Chapter 495 495

Vernon's voice echoed inside the bathroom. He wanted to grab Chloe and put her right in front of him. He wanted to intimidate her, just like he intimidated those who dared to play games with him.

He wanted the truth right out of her mouth. No need to play pretend.

He'd be lying if he said that he wasn't jealous.

He was so fucking jealous and angry right now. He wanted to force Chloe to spill it out and then find that man and end his life. He didn't even care about the consequences. To be jailed was better than having his heart crushed like this.

But he couldn't.

Because no matter how angry he was, he still wouldn't let the devil take his body and intimidate his beloved woman. After all, Chloe was very fragile regarding his appearance since he resembled the monster in her head— Vincent Gray, but bigger, scarier, and stronger.

He was, in nature, a man that Chloe should've feared the most. But he tried his best to keep his cool so Chloe would soon forget about his naturally intimidating appearance and only remember good memories with him.

"You're terrible, Chloe," Vernon grunted as he could not express his frustration. "You know I can't get mad at you, so you used it to lie to me. You're obviously hiding someone right now."

Vernon still didn't feel calm even after he took a cold shower. He jumped to his bed, staring at the ceiling, and the only thing that appeared in his mind was the face of Chloe smiling at him as if she didn't just lie through her teeth.

Then, the following image was Chloe lying naked on a bed, but with an unknown man that Vernon never saw before.

"Ugh, fuck that," Vernon quickly shook his head to throw that bad imagination out of his mind. But he couldn't help but groan in pain, "Ugh, I hope I won't dream a thing tonight, I don't want to have a nightmare again."

**

Vernon woke up groggily in the morning. He was in a terrible mood, waking up every hour last night.

Each time his consciousness floated, he'd soon dream of Chloe smiling at him while entangled with another man. He was screaming, struggling, trying his best to reach Chloe. Obviously, Chloe was meant to be with him!

But he couldn't reach her. He was trapped in a glass box until he woke up, feeling even shittier than an hour before.

"This is bullshit!" Vernon cursed as he readied himself to work.

It was still six in the morning, but he was already well dressed. He'd prefer it this way for now. It reminded him of when he was still dating so many women before he reunited with Chloe.

He'd be ready at six and stayed in the office from seven in the morning. Usually, he'd be done by eleven— almost midnight and drank one or two bottles of whatever alcohol he had in his fridge before passing out.

Usually, when his loneliness spiraled out of control, he'd stop drinking and work for almost 20 hours a day, only sleeping for two or three hours because it was his way to feel like he was doing something productive while his Big sis Chloe wasn't by his side.

"If I could manage myself without her seven months ago, I can also manage myself now. I want her to come clean somehow," Vernon said to himself. Though he wasn't even sure about his own statement.

Vernon opened his bedroom door and saw Chloe preparing his suit fresh out of the laundry. She looked surprised when she saw him already all dressed up.

"Vernon, it's only six in the morning. What's the hurry?" Chloe asked while staring at him with her sweet doe eyes. He clenched his jaw silently and replied;

"I have things to do."

He walked past Chloe and headed to the main door.

"W—Wait!" Chloe tried to catch up to Vernon's long steps. "I made a banana-apple smoothie for you and Mackie. If you're not in the mood to eat anything, you should at least drink that smoothie. It's not good to go to work with an empty stomach."

Vernon's hand that was holding his briefcase trembled. He clenched his briefcase's handle even tighter and spoke in a low voice, "I'm not in the mood."

"B—But, it's just a smoothie," Chloe insisted. "Hold on, let me pour it in a tumbler, so you can drink it in the office."

…

Vernon said nothing, but he didn't move from his current spot. So Chloe thought Vernon was waiting for her to bring him that smoothie.

She rushed to the kitchen to grab the tumbler.

It was hard for her to open the lid because she only used one hand.

She then poured the banana-apple smoothie carefully into the tumbler. Then she tried her hardest to close the lid again before giving it to Vernon.

Vernon watched the whole thing as he stood near the dining area. At first he wanted to leave right away, ignoring Chloe who was trying her best to please him.

But his heart told him to see what she was doing, and so he did.

He saw how serious Chloe was and how she tried her best to serve him his favorite banana-apple smoothie even though he was obviously not in the mood right now.

It might be a small, insignificant thing for most people, but for Vernon, who had been hungry for Chloe's attention, this kind of small gesture made him feel so weak, he was about to fall on his knees and beg Chloe to tell the truth, so he wouldn't be in so much pain right now.

"Vernon? Hey, Vernon!"

Vernon snapped out of his daze when Chloe called his name. She stood in front of him with a tumbler in her left hand.

"Here's your smoothie. I'm sorry that I can only make you this for now. I will cook a feast for you once I can use my right hand, okay?"