Chapter 87


    Chapter 87: Another Woman


    Moana


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Somehow, I managed to fall asleep that night. In the morning, I woke up with a headache after the night


    spent in emotional distress.


    Edrick and I had kissedst night in the darkness of the kitchen. Even now, I could still feel his hands


    on my waist and could feel his body pressed up against mine. Even now, I could still taste his lips and


    his tongue, and I had spent the night dreaming about him. The sun was shining through my bedroom


    window, but I just wanted to go back to the darkness of the night before and be with Edrick; I hadn’t


    realized it before, but I was admittedly lonely, and his touch was wee. I hadn’t been with anyone


    since our one night stand and didn’t realize how starved I was for intimacy with another adult.


    To add insult to injury, I felt like an i***t for thinking for even one moment that Edrick was beginning to


    fall for me. The way he doted on me while we went shopping together despite the tabloid incident…


    The way that he scared away the creepy man at the mall and put his arm around me protectively,


    genuinely worried for my health and safety… The way that he kissed me so gently in the kitchen. Was


    any of that even real, or was it just a moment of weakness on his part? Was he lonely, too, and just


    looking for intimacy?


    As Iid there, I remembered that Edrick and I promised to take E to the orphanage today so she


    could y with her friends. Even though I didn’t particrly want to see Edrick after our kiss in the


    kitchen the night before, I knew that I would have to see him eventually, so I groaned and got up and


    headed to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee and ease my headache.


    When I walked through the living room, however, the soft sound of snoring caught my attention. I


    furrowed my brow and peered over the couch to see Edrick sprawled out; he was dressed up with his


    shoes on as though he’d gone out, and there was an empty bottle of whiskey sitting on the floor next to


    him.


    I was astonished. E couldn’t see him like this; it would confuse her too much to see her father passed


    out drunk on the couch, so without taking a second thought, I snatched the empty alcohol bottle up off


    of the floor and abruptly shook Edrick’s shoulder.


    Edrick’s eyes snapped open and he groaned as he came to his senses. Before he even had a chance


    to say anything, I shoved the bottle in his face and frowned deeply.


    “I know that you got upsetst night, but this is uneptable,” I said, gesturing to his appearance.


    “Your daughter will be awake soon. It’s a good thing I found you before she came out here.”


    Edrick’s eyes widened momentarily as he looked at the bottle. He slowly sat up and swung his legs


    over the side of the couch, then stood after pausing for a moment. He didn’t seem to want to look at


    me.


    “I’m sorry,” he said, taking the bottle out of my hands. “It’s really not as bad as it looks; the bottle was


    almost empty, and I just got too tired. I wasn’t drunk.”


    As he reached for the bottle and leaned closer to me, however, I suddenly got a whiff of something


    other than alcohol: something sickly sweet and flowery. Perfume. Women’s perfume, to be exact.


    Did Edrick have a one night standst night, right after our kiss in the kitchen?


    The smell of the cheap perfume made my head reel, and I instantly became nauseous. I quickly


    covered my nose and mouth with my hand and stumbled backwards, shaking my head vigorously as


    tears welled up in my eyes.


    “What’s wrong?” Edrick asked, taking a step toward me. As he did, the smell of the perfume hit my


    nose again, and I covered up a gag with my hand. The smell was too strong, and I could only imagine


    the father of my baby sleeping with a strange woman at the bar, or even a prostitute. I couldn’t tell what


    made me more sick: the smell or the thought of him being with someone else.


    To think that Edrick not only went out drinking right after our kiss in the kitchen, but also had a one night


    stand on top of it… It made my heart hurt. Inside of me, Mina became stronger, but not out of love this


    time; rather, she became stronger with rage, like a lion pacing in its cage at the zoo. I could tell that she


    felt just as betrayed as I did right now.


    But I had to hold my head high for E, and despite Edrick’s confused look as I stepped away from him,


    I lowered my hand and tilted my chin up confidently.


    “Don’t forget that we promised E we’d take her to the orphanage today,” I said. My voice shook a little


    as I spoke, but I tried to hide it. After everything, I couldn’t let Edrick see me get emotional over his one


    night stand with another woman, even though Mina was reacting strongly to the cheap scent as well.


    Edrick only sighed and walked over to the kitchen, where he tossed the empty bottle in the trash. I


    followed him, waiting to see what he would say about his promise to poor little E.


    And, to no surprise, he said exactly what I expected.


    “Maybe we should go another day,” he said quietly, running a hand through his hair and straightening


    his shirt.


    My jaw dropped. For E’s sake, even more than my own, I was furious. How could he really be so


    willing to drop his ns with his daughter because he irresponsibly went out, had a one night stand,


    and got too drunk to even make it to his bedroom?


    By this point, I forgot all about how this supposed one night stand even made me feel, and I felt the


    need to argue for E’s sake. She needed to spend time with her father; clearly she was beginning to


    feel abandoned.


    “Just because you got too drunkst night doesn’t mean that you get to just disappoint your daughter


    like that,” I said. Without thinking and without caring about the smell that made me sick, I stormed up to


    him and grabbed his tie, taking him by surprise. “You should be ashamed of yourself. What will E


    think?”


    Edrick stared down at me with shock written inly across his face. “I told you I wasn’t drunk,” he said.


    “What’s gotten into you?”


    I realized what I was doing and quickly released my grip on his tie, then turned on my heel and walked


    a few paces away. I paused then, clenching and unclenching my fists as I blinked away the tears in my


    eyes.


    Finally, I turned back to face him.


    “I really can’t believe you,” I whispered. “To have a one night stand like that, not only right after you


    came onto me, but also on the night before you’re supposed to have a wholesome day with your


    daughter… It makes me sick.”