It's Too Late for Your Love

I pushed the door open.

When Luther saw me, he seemed a bit surprised and immediately started frowning hard. He questioned, "What are you doing here? Or could it be that you were following me?"

I held up my phone and gestured at him. "You were the one who messaged me."

Sasha tugged on his arm playfully with a pout. "Mr. Jansen, I played a prank and asked Tabitha to bring you a bottle of yogurt. You won't hold this against me, will you?"

Luther's furrowed brows relaxed immediately.

Oddly, his indulgence toward Sasha's antics didn't stir any emotions within me. If this had been before, I might have reacted hysterically and lost my temper. This time, I remained calm and simply nodded to indicate that I understood the situation.

For once, Luther seemed inclined to explain himself. "Tabitha, Sasha is just here as my assistant for this social gathering—"

I cut him off by handing him the yogurt and didn't say anything more.

Since he had been drinking, he couldn't drive. So, after making arrangements for Sasha to be sent home, he left with me.

A cab was waiting across the street. As I walked ahead, Luther suddenly grabbed my arm and yanked me back just in time to avoid a speeding car that almost grazed me.

If it hadn't been for him, I might've been seriously hurt.

"You don't watch where you're walking, do you?" he scolded, sounding concerned. He then held my hand tightly in his.

For a brief moment, I recalled how he used to hold my hand every time we crossed the street. It had been so long since something like this had happened. The sensation felt so unfamiliar to the point of almost being unsettling.

Once we crossed the street, I discreetly withdrew my hand without a word.

...

The next morning, I got ready for work.

As I gathered my things and was about to head out, Luther offered to drive me. "Let me take you to work."

Because of what had happened the previous night with him, I woke up later than usual. I would end up reaching the office late if I took the subway, so I agreed without fussing over it and headed to his car.

When I opened the passenger door, the strong scent of a girlish perfume hit me. Inside, the seat covers were pink, and there was even a cute Poppy Purrs pillow on the seat.

A small sticker on the dashboard read, "Sasha's Special Seat". Sasha had boldly staked a claim on her territory.

The scene was ironic. The Luther I knew, who was supposedly meticulous and serious to a fault, had now allowed these childish decorations in his car.

His expression turned a bit awkward. "Sasha is just a kid. Don't mind her."

A kid, huh? So, he would take lovey-dovey photos with a "kid"?

I didn't voice my thoughts. On the second day after we filed for divorce, he had posted a sweet photo on his social media with the caption, "Capturing every shy moment of yours."

Whether it was to spite me or for some other reason, I knew that Luther's heart had long strayed far away, where I couldn't see.

Quietly, I opened the door to the back seat. "I'll sit in the back."

"You haven't eaten breakfast, have you?" Luther asked, as though trying to ease the awkward atmosphere. He handed me a bottle of milk.

I glanced up and noticed a box of snacks in the car that was filled with cookies, dried fruit, and jellies.

I remembered how Luther used to have a strict no-eating policy in his car because of his obsessive cleanliness tendencies.

Once, I had a hypoglycemic episode in his car. My lips had gone pale, and my vision had become blurry. I had been too weak to even speak. I had asked for a sweet beverage to alleviate my discomfort, but Luther had refused mercilessly.

On the contrary, Sasha could easily have her way.

The difference between love and indifference was glaringly obvious.

I shook my head to decline the milk and turned my gaze to the passing cars outside the window. Thankfully, we reached the office quickly. So, I alighted and got to work immediately.

Since we were divorcing, by right I should have submitted my resignation. But the thing was, I still had two projects to finalize. Out of a sense of responsibility, I decided to complete them before leaving for good.

The morning and afternoon flew by in a blur due to work. As I was exhausted from the lack of sleep, I wasn't in great shape.

I was just about to make myself a cup of coffee when a deliveryman came in carrying a large box of coffee and exquisite snacks.

Cheers erupted from my colleagues.

"Wow, Mr. Jansen is treating us to afternoon tea! How generous!"

"You don't get it. It's all because Sasha's on a diet, and Mr. Jansen feels bad for her. This afternoon tea is just an excuse so he can buy her some food. We're just riding on her coattails!"