The Way Back | ✓

1.4

note: the chapters are pretty short now but don't worry, as the story builds up the chapters get longer. Don't forget to vote and comment if you liked this chapter! I'm currently in the middle of exam prep also (this semester is killing me) so send me your prayers as well!! 

The next update will be Monday/Tuesday. 

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"I can explain."

Those were the first words out of his mouth and London Liang could not decide whether she should feel more angry or more shocked. If Gwen were here she'd tell her little sister to pull up her big girl panties, take his coffee (because her beverage didn't have to suffer for his thoughtless actions), and dump the contents of the cup over his head. And strom out, sashaying her hips. The walk that showed control.

But London Wan Liang was not Gwenyth Xing Liang.

London sat there in her seat, her hand wrapped around the hot cup of tea, her mind paying no heed to the heat as she stared down at the ring, dumbfounded. Served her right for taking up a stranger's offer to coffee, at the cemetery no less.

"It's not as bad as it looks," Andrew said, rushing into his own defence.

"So you're not married?" London asked, two immaculate black eyebrows raised in question as she lifted her head from his shiny, golden ring so that her eyes were on his, her hand leaving the cup of tea.

"I am—"

"This is wrong," she concluded, gathering her bag into her hands before slinging it onto her arm. "I'm leaving."

"It's complicated," he rushed in. "If you just give me a minute to explain—"

"Let me guess," London shot back, coming to her senses as the grumpier side of her returned, "You're married but your marriage hasn't been sunshine and roses lately so you've had a falling out with your wife. You're no longer together in the physical sense so you're desperate for some sex, which by the way, I do not give out on coffee dates. That or you're getting divorced."

Silence ensued her outburst but London did not look the least bit embarrassed. She looked furious for being made a fool of. Ever since her mother's passing, life had gone downhill. University was a flop, her job wasn't getting her to where she yearned to be and her life was a mess. There were only a few things that could make her happy and they were so small in number that she could calculate them at the tips of her fingers.

And this, meeting a handsome stranger and having her hopes risen only to have them crushed because he was committed to someone else, only managed to make her snap. She was not in the mood to watch her life get more sad and messed up than it already was.

"Well," Andrew started, sitting up straighter on his seat and by his expression London could tell that she was spot-on.

"I'm right," she cut through before he managed to get another word out. Grumpy should be her middle name and while that was what she was a lot of the time, she was a person who could easily be swayed and she didn't want to give him the chance to wriggle out of the situation — a situation he was clearly in the wrong about.

"Yes, you are. I'm getting a divorce and—"

"That's all I need to hear," she said, standing up. He hung his head in defeat, staring down at his coffee as his hands wrapped securely around the cup and she paused, deliberating whether she should speak her mind. This was the first time she was seeing him, she hadn't ever spotted him before — or maybe she had but she wasn't focusing on her surroundings so his face wouldn't have registered either way. She doubted she would ever see him again, so when he raised his head to take a sip of his coffee and noticed her presence still there, he turned to her, a smile itching at his lips. But she beat him to it, declaring her thoughts before that damning smile reached his eyes.

"Andrew Cai, if we had met in another time and another place, I would have given you a chance. If my life wasn't as messy I'd allow this but I have too much on my plate and I can't handle a married man, getting divorced or not. For once, I want simple. But it's always too much to ask whenever I'm in the equation. I wish today went differently but it didn't so, goodbye. Good luck with that divorce, or your marriage, I don't really know what you want, but whatever it is, good luck." She paused her ramble, her eyes still on his.

Disconnecting their gaze, she mumbled, "Have a good life, Andrew Cai," before she made her way out of the cafe, breathing in the toxic, polluted evening air as the sound of traffic buzzed in her ears.

She knew she was doing the right thing by sticking to sound principles that made a person good. She knew she was right and yet walking away felt like yet another mistake was added to her ever-growing list.