Wanting Both Worlds, Getting None

As Cindy berated me, utterly convinced of her own righteousness, something inside me snapped, and I abruptly burst out laughing. But as the laughter escaped, tears fell right along with it.

I was about to speak, but Andy beat me to it.

"Gary, I know you don't like Kevin and me, but if you have to make things difficult, just take it out on me alone. Kevin's just a kid—he doesn't understand anything."

Cindy's expression grew even darker at these words. She held Kevin in her arms, comforting him.

Hiding behind her, Andy shot me a taunting and venomous grin. He was getting back at me for refusing to do as I was told earlier.

Cindy didn't want to hear my explanation either. She simply grabbed me by the arm and roughly dragged me out of the bakery.

"Since you can't stand Andy and Kevin, why don't you just get lost and find somewhere else to live?"

I could help but let out a cold snort. "Let's just get a divorce then. That way, I can make room for Andy, and he can live with you openly."

Cindy's eyes flickered guiltily, and she fell silent.

However, I knew she was tempted.

From behind her, Andy emerged, sobbing theatrically.

"It's all my fault. I shouldn't have shown up and ruined your marriage. Stop fighting because of me. I'll leave right now and take Kevin with me."

But just as he took Kevin's hand, he suddenly clutched his stomach and cried out in pain.

"My stomach hurts so much! Am I sick?"

In a panic, Cindy shoved me aside, and I slammed into a lamppost by the roadside. The back of my head swelled up high, and I was dizzy and disoriented.

I watched as she anxiously rushed off with Andy, without sparing me even a single glance.

My vision slowly faded to black as I lay by the roadside for what felt like forever. My head felt heavy, and I couldn't pull myself together or find the strength to move.

In the end, it was a kind passerby who helped me up.

I called Cindy countless times, but she never picked up.

I dragged myself home and began packing up my clothes.

Suddenly, the door lock turned, and Cindy pushed the door open.

She helped Andy in, and the way they exchanged glances was so intimate it was almost tangible. If the sound of me dragging my suitcase hadn't startled them, they probably would've been kissing already.

Cindy frowned and cast a cold glance at me.

"Who said you could come back? I should call the police and have you arrested for trespassing."

When I heard this, I gritted my teeth so hard they almost shattered. A faint metallic taste of blood spread across my tongue.

"Am I not even allowed to get my things?"

Andy immediately shot Kevin a look, and the latter instantly threw a tantrum, screaming, "Of course not! Who knows what you've stolen from my house!"

He then lunged at me and grabbed my arm, biting down hard.

Reacting to the pain, I instinctively pushed him away.

Kevin fell to the floor and wailed, "Uncle Gary is a thief! All he does is steal things and hit people!"

"Kevin, how can you call your Uncle Gary a thief? It's your own fault for not listening and making him angry. Even if he beat you to death, you'd only have yourself to blame. Gary, if you're still upset, just hit me instead. I promise not to put up a fight."

Andy acted like he was telling Kevin off but he was actually just making things worse.

Cindy pulled them both protectively into her arms. Then, she shot me a look of pure hatred, as if she wanted to flay and devour me.

She held up her phone and furiously berated me.

"Apologize to Kevin and Andy right now! Otherwise, don't blame me for calling the police. I'll see to it that you spend the rest of your life rotting behind bars!"

I let out a miserable laugh. The last flicker of hope in my heart had finally gone out.

I fixed Cindy with a cold stare and smirked with disdain. "Go ahead and call the police. Let's see who actually ends up getting hauled away."

Enraged by my attitude, Cindy viciously grabbed me by the throat. An overwhelming sense of suffocation washed over me. It was so intense that I felt as if I was about to die.

When she finally let go, I collapsed to my knees, gasping greedily for air.

"Gary, I'm giving you one last chance," she warned icily.

She grabbed me by the hair and dragged me in front of Andy and Kevin. The pain was so unbearable that I couldn't stop my tears from falling.

Kevin leaned in and whispered into my ear, "Uncle Gary, no matter what you say, I'll never forgive you. You're getting out of this house, one way or another."

Andy remained silent, yet he looked down on me with a smug, triumphant gleam in his eyes.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Hello, is Mr. Sampson home?"

I slowly stood up and said calmly, "You don't have to call the police, because I've already called them for you."