The Windfalls of Love (Roxanne and Harrison)

Chapter 274

Roxanne gazed at Harrison with a calmness that was unsettling.

"You're awake?"

The sight she presented was the last thing Harrison wanted to see - her tranquility was unnerving.

A wave of pain rolled over him, crashing against his chest.

Even his towering figure, standing at six foot three, seemed to be shrouded in an air of melancholy.

He managed a polite response, "I apologize for disturbing you last night."

His head was pounding as the effects of the alcohol waned.

It felt like it was about to explode.

His throat was parched, and his voice hoarse.

He had an inkling of what had transpired the previous night. Alexander must have brought him here

after he had too many drinks.

Once again, he said politely, "I should get going."

Roxanne didn't respond. Instead, she walked over to the open-concept kitchen.

Seeing Harrison heading for the door, she said nonchalantly, "Have some water, eat breakfast before

you leave. I have something to discuss with you."

Harrison halted in his tracks, he didn't leave.

Roxanne brought over water and some oatmeal to the table.

She gestured towards him, "Come over."

Harrison didn't want to leave in the first place.

When Roxanne called him over, there was a glimmer of relief in his heart.

Maybe she still cared about him.

That's why she made him a stomach-friendly breakfast and warm lemon water.

When he gulped down the water, it was like a resurgence of life, as though he was revitalized.

Yes.

Revitalized.

Without Roxanne, he was merely a walking corpse.

Just a cup of water from her was enough to set his heart beating once more.

Roxanne prepared two bowls of oatmeal.

She fetched some light sides to complement the meal.

She handed him a portion of non-spicy pickles and scrambled eggs with hash browns.

"Breakfast isn't much, but it'll do."

She enjoyed spicy food.

As she savored her oatmeal with spicy pickles, she prepared to discuss the matter at hand with

Harrison.

Harrison too, tucked into the oatmeal.

A simple bowl of oatmeal, but it was filled with flavors of memories.

The taste of ordinary life.

A taste that he, the most affluent man in Seraphim Haven, couldn't buy with his wealth.

He put down his spoon, "Roxanne, it must've been tough for you this past year, hasn't it?"

Roxanne paused for a moment.

She grabbed a few more strands of pickles and mixed it into her oatmeal, swallowing it down.

The usually appetizing side dish suddenly lost its flavor.

The bland oatmeal was rather difficult to swallow.

But she responded breezily, "It wasn't too bad. We managed."

"I'm sorry!" Harrison blurted out, full of remorse, "I have let you and our daughter down."

"It's in the past, let's not talk about it." Roxanne seemed to be focused on her oatmeal, but memories of

childbirth filled her heart with bitterness.

Harrison said earnestly, "Roxanne, the biggest mistake I've ever made was giving up on you and our

child. I want to make it up to you, I want to win you back."

Upon hearing these words, Roxanne didn't react.

She had finished her oatmeal.

She placed the bowl down and looked up.

Harrison was getting nervous.

He stiffened, "Roxanne, I'm sure you don't want Angela to grow up in a single-parent family..."

Roxanne cut him off, "I want to discuss Angela's situation with you."

"Angela needs her father." Harrison echoed.

This statement struck a sharp pain in Roxanne's heart.

It was so painful that her complexion turned pale.

A suffocating sensation kept gripping her chest.

Despite her attempts to calm herself down, she still found the air stifling.

But she didn't want to dwell on the past.

She had finally adjusted her mindset, letting go of her resentment and starting afresh.

She didn't want to harbor any more hatred.

To forgive others was to free herself.

Taking a deep breath, she said,

"Mr. Rodriguez, I don't wish to hold any grudges against you over past affairs. You were adamant about

terminating the pregnancy, that was your stubbornness. I was adamant about keeping her, that was my

stubbornness. Now that Angela is born, let's focus on her. Let's leave the past behind."

She paused before continuing,

"Angela is a living, breathing human being. She will grow and develop feelings. I don't want our

disputes to affect her growth. Let's coexist peacefully. When it concerns Angela, let's fulfill our

responsibilities as parents, discuss and compromise whenever necessary, and avoid solving issues

through arguments. But apart from matters concerning Angela, I hope that there won't be any

interaction between you and me. Since we are ex-spouses, I hope you remain as just that. Don't

discuss anything else with me, especially not matters of the heart!"

She emphasized the last sentence.

With the coldest, most rational, and firm words, she conveyed her stance to Harrison.

Throughout the conversation, she referred to him as Mr. Rodriguez.

She made the boundaries clear.

No love, no hatred.

Harrison was engulfed with sorrow.

The once high-spirited man, who could change the fortunes of Seraphim Haven with a mere flick of his

hand, was now filled with a sense of defeat.

Even his broad shoulders sagged.

"Roxanne, do you still love me?"

Asking this question, Harrison felt like the biggest jerk.

He was the one who pushed her away.

What right did he have to ask this?

But he shamelessly asked it anyway.

After asking, he stared intently at Roxanne, afraid to miss any of her reactions.

Yet, all her responses could be summed up in one word - nonchalant!

She responded casually,

"Mr. Rodriguez, I may not be of noble birth or a high-profile person, but I've been through a lot, seen a

lot, and met a lot of people. Now, I'm financially independent and in a good state of mind. I won't be

hung up over whether I'm loved or not. When I'm in love, I will cherish it and give it my all. When I'm not

in love, I won't drag things out."

She said this with a smile on her face.

A smile that was so serene and calm.

It meant that she had truly moved on.

She added, "Mr. Rodriguez, anyone can live well without anyone else. We should encourage each

other. I hope you can move on soon too. You're a successful entrepreneur, Harrison. You shouldn't be Content is property of NôvelDrama.Org.

tangled up in this emotional web."

Harrison had a lot to say, but he simply said, "Roxanne, you're stronger than I ever imagined."

The word 'strong' was too heavy.

Who wouldn't want to be a delicate woman, with someone to fuss over her, someone to rely on?

But when she had been hurt too much, when she realized that the people she loved the most can leave

or distance themselves so easily, she no longer wanted that dependence.

Relying on others is unreliable; the most reliable person in life is yourself.

At his words, she didn't respond. The bitter smile that lingered on her lips faded.

She lowered her head, silently started clearing the dishes from the table, "Angela is still downstairs, I

need to go and get her."

She put the dishes into the sink.

Harrison watched her retreating figure.

She was too thin.

It seemed like he could break her with a gentle squeeze.

He wanted to hold her close, but she was so near yet he no longer had the right.

From behind her, he asked heavily, "May I go downstairs to hold Angela?"

"Of course," she turned around, smiled sweetly, and simply.

A bitter taste lingered in Harrison's heart.

What's the longest distance in the world?

It's when the person you deeply love has been severely hurt by you.

You weren't there when she hid to lick her wounds and heal herself.

And in the end, when she stands in front of you, unloving and unresentful, you no longer have the right

to hold her.