The Season after You Chapter 2

Mark walked aimlessly down the street. After a while, a honk sounded beside him, and a car pulled up in front of him.

Claire stepped out of the car and asked, “Why aren’t your calls going through?”

Mark glanced at his phone. “Dead battery.”

“Get in,” she said, asking no further questions.

“Have you been waiting long? I really had something urgent to deal with today,” she continued. “I don’t have any surgeries scheduled tomorrow morning, so I’ll go with you to get married then.”

Mark looked out the window at the receding streetscape as he replied, “It’s fine.”

Claire seemed to recall something. “Oh, right, tomorrow is Saturday. Let’s make it another time then. The wedding is still a while away, anyway.”

“Did you go to the amusement park?” Mark couldn’t help but ask, still unwilling to let it go.

“Did you see Ryan’s Instagram post? Then you should understand. He just returned to the country, and it’s very difficult for a man to take care of a child alone.”

When she mentioned Ryan, her face softened with a gentleness he had never seen before.

“You met Ryan the day he came back, didn’t you? He’s a bright, cheerful, and slightly clumsy child in a man’s body. Once you get to know him better, you’ll like him.”

Mark found it ironic. Ryan was two years older than him and had a four-year-old child, yet in her eyes, he was still just an innocent college friend.

Lost in her memories, Claire continued on her own, “Back in college, Ryan and I found an injured stray dog, and he felt so sorry for it. We eventually adopted that dog together, but less than a year later, the dog died. It was the first time I saw him, usually so cheerful and talkative, with bloodshot eyes, saying he would never get a pet dog again. I’m surprised he can take care of a child so well now.”

Listening to her count another man’s stories like treasured memories, Mark quietly clenched his fists at his sides.

“Stop talking,” he interrupted her. “I don’t want to hear it.”

Claire glanced at him, looking somewhat surprised. “What’s wrong? Are you upset?”

“Yes. Let’s call off the wedding.”

After a moment, Claire nodded. “That’s fine, too. I’m not too fond of formal affairs anyway. How about a destination wedding instead? Let’s go to the Swiss Valley. Ryan said it has nice scenery and it’s great for skiing.”

Ryan, again.

Mark’s heart sank. “Claire, let’s break up. I’ll step aside so you can be with Ryan.”

“Mark.” Claire’s expression turned serious. “Don’t make groundless assumptions about Ryan. I only see him as a friend. Can’t you be a little understanding of how hard it is for a man to raise a kid alone? You know me: once the wedding date is set, it won’t change. As a man, you should be more mature about it.

“Besides,” she glanced at him as she continued, “we’ve been together for six years. Can you bear to leave me?”

Mark felt a dull ache in his chest.

Because he had witnessed the pain his father suffered after his mother’s betrayal, he had developed a distrust of relationships. Yet, he found himself hopelessly in love with Claire, a woman of unwavering principles.

He was afraid of following in his father’s footsteps, but just like his father, he was willing to give up everything for the person he loved. For her sake, he took on all the household chores, took care of her daily necessities, handled every little detail, and even gave up the opportunity to go abroad for further studies.

That was why she was so sure he would be forgiving and understanding. In fact, it made her even more certain that after six years of devotion, he simply could not leave her.

To think he believed she was the exact opposite of his mother, and that she would never betray him. He had forgotten that emotional infidelity was betrayal too.

…

Just then, Claire’s phone rang.

She picked up, and her voice instantly softened. “Ryan, what’s wrong?”

“Claire, I’m at a bar. Do you want to come hang out?”

Claire had always detested noisy places like bars. Yet, she agreed without a second thought.

“Okay, I’ll be right there.”

After hanging up, she turned the steering wheel sharply and pulled over to the side of the road.

“Mark, take a cab back. Ryan is at a bar, so I’m going to check on him.”

Mark got out of the car, but before he could say a word, the car sped off into the distance.

She was worried about Ryan, but she forgot that his phone was dead. She also forgot that a heavy rainstorm was coming.

Thunder crackled in the sky, and the cold rain instantly drenched him, making it impossible to distinguish the rain on his face from his tears. Just like that, he walked in the heavy rain all night, and his heart died right along with it.

When dawn broke, he dragged his soaked body back home. The moment he opened the door, he saw Claire—who never cooked—wearing an apron and busy in the kitchen.

Seeing his disheveled state, she looked a little surprised. “Why are you so soaked? You didn’t come home all night and didn’t even bother to call.”

Just then, a young child holding his limited-edition action figure ran out from the master bedroom and slammed right into him.

“Leo!” Ryan ran out of the master bedroom right behind the boy and blurted, “Why do you always run right up to all that dirt?”