Chapter 934: Chapter 934: Can You Love Me Again? (4)_1

Andrew just went from person to person at the dining table, offering a toast in turn and then inquiring about Madeleine’s hobbies from what they said. Finally, he extended his glass to Howard Coleman, “Mr. Coleman, hearing from Madeleine, you must be the most familiar with her. Surely you know best what Madeleine likes, right?”

Howard stared at the glass Andrew offered him, not moving for a long while.

Here he was, about to propose to the woman he loved, yet he had to ask him–the man who loved her–what she liked?

As the others at the table provided their answers, it felt as though each was a knife stabbing into his heart, and now he had come to ask him…

Seeing that Howard had not reacted for quite some time, Andrew continued with a smile and repeated his question.

Howard still sat motionless, until Steve discreetly kicked him under the table. Howard then snapped back to reality and abruptly stood up, leaving the table with the words, “Excuse me, I need to use the restroom.”

Without waiting for any response, he strode quickly out of the private room.

–

Howard wound his way along the corridor until he reached the entrance of the restroom, where he finally stopped. His heart was racing abnormally fast. He fished a cigarette out from his pocket, his fingers trembling as he lit it and placed it in his mouth, taking a harsh drag. The inhale was too eager, causing him to choke, leading him to lean against the wall, bending over as a violent coughing fit overtook him.

As he coughed, his eyes began to moisten. It had been three and a half years since they split, but why did it always feel as if it had happened only yesterday? How had the time flown so quickly that she was now talking of marriage with another man?

It had been so many days since she told him she had a boyfriend, but he still found it hard to accept, feeling as though it was all a dream.

His reason always reminded him that he wasn’t worthy of her, that he had no right anymore to love her, to fight for her, but when he truly saw her with that man, he found he wanted to allow himself to be selfish and despicable just once.

Howard coughed for what seemed an age before he stopped. He remained bent over, supporting himself against the wall. After some unknown length of time, he felt a burning pain in his fingers and came to his senses. Looking down, he saw the cigarette had burned down to the filter, scorching his fingertips.

He snuffed out the cigarette butt in the ashtray on the lid of a nearby trash can, then threw the butt into the bin. Straightening up for a while, he then resumed his steps and returned to the private room.

–

The meal in the private room was over by the time Howard approached the door. Through the closed door, he could hear singing coming from inside.

It was a duet, sung by Andrew and Madeleine.

Howard’s hand pushing the door paused involuntarily, and then, through the door of the private room, he heard the singing continue to drift out.

“I clearly love you, clearly want to get close, but someone always crowded around you with flowers in hand. What gives me the right to defeat each rival in love…”

Andrew’s voice carried a foreign accent that, combined with Madeleine’s soft vocals, made the song sound affectionate. When the song ended, a round of cheers immediately erupted from the room.

Amid those cheers, someone screamed in a teasing manner: “Kiss! Give her a kiss!”