chapter99

From behind, sharp-eyed Karen almost popped her eyeballs out when she saw the small, unfamiliar item fall out of Dorothy’s bag.

In her eyes, her best friend was someone who had never even dated. So where would she have gotten such a private memento from? In her wildest dreams, she never thought she would see Dorothy looking so flustered over a personal detail.

Dorothy was deeply embarrassed. She didn’t intend to play innocent, but she felt this part of her life was private, and it felt awkward to have it scrutinized.

“It’s just… something left over from a while ago,” Dorothy stammered, her face heating up.

Karen blinked, processing the defensive tone. “You don’t have a boyfriend, Dorothy. Who are you keeping secrets with?”

“Just someone who crossed my path when I needed a change,” Dorothy replied, trying to dodge the main issue.

To describe Everett like that felt strangely accurate to her. Wasn't their relationship essentially a temporary arrangement?

Upon hearing that, Karen playfully slapped her shoulder, her gossip spirit ignited. “You naughty girl! You actually started a secret romance without telling me? Come on, what’s this guy like? Is he someone I’d approve of?”

Dorothy felt her face burning and hurriedly stuffed the item back into her bag. “Let’s not talk about this here.”

“What are you afraid of? You’re a grown woman!” Karen raised her brows and chuckled. “To capture your heart, this guy must be pretty incredible. Do you have any pictures? Is he from our company? Have I met him?”

He was incredible. There were pictures—of a sort. He was very much from the company. And she had indeed met him.

In fact, the occurrence of the whole situation was primarily thanks to Karen’s constant encouragement to “live a little.” But Dorothy didn’t dare answer any of those questions and could only reply vaguely. “Everything was a bit of a blur that night. I don’t want to dwell on the details.”

“Oh? A one-time thing? No contact afterward?” Karen was acting like she had discovered a new world; her curiosity was off the charts.

“He has someone else in his heart,” Dorothy said, directly blocking any further prying.

Karen almost choked on her coffee. “Then why did he still pursue you?”

“Like I said, the circumstances were complicated.” Dorothy attributed their initial encounter to a moment of shared vulnerability. As for what happened later, she believed he only proposed the marriage agreement because he saw a resemblance to someone else.

“Well, that guy sounds like trouble,” Karen said, her expression turning serious. “He was playing around when he had someone else he loved? You should forget him as soon as possible, Dorothy. It’s not the playboys that are scary; it’s the men who have someone else’s ghost in their hearts.”

Karen sighed, looking at Dorothy with genuine concern. “Why? Aren’t the players more annoying?” Dorothy asked, puzzled.

“Players eventually get tired of the game and settle down. Maybe they even become more devoted because they’ve seen it all. But a man who is pining for someone else will never give you his whole heart. No matter how outstanding you are, or how much you care for him, you can’t compete with a memory.”

“You don’t want to be someone else’s replacement, do you?” Karen asked directly.

Dorothy shook her head. “No, I don’t.”

“That’s right! Let me tell you, emotions are delicate. The more you care about someone who isn't available, the more you lose yourself. If this is just a mutual arrangement where you're both getting what you need, then keep it at that. Don't let your heart get involved.”

Dorothy silently listened to her words. Ironically, the reason she had dared to take that first step with Everett was because she had been so influenced by Karen’s advice to be bold. Now, she realized that being bold came with a price she hadn't yet calculated.