Under His Rule ✔

Chapter 24 POV Vincent

I'm driving aimlessly on the street.

I contemplate whether to call Josh and ask him to join me for a drink, but I'm too lazy to move my fingers to click the phone.

After some time passes, my phone starts ringing on its own.

I am reluctant to answer, but it keeps ringing.

I take a deep breath and pull over to the side of the road.

It's a call from the old mansion; Mrs. Mariette says the electronic door there won't open, and she and my dad are on opposite sides of the door.

So, I go back to check the situation.

The smart lock is broken, and the emergency key won't open the door, so I have to force it open and wait for the workers to bring the parts the next morning.

Afterward, I grab a bottle of red wine from the kitchen and say goodnight to Mrs. Mariette in the hallway.

"Vincent," Mrs. Mariette suddenly stops me.

I turn around.

"You've been acting strange today."

I hold a bottle of red wine in one hand and a glass in the other, "Just a minor issue at work."

One of the mantras for men: Never be trapped by emotions.

At least, we never admit it verbally.

"No, it's not." She shakes her head.

She recalls something, pauses, and then says, "Is it because of the girl you had a dinner date with at your place?"

"...Mom." I shake my head lightly, sighing. "I thought Susanne could keep a secret."

"Are you new here?" Mrs. Mariette shrugs.

Well.

"So, what happened?" she asks.

I sit back on the sofa, take a sip of wine, and say, "...I got dumped."

Mrs. Mariette pauses for a moment. She looks at me and then suddenly bursts into laughter.

"...Mom, you're making it sound like I was adopted."

But her laughter becomes even more exaggerated.

I take a deep breath, cross my arms, and wait for her laughter to subside.

"You have your days too," she says, laughing and sighing at the same time.

"Seriously." I place the wine glass on the table, and my patience is officially wearing thin. "Mom, not everyone has a smooth relationship like you and Dad."

"Hmm?"

"I've lived this long, and the only couple with a good relationship I've seen is you two."

"Well... do you want to hear the truth?" Her smile gradually fades.

"Yes?"

"In reality, relationships between people are dynamic, and your dad and my relationship wasn't always as you see it."

"Like what?" I raise an eyebrow, curiosity building.

"For example, a year after you were born, I suggested divorce to him."

"You two never told me about that."

"Because that period was really unpleasant." Mrs. Mariette pours herself a glass of red wine. "Your dad was busy with starting his business, and I quit my job to rest at home due to discomfort during pregnancy. After giving birth to you, I naturally took care of you at home. I was very anxious during that time, couldn't sleep well, and my milk supply was insufficient."

"Postpartum depression, perhaps?"

"Hormones were a part of it, but not only that. I felt very wronged, as if my world had come to a standstill after giving birth. So, I couldn't take it anymore and wanted to divorce your dad."

"And then?"

"Then your dad did some serious introspection. Yes, every mom should take care of the child, but it shouldn't be solely the mother's responsibility. So, he reduced his work hours and spent more time taking care of you. During the day, he fed you and bathed you, and at night, he took you to sleep in another room, waking up every two hours to feed you formula so that I could get a good night's sleep."

"Taking care of a child is not easy."

"Yeah," Mrs. Mariette smiles, "and your dad also reflected on how his attitude toward me changed after marriage. Because of your birth, we rarely had any private time. Later, every weekend, he would leave you with your grandmother and take me on short trips."

"How long did it take for you to reconcile?"

"Two years."

"Two years?" I spray out the red wine in my mouth.

Mrs. Mariette shrugs, "Just a trial period. Any problem with that?"

"No, no," I say.

She glances at me. "Now you can tell me about being dumped?"

I don't know where to start.

After thinking for a while, I just pick up the wine and take a sip. "Mom, I think I was too dull. By the time I realized she was a really great girl, she was already thoroughly disappointed in me. I messed things up."

She pauses for a moment. "That's rare. Considering the scandals you usually have with those female celebrities..."

I chuckle again. A helpless chuckle.

"So, as I said, I messed up..." I say, "Even though I've been with many female celebrities, it seems like I've only accumulated a bunch of useless experiences that can't help me answer the current question correctly."

"Your mindset is wrong. Relationships are not like solving a problem. Your relationship with Josh seems good, right? Love and friendship are sometimes quite similar. It requires both people to sincerely treat each other well, forming a positive cycle for the relationship to last."

Seems like it.

In the past, those girls were readily available to me. I just needed to spend money, and they would willingly submit to me. In most cases in romantic relationships, I was usually the dominant one.

But this time...

"There's nothing irreparable as long as you're willing to fight for it and mend things," Mrs. Mariette says.

I nod again.

Mrs. Mariette raises her red wine glass and clinks it with mine. "So, who is this girl?"

"Elsie Hannaway."

"She?"

"What's wrong?" I'm curious.

"I'm her loyal fan, watched several of her movies."

"Really?"

She pats my shoulder. "So, if you can't marry Elsie, don't come back to this house. Because she's the daughter-in-law I've set my sights on."

"..."

It's now 1:30 in the morning.

I return to the bed in my bedroom and open WhatsApp.

Elsie's profile picture is still that cartoon black umbrella.