Evelyn watched as Carlos returned to his seat, resuming his meal as if nothing had happened. Meanwhile, she felt as though she were on fire, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. She did her best to hide her face, hoping he wouldn't notice how flustered he made her.
Once they finished eating, the maids cleared away the empty plates. Evelyn's heart swelled with pride at the sight of her husband eating well; it felt like a small victory.
But as Carlos approached her, his expression remained inscrutable—neither cold nor warm, leaving her guessing about what he might be thinking.
With a quiet thud, he dropped a set of keys in front of her.
"Your father is getting discharged today, right?" he asked, catching her off guard. Nodding slowly, she was surprised he remembered. She was about to ask for his permission to visit the city when he continued.
"Those are the keys to the house I bought recently. They're under his name. Let him settle down there," he said, sliding his hands into his pockets.
"Huh?" Evelyn jerked upright, searching for the right words to respond.
But Carlos merely turned away, walking out of the room with his secretary in tow.
As the door closed behind him, Evelyn felt herself collapse into the chair, stunned and transfixed. She watched the maids bustle around, pulling in clothes, followed closely by the familiar makeup artist and dressers.
Her gaze lingered on the space where Carlos had disappeared, and she sighed, overwhelmed by a mix of guilt and sadness. Why was he going so far for her? He was sparking feelings of dependency within her, and yet she felt she hadn't done anything to deserve it.
Pressing her palms against her forehead, she fought against the tears blurring her vision. The guilt washed over her in waves, filling her throat until it felt like she couldn't breathe. And then, unable to contain herself any longer, the tears spilled over, leaving the maids, dressers, and makeup artist standing in shocked silence, completely unprepared for her emotional outburst.
Evelyn's heart ached with the weight of unexpressed gratitude and bitterness, the dichotomy of her feelings colliding as she processed the kindness that seemed to come with strings attached.