You're Just My Ex-Husband,My Lord-Chapter 205- I could never be as carefree as you are
While Lilian was helping her mother roast the chicken, the two of them chatted as they wrapped the dough.
Tiffany said to her daughter,
"Linda’s youngest son has returned to the country. She wants to introduce him to you. Since it’s the New Year holiday, find some time to meet him."
Tiffany had a good impression of Linda’s son. When Linda had mentioned it again, Tiffany had agreed right away.
Karl had just completed his studies recently. However, according to Linda, he hadn’t returned to the country yet because he had been doing an internship in a certain place. He happened to return for the New Year, and it seemed like he would directly join a university as a teacher once he got back.
Tiffany liked Karl’s job a lot. A scholarly man always left a good impression.
On the other hand, her own daughter had already started working, and Tiffany wasn’t too happy with her daughter’s job.
Tiffany had expected that after graduation, her daughter would join the Washington family business, but instead, she had gone to work for the Mo family and was even an underling to Morrison.
According to her son, the plan was for her to go to Mo’s first to gain some experience, so that if she joined Washington later, she wouldn’t be criticized by the subordinates.
Although Tiffany had a good relationship with Linda, she couldn’t accept the way Morrison, Mo’s eldest son, lived his life. Even Linda found her own son troublesome, so let alone Tiffany. That was why she didn’t want her daughter to work under Morrison.
Lilian, who was rolling the dough, suddenly hit her hand with the rolling pin when she heard Tiffany’s words. It hurt like crazy, but she didn’t care. She stared at her mother and asked,
"Who?"
Tiffany repeated,
"Linda’s youngest son, Karl. He’s Morrison’s brother."
Lilian was completely stunned. Tiffany glanced at her and asked,
"What’s wrong?"
"Nothing, nothing."
Lilian quickly lowered her head and continued rolling the dough, but she was no longer focused on it.
What was going on? She was dating the eldest son, but now her mother wanted to introduce her to the second son?
Did this mean that her relationship with the eldest son was about to end?
It wasn’t until Lilian persistently begged and pleaded that Tiffany reluctantly agreed to send some of the elaborate New Year’s Eve dinner and dumplings she had made to Daniel.
And of course, the job of running errands and delivering the food fell to Dave.
Daniel also lived in the old mansion, but not in the same building as the lord.
Actually, even during the New Year, there were servants and chefs who didn’t go home, so there was no need to worry about the Burg Eltz lord or Daniel not having a meal. The chef would surely prepare a lavish New Year’s Eve feast for them.
But Lilian, clinging to her mother’s every word, wanted to send her father Daniel the food her mother had made, simply to let him feel some warmth on such a lonely New Year’s Eve night.
Dave couldn’t help but feel a little emotional as he thought about how Lilian had insisted on sending food to her father. Indeed, daughters were more thoughtful—he, as a son, had never even considered it.
Dave drove all the way to the old mansion. In previous years, the Burg Eltz mansion was always bustling with life and brightly lit for the New Year. Relatives from all sides of the family would gather here to celebrate together—lots of adults and children. After the meal, they’d set off fireworks, play mahjong and cards at several tables, and stay up together to welcome the new year. It was always so lively.
But this year, it was eerily quiet.
In the afternoon, Dave had come by the old mansion. Originally, he and Lilian had planned to spend the New Year here, but they were sent away by Wooden Washington, who told them neither of them could stay, so as not to irritate him.
He had asked the housekeeper why the red lanterns weren’t hung, and the housekeeper sighed helplessly and said that the lord had forbade it, saying that Burg Eltz would not be celebrating at all this year.
Now, as Dave looked at the silent, empty old mansion, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of bitterness.
In the past, every New Year, Laurent would be running around in a flurry of activity, while he himself was on vacation. Sometimes, if he wanted to see her, he couldn’t even find her—either she was at the supermarket buying ingredients for the New Year’s Eve dinner or busy decorating the old mansion.
He had always thought that was just her duty as a wife, but now he realized that it wasn’t taken for granted.
It was because she loved him that she was willing to take care of all of this for him.
When her love for him faded, she would no longer do anything for him.
When he brought the food to his father, Daniel was sitting alone drinking his sorrows away. Seeing Dave take out one dish after another from the food container, Daniel let out a self-deprecating laugh.
"These must be from Lilian, right?"
Dave didn’t say much, just silently accepted Daniel’s words. Daniel knew well that, at this point, only his daughter still cared about him.
"Sit down and have a drink with me."
After Dave placed the food on the table, Daniel poured himself another glass of wine. Then, he picked up another glass to pour for Dave, but Dave raised his hand to stop him.
"I’m not drinking. I still have to drive back later."
Although he had declined the drink, he still sat down in the seat opposite Daniel.
The large dining room was now left with just the two of them.
Normally, this room would have been filled with the entire family—old and young.
This also seemed to be the first time in years, since things had soured between Dave and Daniel, that the two of them were sitting alone, facing each other, calmly.
Daniel drank heavily, and slowly, he began to speak, his words slurred as he confessed.
"I’m sorry for your mom. I’m sorry for you and Lilian."
"When I was young, I spent all my time on that woman and her son, leaving so little time to spend with you three. Now that I think about it, I betrayed your mom back then. What right do I have to ask her to stay with me now?"
"I thought about letting go, but... what can I do when I can’t let go?"
Daniel’s expression was filled with pain.
"I really can’t let go. Maybe you’re still young, and you don’t understand the depth of feelings and marriage like I do at my age. That’s why you could easily agree to divorce Laurent."
"I can’t. I could never be as carefree as you are."
Daniel muttered to himself.
Dave didn’t respond, thinking to himself that he couldn’t let go either. If it hadn’t been for thinking that Laurent was suicidal, he would never have signed that divorce agreement.
Daniel didn’t know these things. He just thought that Dave had agreed to the divorce so easily because his feelings for Laurent were shallow at the time.
Daniel continued to speak to himself, then grabbed the bottle and poured himself another drink, drinking it down in large gulps. On this New Year’s Eve, a night that should have been spent with the family together, he drowned his sorrows in alcohol.
"If you can’t let go, then don’t!"
Dave finally said this to Daniel, then stood up to leave.
Daniel, already drunk and slumped over the table, stiffened when he heard his son’s words. He lifted his head, only to find that his son had already disappeared through the door.
For a moment, Daniel didn’t know whether to feel happy or sorrowful. In this major matter, he had somehow managed to get his son’s approval. It was truly not easy.
