Stuck in The Marriage Pact
Chapter 29: dealing with Davin

Chapter 29: dealing with Davin

In a restaurant, Hunter sat in a wheelchair facing a glass wall that revealed an overcast view outside, with rain beginning to fall.

Occasionally, the man sipped his coffee, then switched to eating a croissant dipped in peanut butter. After a few minutes, his gaze shifted to Davin, who approached him with a faint smile.

"Seriously? You’re here alone?" Davin sat down, looking at Hunter with a smile. "How can you? Where’s your assistant? Your wife?" he wondered, raising an eyebrow.

"My wife is sick, and I don’t need an assistant to get here," Hunter replied calmly. "I can go anywhere alone... It’s not as bad as you imagine."

"Oh... Yeah!" Davin sneered. "I know you’re tough enough... I appreciate that!"

"Let’s get straight to the point... I don’t like what you’re doing," said Hunter, then rested both hands on the table. "About last night... What you saw was not surprising to me. I allowed Isabella to have a relationship with another man because I couldn’t give her what she needed. That was our agreement."

Davin fell silent, recalling what he had seen at the park last night.

"You don’t need to tell my mother about that... It’s unnecessary... You’re only going to shock her, make her angry, disappointed... But it won’t make me hate my wife," Hunter continued. "I understand her just as she understands me... And I hope you get that... And... And don’t tell this to our family. It wouldn’t be good, and it won’t benefit you," he added with a frown.

Davin exhaled harshly. "That’s strange... How can you allow your wife to have another relationship? Then what are you to her? What’s the point of marriage? A joke? To get an inheritance from our grandfather?" he asked casually.

"Of course, I married her because I love her. I don’t want her to belong to anyone else... Even though she has another lover, she’s still my wife. And when I recover... She won’t be allowed to stay with that man. The freedom I give her is simply because she still accepts me despite my condition," Hunter lied.

"That’s crazy!" Davin shook his head with a cynical smile. "How can you love a woman like that? If she loves you and accepts your condition, she doesn’t need another man to fulfill her needs. It’s crazy, she’s like a cougar who needs satisfaction... Can’t you satisfy her with your hands, in other ways?"

"This isn’t about sex!" Hunter snapped irritably, gritting his teeth. "I don’t even allow her to do that with another man!"

"Then why? What does she get from that man? Kisses? Can’t she get that from you?"

"No... It’s not about that." Hunter bit his lower lip, anxiety visible on his face as if he realized he’d made a mistake in his lie. "It’s just... That man is her ex-boyfriend... They’re still very close. I can’t stop it... Then... Last night, we argued, and she left the penthouse... She ran into him by accident because she wasn’t bringing her phone."

"So, what you said about allowing her to have another relationship was a lie?" Davin asked.

Hunter bit his lower lip and slowly nodded. "Yeah... What happened last night embarrassed and angered me. But you’re right... Maybe she’s not satisfied with what I give. I’m powerless," he said lowly.

Davin just stared, looking at Hunter as if searching for honesty in his eyes.

"It’s not easy... After you sent me that photo, she came back. We fought... But what she did doesn’t mean I’ll immediately divorce her. No, that won’t happen... I love her," Hunter explained again.

"Strange relationship," Davin replied, then took Hunter’s coffee and drank it.

Hunter remained silent, allowing Davin to finish his coffee.

"So what’s your main purpose in asking me to meet here?" Davin asked casually. "What do you want?"

"I just... I just don’t want you to tell anyone what Isabella did last night. Let it stay between you, me, and my mother," Hunter replied anxiously.

Davin only smiled, as if enjoying Hunter’s worry.

"Please... You’ve seen I’m powerless... I have nothing to be proud of... The assets my grandfather gave me also feel worthless to me. You’re the real winner... You have a better life... You can have fun... But please don’t have fun by making my life harder. I’ve only just felt relief from being married so my family doesn’t worry about me anymore... Please don’t ruin that happiness by showing pictures of my wife with another man... Besides, what do you gain? What benefit do you get?" Hunter wondered with a sad look in his eyes. "I know you don’t like me much... But don’t drag my wife into this... I don’t want our grandfather to know; it could shock him or even give him a heart attack. I’m not ready to lose him... I don’t think you are either." He continued, then looked away.

"Alright..." Davin exhaled harshly. "Don’t worry about that photo, I already deleted it. I just saw it as a joke, so I won’t send it to Grandpa or anyone else."

Hunter frowned while looking at Davin as if harboring anger in his heart.

"Is that all?" Davin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes... I hope you can promise," Hunter replied.

Davin pulled out his phone, activated the screen, and handed it to Hunter.

"You can check the entire album... No hidden files," he said.

Hunter immediately scrolled through Davin’s gallery, slowly from top to bottom, only finding landscape photos, Davin’s selfies, and even a picture of a girl sitting alone in a cafe.

’Sarah,’ he thought, frowning. ’Why does he have a photo of Sarah?’

"Did you find a picture of your wife?" Davin asked.

"No..." Hunter quickly exited the gallery and returned the phone to Davin.

"I told you it was just a joke, and it’s not that interesting. You’re right that I’m the winner... I have a better life," Davin said, slipping the phone into the pocket of his gray coat, which matched his black outfit. "Now I have to go, my girl is waiting for me at the apartment," he continued, then stood up.

Hunter sat quietly, feeling both disappointed and curious as he watched Davin walk away.

’He thinks what happened between me and Isabella is a joke... Maybe it’s true... I’m stuck in this damn charade. But... Who’s the girl waiting for him at the apartment? Could it be Sarah?’ he wondered, his thoughts drifting back to Sarah, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.