There's like this royal banquet setup for breakfast that it almost has me looking around if the King of England is about to visit. All the things I smelled earlier, it’s now in front of me, perfectly plated in 8K.
Buttered toast, freshly brewed coffee, juicy slices of orange, and even my favorite eggs benedict with shiny strips of bacon dripping with cheese and béchamel sauce or whatever it's called—
"Good morning, Nicole. How are you feeling?"
Not the King of England then,I think dizzily, but someone almost as...out of reach.
It’s Mr. Everford joining me in the balcony, fresh from the shower, and somehow looking more handsome even when he's dressed more casually this time in a sweater with sleeves pushed to his elbows and khakis.
"G-Good morning, Mr. Everford." I manage to get the words out even though all of this still feels...weird.
"Don't you think we're past that—"
I start shaking my head.
"—now that your husband has started telling people how you and I have been having an affair behind his back?"
But I end up collapsing in a chair instead at his words.
"H-How did you know?" I whisper.
"Is it not natural for me to know what people have to say about me?"
I open my mouth to answer—
"Or perhaps you're used to not knowing about what people say about yourself?"
But instead I end up sputtering.
Just when I start to think he might be a good man, he just goes ahead and says something like that.
"You really think I'm stupid, don't you?"
"By birth? Not at all. But by choice?"
All I can do is gape at him.
Is this man for real?
He knows I’m still...I’m still processing!
So how dare he—
Riiiing.
"Will you excuse me? I need to take this call."
He walks away without waiting for an answer, but his words keep echoing in my head.
Stupid...by...choice.
And while a part of me wants to just yell at him for saying something so mean, another part of me is thinking...
Was it true, though?
It’s the most incredibly humiliating thing to swallow, but...what if it’s true?
What if that’s all I’ve been these years?