Episode 86
Meanwhile, outside in the hallway, a group of sharply dressed men approached the private rooms. Elijah strode at the center, his expression stormy, his patience hanging by a thread.
Albin, walking beside him, cast him a sidelong glance and offered cautiously, “Elijah, if you’re that worried, maybe we should call it a night. Go home and talk things out. There’s no shame in bending a little for someone you care about. Or… are you really set on this divorce?”
Elijah’s jaw tightened at the word “divorce.” It was a thorn in his side, prodded deeper with every passing moment. Elizabeth had been pushing boundaries lately, flaunting her newfound independence. Yet he found himself infuriatingly powerless to stop her.
His gaze turned icy as he shot Albin a glare. “If you don’t have anything useful to say, keep your mouth shut.”
As they neared the private rooms, Camille stepped out of hers, eyes glued to her phone, oblivious to the approaching storm.
The men in Elijah’s group paused, their attention drawn to the glimpse of boys lounging inside her room.
“Wow, these women know how to live it up better than we do,” one of them quipped.
“A whole room of toy boys? That’s next-level fun.”
Another chuckled, “She’s a knockout, too. Makes you wonder if she’s got a married friend in there who’s just as bold.”
At the mention of married women, their thoughts turned to Elizabeth. Elijah had been notably absent from home, leaving her to endure years of loneliness.
Someone, emboldened by the drinks they’d had, blurted out, “Elijah, you’ve left your wife to fend for herself for so long. Aren’t you worried she might, you know, find someone else to keep her warm?”
The playful atmosphere evaporated instantly. A heavy silence fell over the group, and all eyes darted nervously toward Elijah.
He said nothing, his jaw tightening as he absently turned the ring on his finger.
The words “find someone else” replayed in his mind like a broken record, each repetition digging deeper.
Images of Elizabeth flickered through his thoughts—her quiet defiance earlier that day, her face pale as she masked her pain. She had endured far worse injury in silence before him, yet today, she was crumbling in front of another man over something as small as a scald. The irony twisted in his gut like a knife.
