Chapter 63 A Different Appearance
Karina’s heart seethed with frustration. How could the man she tried so hard to win over be charmed so effortlessly by Sylvia? Why did Sylvia seem to obtain everything she desired so easily, while Karina’s own cherished wishes remained unattainable? She couldn’t swallow her pride over this injustice.
Karina didn’t see herself as inferior to Sylvia, so why did Cyril always only have eyes for Sylvia, and not for
her?
“If you truly regret what happened, then why don’t you just win her back?” Karina said with a purpose, knowing it would provoke a reaction from Cyril. “I’m sure she would take you back in a heartbeat. She wanted your marriage so badly she tried every trick in the book, and if you wanted to, she would definitely choose to marry you again.”
Cyril’s expression changed visibly as Karina spoke. “Are you trying to upset me with those words? If so, I advise you to save your energy and stop wasting time on such talk.”
Cyril was no o child; he could read between the lines of Karina’s insinuations. But Cyril’s pride was wounded by the memory of the underhanded things Sylvia had done to marry him. How could someone as proud as he admit to being manipulated into marriage?
He believed that marriage should be a choice, not a scheme, which was partly why he had been so dismissive towards Sylvia during their marriage–he had always felt trapped, believing it was not a happy union, and disliking the feeling immensely.
But after their divorce, Cyril began realizing things weren’t quite as he had perceived. He had never truly understood what Sylvia went through during their marriage, nor had he recognized the light she carried within her. Now, looking back, he saw how outrageous his obliviousness had been.
Left speechless by Cyril’s piercing gaze, Karina realized her words had backfired; she had only meant to divert his attention from another woman. She succeeded, but not in the way she had hoped–Cyril had no further interest in gazing at Sylvia, nor in keeping Karina’s company.
“Are you leaving? Bark is here today, and I was hoping you’d speak to him with me,” Karina said, a hint of desperation in her voice. For the first time, Cyril felt repulsed by her urgency.
Once he had been lenient towards Karina, but it was never really about her–it was about other people, and she seemed to have misconstrued her own importance.
“I understand the effort you’ve put into linking up with Bark, and I know what’s really on your mind. If you want to stay, keep it honest and avoid angering me further. You know the consequences if you provoke me,” Cyril warned her, not waiting to see her reaction before heading downstairs.
He wanted to ask Sylvia why she had never shown the same radiance and joy during their marriage that she clearly displayed now. If only she had been real to him sooner, things would have been different.
Even now, Cyril had never acknowledged any fault in his actions, always believing it was Sylvia who had failed to reveal her true feelings. If she had been open, he thought, their marriage might not have turned out as it did.
Descending from the upper floor, Cyril arrived just as Sylvia had finished dancing Juliette was ecstatic, clutching the plush toys Sylvia had won for her with joy. Sylvia, now wearing her jacket, exuded a presence that made others hesitate to approach despite their previous eagerness to speak to her. Without the blazer, Sylvia appeared approachable and beautiful; with it on, she commanded an air of authority
Sylvia didn’t care about the thoughts of those around her, she could feel their gazes and deliberately projected a bit of her inner strength to distance herself.
Intending to find the manager with Juliette, Sylvia paused when she saw Cyril approaching them. His expression was earnest as he stood before her. Although they were divorced, it didn’t mean they couldn’t speak when they crossed paths.
Seeing Cyril again, Sylvia felt her emotions slowly settling. I saw you dancing from upstairs. You’re really different, not at all like the person I knew before,” Cyril remarked with a certain intensity.
Sylvia paused, then nodded slightly. “What’s your point?”
Cyril started to speak but was cut off by Sylvia, “You seem to be mistaken about something. Our relationship has always been different. Even if I had shown you this side of me before, you still wouldn’t have given me a second glance. Our relationship wouldn’t have changed just because of one person’s transformation. From beginning to end, as long as you refused to move forward, we were destined to remain in the same place.”
After the divorce, Sylvia had reflected on herself and their union. One person was too proactive while the other remained stagnant–and that was where the issue lay.