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Novel Catalog
Chapter 12 Two Of A Kind
Cecilia glanced around, feeling an overwhelming sense of unfamiliarity. She had once again forgotten the way back. Frustrated, she pulled out her phone to check the GPS, but struggled to remember the name of her current place of stay. Calvin had been trailing behind her, his concern for her growing ever since Nathaniel left. Seeing Cecilia standing alone, he couldn’t resist approaching her. “Cecilia.” Startled, Cecilia instinctively thought Nathaniel had returned. A fleeting spark of hope ignited within her, but when she turned, it was quickly replaced by a pang of disappointment. Calvin walked closer. “Do you really not remember me?” Cecilia stared at him, struggling to place his face. “I’m Fatso. Have you forgotten?” Calvin gently prompted. It was then that Cecilia’s memory clicked. Back when she was a child living with Martha in the countryside, she had a friend named Fatso. Calvin had been chubby and shorter than her, but now he had transformed into a tall, handsome man with striking features. “I remember now. You’ve changed so much, I almost didn’t recognize you.” A faint smile tugged at Cecilia’s lips, but it carried an undercurrent of bitterness, which Calvin noticed immediately. “Come on, let me take you home,” he offered. After dropping Cecilia off, Calvin was taken aback when he realized she was staying in a shabby motel. For someone from a prestigious family like the Rainsworths, even after a divorce, she shouldn’t have ended up in such a place. Cecilia felt a wave of unease. “Sorry for the trouble,” she murmured, her voice soft. “I live here, but please don’t tell Martha. I don’t want to worry her.” Calvin nodded, unsure of how to comfort her. It was late, and he couldn’t stay longer. After promising to visit the next day, he left. As he drove away, he didn’t notice the matte black Cadillac lurking in the shadows beneath the building. For Cecilia, it didn’t matter where she lived. After Calvin left, the discomfort from the drinks earlier hit her hard. Her stomach churned, and her head spun. Nathaniel’s cruel words echoed in her mind. “You look like a ghost! Who would ever like a woman like you?” She wiped the makeup off her face, the lipstick from her lips, but her pale skin flushed and swelled from the harsh treatment. When Cecilia first realized she was suffering from depression, she researched the condition. She knew it could lead to brain damage, memory loss, and cognitive dysfunction. It could also cause someone to obsess over unhappy thoughts, amplifying their distress. Knock, knock! The sound of persistent knocking at the door startled her. Cecilia thought it was Calvin returning, so she rushed to open it. But as soon as the door swung open, her wrist was gripped tightly by Nathaniel. He held her slender wrist with such force that it almost felt like it might snap. “Cecilia! You’ve truly surprised me!” Nathaniel’s voice was harsh as he pushed the door shut behind him and dragged her to the nearby couch. “So, you’ve already chosen your next partner—no wonder you’re so eager to let go!” His words stung, like daggers. Seeing Calvin with her had sparked jealousy and misunderstanding in Nathaniel. Cecilia couldn’t understand why Nathaniel still clung to his first love, despite treating her with indifference for three years. Nothing she did seemed to reach him. She stared into Nathaniel’s furious eyes, her own eyes reddening at the corners. “We’re just two of a kind,” she whispered. The Smith family had deceived him into marriage, and Nathaniel had treated her coldly while still holding onto feelings for his first love. Neither of them was any nobler than the other. Nathaniel had been drinking that night, and the stench of liquor lingered on him. He gripped Cecilia’s chin, his eyes rimmed with red, and murmured, “Who was he? When did you two meet?” It was the first time Cecilia had seen him like this, and a bitter laugh escaped her. “Are you jealous?” Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Are you worthy of my jealousy?” Cecilia bit her lip, holding back the tears. But Nathaniel leaned in closer, continuing his questioning in a low voice by her ear. “Did he sleep with you earlier? Hmm?” They had been married for three years, and during that time, Cecilia had given up her career and followed the Rainsworth family’s customs. She had turned down invitations from friends, yet now Nathaniel was questioning her loyalty. At that moment, Cecilia felt a strange sense of relief. “What do you think?” she shot back. Nathaniel was livid, his burning hand moving lower. Cecilia’s blood froze as she struggled to comprehend what was happening. She wanted to resist, to fight back, but it felt futile. It wasn’t until the moment passed that Nathaniel finally calmed down. Outside, the sky began to lighten. Nathaniel glanced at the fragile, pale Cecilia and then at the glaring red stain on the bedsheet. He couldn’t quite put into words what he was feeling. Smack! The sharp sound of a slap broke the silence as Cecilia struck Nathaniel across the face. The slap shattered any remaining illusions of love she had. She clapped her hands over her ears, unable to hear what Nathaniel was saying, and interrupted him, “Get out!” Nathaniel was stunned, unsure of how he managed to leave. Scenes from the night before played in his mind. Once he reached his car, he dialed his assistant, Mason. “Find out who the men in Cecilia’s life are,” he ordered. Mason was confused. After her marriage, Cecilia’s life had revolved around Mr. Rainsworth. Did she even know any other men? Inside the motel, after Nathaniel left, Cecilia cleaned herself, scrubbing over and over again. As their divorce loomed, they had finally understood what it meant to be a married couple, though it was laughable and tragically ironic when put into words. Around 9 AM the next day, Calvin brought breakfast, unaware of Cecilia’s strange mood. “I left in such a hurry last night, I forgot to mention we have a vacant house in our property. You’re welcome to stay there. It’s not safe for a girl to be in a motel.” Cecilia shook her head, refusing. It was hard for her to accept kindness, and she didn’t want to owe anyone. Calvin, however, expected the refusal. “It’s vacant anyway. You might as well move in. I won’t charge you rent.” “But I’ll only need it for a month,” Cecilia said. “One month it is then. It’s better than leaving it unoccupied,” Calvin agreed. He couldn’t understand why she would insist on staying for just a month when there was plenty of time ahead. As he drove Cecilia to the house, she carried nothing but a single suitcase. After they got into the car, Calvin and Cecilia reminisced about their childhood. Later, Calvin shared what he had been doing over the years. After high school, he had moved abroad, worked hard while studying, and by twenty, he had started his own company. Now, he was a wealthy businessman. Cecilia listened to him and found herself reflecting on her own life. After graduation, she had married Nathaniel and become a homemaker. She gazed at Calvin with admiration. “You’re truly impressive.” “You were impressive too. After you left the village, I kept track of you. I saw you on TV and watched you win first place in the Youth’s Piano Competition. You even sang, didn’t you? Back then, you were my idol…” Calvin didn’t share the struggles he had faced. When he was abroad, life hadn’t been easy. He had fallen into bad habits and self-destruction until he saw news of Cecilia, a person born with a hearing impairment who had managed to achieve so much. Normally, the doors to the music industry would’ve been closed to her.
