Free Web NovelChapter 378: Perhaps He Was Too Hung Up On Her
"I’m sorry..." the words slipped out before Michael even thought about what he was about to say. He had become meek. Nowadays, he felt afraid whenever Wendy got even a little angry.
Was this how Wendy was in the past with him, treading on eggshells all the time?
Michael had been feeling a little aggrieved but when he remembered the past, he felt better. He probably deserved it.
"Is there anything important you want to tell me?" Wendy took a deep breath, trying her best not to blow her top. "If there’s nothing important, don’t disturb me when I’m on a date!"
Wendy intentionally emphasized the word "date".
"I..." Michael didn’t know what to say. Apologizing again wouldn’t serve any purpose. He had been the one who had chosen to follow her to Rheinsville City.
Now that he was here, what was he supposed to do? He had watched as they went on dates, as they chatted and laughed. He had become nothing more than a passerby, someone who was redundant.
Hearing nothing but silence on the line, Wendy hung up.
Michael’s heart sank when he heard the disconnect tone.
"Don’t take it seriously," after hanging up, Wendy explained to Todd. "I said that to him on purpose." freeweɓnovel.cøm
Todd knew full well who she was referring to but still asked, "Michael?"
Wendy gave a small huff of assent and fell silent after that.
Todd simply contemplated her quietly.
Michael was at this moment seated quietly in his chair, his gaze focused on Wendy.
To ensure Michael did not realize he knew, Todd took just a momentary glance before he turned his attention back to Wendy.
He started treating Wendy with extra care, paying extra attention to her and serving her food. "These are all your favorites, eat more."
Michael sucked in a deep lungful of air as he watched them. They did not draw the meal out as Wendy wanted to go home early to spend time with the children.
Todd sent her home after they were done eating. On the way home, Wendy did not notice anything amiss.
However, when Todd pulled over at the curb in front of her building, she noticed a cab pulling over behind them. This was an upper-class neighborhood and cabs were rarely seen.
People who could afford to stay here all either drove their cars or had chauffeurs.
She could help but take a second look at the cab. It was obvious the person in it did not alight even though the cab had stopped.
Finding it suspicious, Wendy frowned and asked Todd, "Do you think there’s something weird about that cab? No one got off after it stopped, and it’s not moving off either."
"Perhaps it’s picking someone up." Todd had his suspicions but did not mention them to Wendy.
"The cab is here to pick someone up?" wondered Wendy.
Cabs were rarely seen in the neighborhood, especially cabs that had come specially to pick a passenger up.
Wendy set off toward the cab. "Corrine..." Todd followed.
He did not want Wendy to meet Michael.
Everything he had done thus far was to discourage Michael so he would be mistaken about their relationship and leave.
Michael’s heart beat faster as he watched Wendy walk toward him step by step.
He had no idea why he had followed her. Perhaps he only wanted to take another look at Wendy. Even a glance was good enough. He had intended to leave quietly after she had gone upstairs. It’d be like he was never here at all.
Unexpectedly, Wendy had seen the cab and was walking towards him.
Suddenly afraid, Michael reached out to close the windows.
However, this was the first time in his life he had taken a cab. The windows were not like the ones in any car he had driven before.
After fumbling around for a while, he still did not manage to find the button to close the car window.
Panicking, Michael asked the driver, "How do you close the windows? Close them, hurry!"
"There is a control button next to the door handle. Just press on that button..."
The driver had barely finished his sentence when Wendy came to a stop beside the window.
Bending over, Wendy’s expression was by now a mask of stony ice.
"Wendy..." Michael was at a loss. He didn’t know how to explain himself. It was obvious Michael wasn’t supposed to be here. Anyone would be angry if they realized they were being stalked. freewebnøvel.com
"Shouldn’t you explain yourself?" Wendy demanded, anger evident in her voice.
Michael swallowed audibly as he lowered his gaze guiltily.
He opened the door and exited the vehicle. Standing in front of Wendy, he looked like a young child being chastised for doing something wrong.
"I’m sorry..." Michael started saying. He realized he did not have a reasonable explanation for being here. He didn’t know what to say at all.
"Sorry?" Wendy scoffed. "Michael, don’t be childish. If I didn’t remember wrongly, the day after next is the day of your showdown with Christian. Yet, you are in Rheinsville City now?
"Haha... Todd and I put our lives on the line to help you go up against Christian.
However, your attitude leaves much to be desired!"
"You and Todd put your lives on the line to help me against Christian?" Michael frowned. He did not understand. "What does this have to do with Todd?"
Michael had no idea that the surveillance video he saw was but an act put up by Wendy and Todd.
"Is it important if it has anything to do with him?" Wendy was furious. She was doing her best to aid him and yet he had left Lake City and come to Rheinsville City.
The way she saw it, he was not serious about his upcoming confrontation with Christian at all. She and Todd had been rushing about like fools for nothing.
Angrily, she turned to leave but Michael reached out and grabbed her hand before he thought about what he was doing. However, when he met her incensed gaze, he hurriedly let go.
Fearful that Wendy would flare up, he scrambled to explain himself, "I didn’t follow you on purpose. I went to the supplier’s to look for you and happened to see you there with Todd.
I wanted to talk to you but didn’t know how to face you so I ended up following you when you left.
Then you and Todd went to that restaurant and I couldn’t find a good time to go up to you..." "So you followed me around the whole day?" Wendy shook her head. "Michael, did you not know how to face me, or did you just want to see what Todd and I were up to? If we had gone to a hotel after dinner, would you have followed us up?"
Wendy had said the last part in a fit of anger.
"I..." Michael knew he was in the wrong. He had no idea how to respond to Wendy at all.
"Mr. Lucas, can you please grow up?" Wendy took a deep breath and tried her best to compose herself. "This is not the time for you to be following me around Rheinsville City!"
"I did not tail you on purpose. I..." Out of the corner of his eye, Michael saw Todd approaching. Tensely, he clenched his fists by his side, closing his fingers one by one.
He couldn’t explain, as ultimately, he was not in a position to say or do anything at all.
...
"Mr. Lucas, your behavior today is somewhat inappropriate," Todd said, "No matter what, we can be considered friends. Since you were coming to Rheinsville City, you could have told us. We would have met you at the airport. It’s not right for you to be tailing us."
"Wendy, can I speak to you alone?" Michael glanced at Todd and said to Wendy. He sounded slightly imploring.
Todd remained silent, as if waiting for Wendy’s response.
"Just say whatever you have to say here." Wendy was still fuming and did not want to talk to Michael alone .He probably wanted to ask about her and Todd again. Till now, he still did not trust her and even secretly followed her around. Wendy was very disappointed in him.
"We..." Michael had not intended to ask her that question there and then, but if he did not ask when he still could, there might not be an opportunity in future.
Since he had already come to Rheinsville City, he had to know what her answer was even if she had mistaken his actions up till now.
"Is it still possible between us?" Without waiting for Wendy’s reply, he continued, "I’ve reflected on the past multiple times and I know it’s all my fault. I promise I will not make the same mistakes again. Will you give me another chance?"
"So you came all the way here to Rheinsville City just to say that?" Angered to the point where she wanted to laugh, Wendy said, "Michael, do you know what you’ll be doing the day after tomorrow?"
"That’s the day I have to bid against Christian." Michael knew, of course.
He was here not because that day wasn’t important. He was here because in his mind, Wendy was more important. He was willing to make the trip here just for her.
Wendy obviously did not think the same way he did.
"Then you should not have come to Rheinsville City at such a critical time!" Wendy scoffed and shook her head. "Michael, we do not have many chances to crush Christian. If something goes wrong on your side and we do not manage to take Christian down once and for all, everything we have done so far will be in vain!
"Do you know what that means? You know what Christian is like. By that time, we might not even be alive to talk about having chances."
"I... I just..." I just wanted to see you, I wanted to make up with you.
Michael swallowed the words when he saw Todd put his coat over Wendy’s shoulders.
Wendy had wanted to return the coat to Todd. However Todd said, "You mentioned you didn’t feel too good, and that you might be coming down with something. This is a crucial period. You must not fall sick."
Michael’s fist clenched even tighter. He suddenly felt that the things he had said were laughably redundant.
Perhaps he was too hung up on her. He had hurt Wendy so deeply in the past. Now that there was a gentle and caring man by her side, it would be hard for her not to fall for him.
"I’m going to be late for my plane. I will make a move first." Michael turned and quickly got back into the cab. He dared not stay any longer.
If he persisted in asking Wendy for an answer and she rejected him outright, wouldn’t it be very awkward for everyone present?
He didn’t see the need for that. If he insisted on going down that path he would hurt only her and himself.
"Mich---" Wendy took one step forward, wanting to say something to Michael, but Todd held her back.
"He’s gone," Todd said, "Isn’t the bidding the day after tomorrow. Michael should have a lot to prepare. Everything else can wait till Christian has been dealt with."
Wendy watched as the cab that Michael was in got smaller and finally disappeared in the distance. Her face fell.
The next moment, she shrugged off the coat over her shoulders and returned it to Todd. Her voice annoyed, she snapped, "I said, I’m not cold."
