It took the men some time to finish the meal.
Finally, Katherine couldn’t wait any longer and went back to Kyle’s recreation club with Frances and
Margaret.
In fact, Frances was a little worried about Khalid and Nicolas. Before she left, she went over to Khalid
and whispered something into his ear. Hearing her, Khalid laughed and told her to rest assured.
Probably she didn’t want Nicolas to feel left out, and she told him to have fun and enjoy the meal. After
that, she left the private room with Katherine.
Katherine heaved a sigh and laughed as the door was closed. She sighed, "What an awkward dinner! I
felt I was stifling in that room."
For several times, the embarrassing pause occurred during the meal. Sometimes, Khalid chimed in and
happened to interrupt Nicolas. Sometimes, Marshall said something and interrupted Hector
coincidentally. These two pairs of rivals in love kept competing with each other secretly.
Katherine said she regretted having invited Marshall to dinner. Frances heard that and chimed in, "In
fact, I also regret having invited Nicolas here." If she had refused him at the beginning, the dinner
wouldn’t have been so awkward. However, Katherine was a little relived to hear Frances say so.
Apparently, the relationship between Khalid and Nicolas was much tenser, and that surprised
Katherine. She didn’t expect the middle-aged men to be so childish.
The women went to the private room in Kyle’s recreation club. Katherine was a little tired, so she lolled
back in the armchair, while Frances looked very carefully at Margaret’s wedding invitation. Finally, her
gaze fell upon the wedding photo and she sighed, "You two actually look like a couple, and you look so
happy in the photo."
Margaret smiled and replied, "Yeah, a lot of people say that."
Frances looked up and stared at Margaret for a while. "I knew you were a good girl."
Somehow, Margaret found the look in Frances’ eyes hard to read, but her heart missed a beat.
Lounging in the armchair, Katherine was talking about the details of Margaret’s wedding, but she
gradually fell asleep. When she woke up again, she felt that someone was kissing her, the alcohol on
his breath making her sick. She pushed him away subconsciously and yelled, "Get away!"
Then she heard Marshall chuckling. "You didn’t know it was me? Now I know you weren’t pretending it."
Katherine opened her eyes. Now only she and Marshall were left in this room, and she had no idea
when the others had left. She sat up slowly. "All I could feel was someone breathing alcohol fumes all
over me, and how would I know it was you?"
Marshall sat down next to her and let out a sigh, saying, "It was such an exhausting and upsetting
dinner."
Katherine snorted, "That’s what someone else is thinking too. Stop complaining. You’re even." After
that, she asked Marshall whether Frances had left with Khalid or Nicolas.
Marshall didn’t remember that at all. When he came back to the recreation club, they were about to
leave, but he paid no attention to them. Judging from Khalid’s attitude today, as well as Nicolas’ mood,
Khalid had presumably sent Frances home.
In fact, Frances’ attitude was quite clear today.
Both Khalid and Nicolas had drunk a lot today. At the end of the meal, they were competing with each
other by keeping making toasts to each other, and finally, they were both drunk.
When the two of them staggered along the street, the first one Frances noticed was Khalid. She rushed
over to help him and grumbled that he shouldn’t have drunk that much.
Sometimes, grumbling was a way of showing love and care. Marshall hadn’t realized it before, but he
did at once when seeing Frances grumbling now. He thought that besides himself, Nicolas must also
have realized it.
It took Katherine some time to fully wake up, and then she left with Marshall. She hesitated for a while
before asking, "How about Hector? Is he drunk?"
Marshall snorted and scoffed, "Look at me. How can he not be drunk?"
Katherine wondered what Marshall was looking so smug about.
As for Kyle, Katherine didn’t ask about him. He hadn’t sobered up when the dinner began, and now he
must be far-gone.
Peter was waiting by the car as the two of them went out. He greeted Katherine amiably at the sight of
her. "Hello, Katherine. Haven’t seen you in a long time."
Peter was right.
Peter got a new hair-cut, as well as a new style. He looked totally different from before. Probably, he
also got a new girlfriend now.
He opened the car door for Katherine and Marshall. When the car was started, he said, "Boss, your car
is being repaired, and it can be picked up a few days later."
Leaning back in the seat, Marshall said nothing. He seemed to have fallen asleep, so Katherine asked
Peter about his work recently.
Peter was quite relaxed when talking with her. Smiling, he told her he was satisfied with his job now,
and that Marshall had given him a raise.
Katherine threw a look at Marshall, who seemed really to be sleeping. Thus, she lowered her voice and
asked Peter, "What’s wrong with Marshall’s car?"
Peter hemmed and hawed, not knowing how to answer this question.
Katherine chuckled, "What? What’s bothering you?"
Peter turned the steering wheel and replied, "Nothing. It’s just that Marshall scraped his car, and I drove
it to the garage to have it repaired."
Katherine got suspicious.
Obviously, Marshall and Peter hadn’t coordinated their stories, so they gave different answers.
Katherine nodded and drawled, "Well, I see." She didn’t say it, but kept quiet.
Peter, however, breathed a sigh, but he was afraid that Katherine would ask him more questions, so he
remained silent.
They had said nothing all the way and finally, the car arrived at the Grant Residence.
Katherine shook Marshall to wake him up. "Wake up. We’ve arrived."
Marshall, who was asleep, opened his eyes slowly after Katherine shook him. His eyes bloodshot, he
had no idea what was going on.
Ignoring him, Katherine opened the car door, got off and walked into the courtyard. On the way, she
glanced at the parking lot. Khalid’s car wasn’t there yet. Seeing that, she smirked and thought to
herself. Seemingly, something unexpected happened to Frances tonight.
Peter didn’t stay. Since Marshall was able to walk on his own, Peter drove away.
Old Mrs. Grant must be asleep, so Katherine and Marshall stepped softly and went back to their room.
Katherine took her pajamas out of the closet when Marshall’s phone rang. However, Marshall was too
drunk to answer the call. He was lying on bed, motionless.
Katherine hesitated, came over to him and took his phone out of his pocket.
Then she snorted and answered the call. Clara’s voice came from the other end of the line. "Marshall, I
have something to tell you."
Katherine replied, "OK. Go ahead."
Clara was stunned.
Then Katherine chuckled, "Of course you’d know I’d be with him when you call him at this time of the
day."
Katherine wondered what Clara wanted to tell Marshall at midnight.
Clara remained silent for almost one minute. Finally, she said sorry and hung up.
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