Chapter 19 Their Intimate Posture
Coleen came outside the club and sat by an inconspicuous flowerbed, which almost concealed her entirely. She curled up into a ball, effectively blocking out the sounds of the bustling traffic. She sniffled, and her eyes welled up with tears. Coleen didn’t like the person she had become. Other than shedding tears in a corner alone, she didn’t know what else she could do. Aislin was right. Her being alive was hurting others. Coleen raised her hand to cover her eyes, not noticing the black car parked not far away by the roadside and blocked by the holly bushes. The car windows were closed, but the man inside was smoking and fixing a sad gaze on her. Hanging below the rearview mirror in the car was a photo of him with Diana. In the picture, his smile appeared forced, and his gaze was directed to the side, while Diana wore a happy expression. Perhaps no one knew what he had been looking at, but he remembered it. He had been looking at Coleen at that moment. On that day during their school trip, Diana had wanted to take a photo with him, and Coleen, dressed in bright red sportswear, had been excitedly preparing barbecues with her friends. She had been laughing with pure and unadulterated joy. He would never forget the pure happiness on her face from that moment. Staring at Coleen now, he felt his heartache once again in waves. He didn’t know what he could do for Coleen. He couldn’t bring himself to hate her, but he couldn’t get over Diana’s death, either. The only thing he could do was force Coleen to leave. Abroad, she didn’t have to face any of this at least. After like forever, Coleen received a call from Leslie and made her way back to the club. She entered the office, and Leslie came in with a cup of tea. “Ms. Hurst, are you alright?” Coleen smiled lightly, “I’m fine. Thank you.” Leslie frowned at Coleen’s red eyes. “Would you like me to help you?” “Huh?” Coleen looked at her with a puzzled expression, not knowing what Leslie was referring to. “I’ve heard something about your past. Would you like me to help you deal with Ms. Ewing?” Coleen shook her head. “Thank you for your concern, but don’t wade into this mess.” Coleen appreciated Leslie’s kindness, but she didn’t want to drag more people down into her mess. At some point, Coleen had come to like facing her mess alone and kept all the pain to herself. After Leslie left, Coleen held her arm against the desk and rubbed between her eyebrows. She was considering Lyndon’s proposal, wondering whether she should run away or stay here to suffer. There came a knock on the door. Before Coleen could say anything, the door was opened. Coleen looked over, only to find Stanley stepping inside with one hand in his pants pocket. Coleen stood up, offering a respectful bow. “Mr. Stanley.” Stanley walked up to her. Coleen moved aside nervously, and Stanley took the seat. Standing beside him, Coleen thought of the woman who had walked alongside him earlier. While Coleen was lost in thought, Stanley grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him. She stumbled and ended up on his lap. Flustered, Coleen attempted to stand up, but Stanley held her tight. With his arms around her waist, Stanley made Coleen sit still on his lap. Their posture looked quite erotic from a distance.
