors, Jack and his wife, married for three years, gave birth to two chubby toddlers as


    innocent as their parents. Adorable and clueless kind of way.”


    “The vige chief’s daughter, now in high school, excelled academically. She had the potential to be the


    second girl from our vige to attend university.”


    “There was also a stray dog in the vige named Yellow. It wandered every day, feasting at whichever


    house it pleased.”


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    Despite Damien’s impassive demeanor, he meticulously recounted every detail Cherise had shared


    about the vige that night.


    Ben’s expression darkened with each word and contorted in disbelief.


    The surrounding vigers squirmed ufortably, looking away and avoiding eye


    contact.


    Ah, the spectacle of it all! Cherise, the pinnacle of urban sophistication, astonishingly profound


    understanding of the vige’s intricacies.


    possessed an


    Even after embracing a more opulent lifestyle, she clung fervently to her hometown tales, holding them


    as dear as treasured gems.


    Such a profound connection to her origins was genuinely heart-warming to witness.


    And yet, there they were,


    “Cherry, I shouldn’t have judged you as they did,” a towering figure sighed, his toneced. with genuine


    regret. “I was wrong.”


    “I promise to make it right. I’ll bring my children to your doorstep and sincerely apologize.”


    This man was none other than Jack.


    Jack took the lead, and gradually, the vigers, one after another, started to look at Cherise with


    remorse and guilt.


    Cherise’s eyes glistened, and tears began to well up as she couldn’t help but admire. Damien even


    more than she did.


    He had such an impable memory!


    She used to avoid discussing her hometown in the city, fearing that she would bet perceived as


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    unsophisticated. However, she decided to open up when she convinced him. toe back with her on


    that day. She expected him to listen and forget, but to her. surprise, he remembered every detail vividly.


    Ben clenched his teeth. “No matter how attached Cherise is to her hometown, it doesn’t change the


    fact that Elvis pushed her into the fire for money!”


    “Cherise’s lifelong happiness was ruined just to save that stubborn old man!”


    The crowd fell silent for a moment.


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    T


    Damien couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.


    He pulled Cherise close, wrapping his arms around her, and said affectionately, “Honey, don’t you feel


    happy being with me?”


    He rarely used the endearing term ‘Honey’ in public.


    Cherise looked into his eyes affectionately and said, “Of course I am. You’ve brought endless joy into


    my life.”


    heart, you’re much better than those physically able,” she reassured him.


    She was afraid Damien might take it to heart.


    In this world, there were far too many people like that: insecure people would choose to mock others


    for their imperfections. But deep down, they knew-these disabled individuals were often stronger and


    more resilient than them in ways they could neverprehend.


    Damien smiled gently and wrapped his arm around Cherise’s shoulder. “Do you like being with me is a


    burden?”


    get


    ever feel


    “No, not at all,” Cherise replied firmly. She lifted her head and nted a tender kiss on his cheek.


    “Hubby,”


    “I don’t find being with you burdensome,” she reassured him.


    “I’m just worried that you might feel hurt because of me, ridiculed by these uncouth. people,” Cherise


    admitted her concerns openly.


    “If you’re not burdened, neither am I,” Damien said reassuringly.


    He squeezed his eyes shut as tears welled up.


    Her pure-heartedness deeply touched Damien.


    Despite facing ridicule and usations from the people, Cherise never thought of herself; her concern


    was always for Damien’s feelings.


    He sighed, about to grasp her hand and turn back, when he heard Elvis’s low voice.


    “Cherry, take Mr. Lenoir home!”


    Elvis’ voice echoed, and the jeering crowd redirected their mockery from Cherise to him.


    “Tsk tsk tsk, look who’s here! Raised his daughter only to sell her away to a blind man!”


    “Isn’t that right? All for dear old Mom. He doesn’t even care about his daughter’s happiness!”


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    “It’s hrious. The seemingly innocent ones are always the schemers in disguise…”


    Their words dripped with venom as Cherise clenched her fists tightly and bit back her lips in anger.


    Elvis noticed her barely suppressed rupturing rage and quickly responded.


    “Why hold back? Don’t you agree with them?” he sneered.


    “Go home!” Elvis roared.


    As soon as Elvis shouted, Cherise’s anger vanished instantly.


    Feelingpletely defeated, she bit her lip and helped Damien get ready to leave.


    However, Damien coldly shrugged off her hand.


    He turned back and faced the vigers with a sarcastic smile. “Cherry always spoke highly of her


    hometown to me, describing the warmth and simplicity of the people here.”


    “When we were in the city, she was thrilled the whole night when she heard I was willing to apany


    her back to our hometown.”


    “She loves this ce more than she loves the glitz and mour of the city.”


    “Even in wealthier surroundings, her heart yearns for the simplicity of this ce-the little stream and the


    fish.”


    “But little did she know, the neighbors and fellow vigers from her home would see her and her uncle’s


    family this way.”


    Damien spoke with rity, his voice deep and imbued with.


    arrogance.


    A sudden hush fell over the crowd as his words hung in the air.


    Before the incident, Cherise and Elvis had enjoyed a ster reputation in the vige.


    Cherise had been a beacon of pride for the entiremunity when she sessfully secured a spot in


    university.


    Now, they faced the vigers’ disdain. The shift from admiration to mockery was jarring and


    disheartening.


    “Haha, do you think your words mean anything?” Ben sneered.


    “I coulde up with nonsense just like the garbage you spouted earlier.”


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    “You don’t have to be blind to sweet talk someone!”


    “If Cherise was so attached to this ce, why marry you? Why bother with college? Staying


    here would’ve suited her just fine, wouldn’t it?”


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