Chapter 19: Mutual Benefit
Davina, in her pale yellow dress and expertly applied makeup, still radiated the air of a pampered princess attending an upper-class gala. At this high-society event, she had no qualms about linking arms with Fletcher.
It was in that moment that a lingering doubt in
my heart was suddenly resolved. I realized that the only person capable of changing Fletcher’s mind was Davina.
Coincidentally, Leon and Fletcher also knew each other.
“Mr. Lynton is impressive, truly a force to be reckoned with,” Leon praised Fletcher.
Seemingly used to such praise, Fletcher’s expression remained indifferent. “Rogers
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Group is leading the field, Mr. Rogers, I still have much to learn from you.”
As the conversation between the big shots continued, Kaitlyn and I wisely stood aside. But then Davina spoke up. “So, you’re the famous Mr. Rogers. My apologies for not recognizing you.”
Leon glanced at Davina and offered a polite, shallow smile, though it didn’t quite reach his
eyes.
That expression-Kaitlyn and I were both familiar with it. It was the unmistakable arrogance of someone in a position of power.
Although Leon had been polite, Davina still appeared uncomfortable after that response, pressing her lips together, looking somewhat wronged.
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“Aren’t you hungry?” Fletcher seemed to notice Davina’s unease and said, “Let me take you to grab something to eat.”
With a gentleman’s ease, he steered the conversation away.
Without a hint of hesitation, he found a way to help Davina save face.
So protective.
Seeing the relief wash over Davina’s face, I instinctively reached for my glass, only to have Winston stop me.
He ordered a glass of juice from the waiter.
“Your stomach’s not great, best avoid alcohol.”
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Actually, Kaitlyn had already watered down my wine with some mineral water, but seeing Winston’s concerned expression, I still swapped it for the juice.
Leon, standing nearby, smiled. “Professor Fleming, you certainly know how to treat a lady with care”
Aston didn’t respond. Instead, he
redirected the conversation with a comment
about some tech news, and I seized the opportunity to find Kaitlyn.
She had excused herself to the restroom earlier, but hadn’t come back.
A few steps in, I spotted Kaitlyn lurking in the corner, her expression flustered.
I walked over, confused. “What’s going on?”
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Kaitlyn’s voice was sharp. “Small world. Ran into someone I know.”
“Your ex-husband?”
“No,” Kaitlyn glanced toward the hall and whispered, “Spencer Wyman!”
Oh, the PR manager she’d been trying to recruit. So how had this turned into an awkward encounter?
Kaitlyn avoided my gaze, saying, “Well, we… had some close contact earlier””
I hesitated for a moment, then it clicked.
“It was supposed to be two adults getting what we needed, but suddenly, he said he wanted to ‘talk’ to me,” Kaitlyn said with disgust, “Clearly, he’s trying to make a move
on me.”
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Two adults got what they needed.
It was a simple enough way to put things between men and women.
Kaitlyn saw my silent understanding and softened her tone. “Lena, I know what you’re thinking. You were younger then, and it’s normal to have illusions about love. But in this day and age, having sex doesn’t guarantee forever, and getting married doesn’t mean loyalty. Got it?”
Kaitlyn had been through a whirlwind marriage and quick divorce, so she often reminded me not to have too many expectations of men.
Her words suddenly cleared the knot of frustration that had settled in my chest all evening.
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So, between Fletcher and me, it could really be explained with just two words:
Mutual benefit.
And that was just fine.
Before the dinner ended, Kaitlyn had already slipped away. Winston, concerned about me going back alone, stopped me at the hotel door.
“It’s not too late, I’ll be fine on my own.””
“Who would feel at ease letting a beautiful lady go home alone?”
Just as I was about to decline, I saw Fletcher and Davina walking out of the hall. In that instant, I changed my mind.
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“Thank you.” I said.
I slid into the back seat with Winston.
I hadn’t drunk much tonight, but shortly after getting into the car, I suddenly felt sharp twinges in my stomach.
Winston noticed right away. He told the driver to pull over, and moments later, I was embarrassingly hunched over a trash can, throwing up violently.
It was so humiliating, I wanted to crawl into a hole and hide.
“Sorry,” I said, glancing at Winston, who was twisting the cap off a water bottle, feeling mortified. “I usually handle alcohol just fine.”
Winston’s smile deepened, his tone teasing. “Maybe it’s the driver’s fault.”
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Well, even more embarrassing.
Once I climbed back into the car, Winston pointed to the wristband on my wrist and said, “It’s dirty.”
I instinctively pulled my left hand back, saying nothing.
He meant well, but what he didn’t know was that beneath the wristband was the ugly
scar.
Dirty, he was right.
I thought despondently, it’s been dirty for a long time.
Half an hour later, at my request, the car stopped at the entrance of my apartment complex.
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I thanked Winston, and as I turned, I suddenly felt a coat drape over my shoulders.
In an instant, the faint scent filled my nose, and Winston’s warm voice came gently in my ear, “The night air is cold. Take it slow.”
The wind bit at my skin, and after drinking, I shivered uncontrollably, so I didn’t refuse.
I stumbled to the downstairs lobby, and before I could even enter the building, Davina’s sweet voice drifted out.
“I’m sorry, Fletcher, I was too nervous. I probably didn’t perform well today, right?”
Her self-deprecating tone sounded
heartbreaking.
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Fletcher immediately replied, “No need to rush, practice makes perfect. You did great today!”
His low, raspy voice, combined with the sincere warmth in it, made it easy to feel comforted.
This was the Fletcher in front of Davina.
I couldn’t bear to listen any longer and turned to walk toward the other side of the staircase.
Then I heard Davina ask, “Fletcher, aren’t you coming up to sit for a bit?”
I lazily lifted my eyelids and looked at the moonlight outside the window, forcing a small smile.
Yes, under a moonlit sky like this, it would
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probably be perfect to sit with a lover and have quiet, intimate conversations all night.
Perhaps it was the alcohol, but that night, I actually slept quite soundly.
So much so that when Fletcher called, I didn’t notice at all.
It was ten o’clock last night, not long after he had dropped Davina off.
I rubbed my temples and, out of politeness, still replied to his WhatsApp message.
“Mr. Lynton, is something wrong?”
I didn’t expect Fletcher to reply immediately. “Wrong number.”
As expected.
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C
I tapped my fingers, deleted the message, and got up to go to the bathroom.
A moment later, the notification pinged again. Fletcher had sent a message: “Ms. Grande, you’re quite busy.”
I didn’t know where my rebellious side came from, but I quickly typed back: “Compared to a time management master like Mr. Lynton, I’m still a little behind.”
Fletcher didn’t respond again.
The conversation ended abruptly.
I quickly packed up my things and headed to work. As my gaze swept over the couch, I noticed the deep blue suit jacket.
It was Winston’s.
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There was still a faint fragrance mixed with a lingering sour odor on it.
That was my fault.
I efficiently packed up the jacket and took it with me to the office building, looking for a dry cleaners.
As luck would have it, I hadn’t found the dry cleaner yet when I bumped into Fletcher, who was dropping Davina off for work.
Davina wore a pale pink knitted sweater, paired with a black skirt and Mary Jane shoes, radiating pure youthful energy.
When she saw me, she smiled and asked, “Charlene, what are you doing here?”
Her big eyes fell on the suit jacket I was carrying.
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I replied calmly, “Looking for a dry cleaner.”
Davina seemed to understand immediately, pointing toward the street. “There’s one around the second corner.”
I was about to thank her when I heard her curiously ask, “This suit jacket, is it Mr. Fleming’s?”
I quietly looked at Davina, only to see her gaze shift toward Fletcher, her face filled with shyness. “Charlene treats Mr. Fleming so well. I should learn from her.”
I glanced over at Fletcher, who was standing opposite me, and responded in a warm tone, “Well, Davina, you have a lot to learn.”
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