My coldhearted ex demands a remarriage

Chapter 28:

She originally planned to buy just one can of Coke, but after some thought, she decided to purchase two cans instead.

“Kristopher, it really means a lot that you took the time to meet me here,” Lise said, her voice tinged with a mixture of gratitude and apprehension. “Am I interrupting anything? I know you’re usually swamped with work.”

Just then, the gentle cadence of Lise’s voice wafted from behind Carrie.

Although soft, in the hushed expanse of the lobby, her words were unmistakably clear.

Carrie turned just in time to see Kristopher, with a tender gesture, smoothing down the fabric of Lise’s coat as he assured her warmly, “It’s perfectly fine. My recent business trips have kept me away, and I haven’t been able to spend much time with you. Now that I’m back, my priority is to make sure you’re okay. Everything else can wait.”

A sudden tremor seized Carrie’s hand as she reached to insert her money into the machine—a physical manifestation of her inner turmoil.

Was it her heart aching, or was it something else? In that moment, she felt starkly out of place, like an outsider in their life.

The scenario before her seemed almost absurd.

They were still legally married, their divorce proceedings incomplete, and yet, here he was, openly displaying his affection for another woman.

A pang of bitterness tightened around Carrie’s heart as she pondered what place she still held in Kristopher’s life, if any at all.

A wave of frustration surged through Carrie, so intense it almost choked her.

She pressed her lips tightly together, her fingers curling into a fist, as her gaze locked onto the vending machine with a steely intensity.

Pressing the button firmly, she watched as two cans of Coke rattled loudly into the chute.

Bending down, she retrieved the first can, and just as her hand reached for the second, a large, imposing hand snatched it away.

Without turning, Carrie knew it was Kristopher.

She drew in a deep, steadying breath, stepping back to give him a sharp, icy stare. “Do you need something?” she asked, her voice dripping with frost.

Kristopher turned the can over in his hands. “Oh, come on. Since you went out of your way to find me here, why play it off as just coincidence? Here you are, pulling sodas from a vending machine, living out of a budget hotel—looks like you’ve embraced a simpler life,” he drawled, his voice laced with mock pity as he raised an eyebrow.

Carrie returned his stare with one of disbelief, her eyes sweeping over him dismissively. “Are you alright?” she asked, her tone laced with incredulity.

From behind, a disapproving voice cut through the tension. “Kristopher, how can you speak to her like that? She is still, technically, your wife.” Lise chided, her brow furrowed in disapproval as she stepped closer.

Turning towards Carrie, Lise attempted a comforting tone. “Ms. Campbell, please, don’t take his words to heart. You know how quick his temper flares.”

Lise’s presence, exuding a certain unwelcome superiority, only intensified Carrie’s discomfort, making her stomach turn.

Eager to escape any further painful exchanges, Carrie turned to leave.

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