Chapter 182 Hometown Tales
They scrunched up their face in contempt at Ben’s obnoxious behavior.
He snickered coldly, “So you think she likes this village just because she says so?”
“You claim she shared everything about this village with you. Why don’t you tell us what exactly did she say?” Ben continued.
Damien’s l*ps twitched as he responded, “Oh, Ben, I think you’ll find this quite intriguing. Vivian went on three blind dates before she settled with her current husband.”
“The first suitor found our quaint village a bit too remote for his liking. This led to a collective uproar among the villagers.”
“The second suitor? Vivian had reservations about his suitability. The entire village conducted a thorough analysis and ultimately deemed him unsuitable.”
“Now, as for the third suitor…” Damien’s smirk deepened.
“Shut your mouth!” Ben seethed; his anger was simmering.
Vivian’s ego, severely bruised, couldn’t hold back any longer. “Cherise? You share even these village matters with your husband?”
Her words hung in the air, plunging the surrounding villagers into an even more resounding silence.
Damien’s earlier comments had, ironically, confirmed that Cherise had indeed confided. in him about village matters.
“Fine, let’s not talk about this then.”
Damien continued indifferently, “Mrs. Levine, the oldest in the village at ninety-three, was remarkably healthy, although she broke her leg a couple of years ago. She walked with a noticeable limp.”
“The neighbors, Jack and his wife, married for three years, gave birth to two chubby toddlers as innocent as their parents. Adorable and clueless kind of way.”
“The village chief’s daughter, now in high school, excelled academically. She had the potential to be the second girl from our village to attend university.”
“There was also a stray dog in the village named Yellow. It wandered every day, feasting at whichever house it pleased.”
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Despite Damien’s impa*sive demeanor, he meticulously recounted every detail Cherise had shared about the village that night.
Ben’s expression darkened with each word and contorted in disbelief.
The surrounding villagers squirmed uncomfortably, looking away and avoiding eye
contact.
Ah, the spectacle of it all! Cherise, the pinnacle of urban sophistication, astonishingly profound understanding of the village’s intricacies.
possessed an
Even after embracing a more opulent lifestyle, she clung fervently to her hometown tales, holding them as dear as treasured gems.
Such a profound connection to her origins was genuinely heart-warming to witness.
And yet, there they were,
“Cherry, I shouldn’t have judged you as they did,” a towering figure sighed, his tone laced. with genuine regret. “I was wrong.”
“I promise to make it right. I’ll bring my children to your doorstep and sincerely apologize.”
This man was none other than Jack.
Jack took the lead, and gradually, the villagers, one after another, started to look at Cherise with remorse and guilt.
Cherise’s eyes glistened, and tears began to well up as she couldn’t help but admire. Damien even more than she did.
He had such an impeccable memory!
She used to avoid discussing her hometown in the city, fearing that she would bet perceived as unsophisticated. However, she decided to open up when she convinced him. to come back with her on that day. She expected him to listen and forget, but to her. surprise, he remembered every detail vividly.
Ben clenched his teeth. “No matter how attached Cherise is to her hometown, it doesn’t change the fact that Elvis pushed her into the fire for money!”
“Cherise’s lifelong happiness was ruined just to save that stubborn old man!”
The crowd fell silent for a moment.
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Damien couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.
He pulled Cherise close, wrapping his arms around her, and said affectionately, “Honey, don’t you feel happy being with me?”
He rarely used the endearing term ‘Honey’ in public.
Cherise looked into his eyes affectionately and said, “Of course I am. You’ve brought endless joy into my life.”
heart, you’re much better than those physically able,” she rea*sured him.
She was afraid Damien might take it to heart.
In this world, there were far too many people like that: insecure people would choose to mock others for their imperfections. But deep down, they knew-these disabled individuals were often stronger and more resilient than them in ways they could never comprehend.
Damien smiled gently and wrapped his arm around Cherise’s shoulder. “Do you like being with me is a burden?”
get
ever feel
“No, not at all,” Cherise replied firmly. She lifted her head and planted a tender k*ss on his cheek. “Hubby,”
“I don’t find being with you burdensome,” she rea*sured him.
“I’m just worried that you might feel hurt because of me, ridiculed by these uncouth. people,” Cherise admitted her concerns openly.
“If you’re not burdened, neither am I,” Damien said rea*suringly.
He squeezed his eyes shut as tears welled up.
Her pure-heartedness deeply touched Damien.
Despite facing ridicule and accusations from the people, Cherise never thought of herself; her concern was always for Damien’s feelings.
He sighed, about to grasp her hand and turn back, when he heard Elvis’s low voice.
“Cherry, take Mr. Lenoir home!”
Elvis’ voice echoed, and the jeering crowd redirected their mockery from Cherise to him.
“Tsk tsk tsk, look who’s here! Raised his daughter only to sell her away to a blind man!”
“Isn’t that right? All for dear old Mom. He doesn’t even care about his daughter’s happiness!”
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“It’s hilarious. The seemingly innocent ones are always the schemers in disguise…”
Their words dripped with venom as Cherise clenched her fists tightly and bit back her l*ps in anger.
Elvis noticed her barely suppressed rupturing rage and quickly responded.
“Why hold back? Don’t you agree with them?” he sneered.
“Go home!” Elvis roared.
As soon as Elvis shouted, Cherise’s anger vanished instantly.
Feeling completely defeated, she bit her l*p and helped Damien get ready to leave.
However, Damien coldly shrugged off her hand.
He turned back and faced the villagers with a sarcastic smile. “Cherry always spoke highly of her hometown to me, describing the warmth and simplicity of the people here.”
“When we were in the city, she was thrilled the whole night when she heard I was willing to accompany her back to our hometown.”
“She loves this place more than she loves the glitz and glamour of the city.”
“Even in wealthier surroundings, her heart yearns for the simplicity of this place-the little stream and the fish.”
“But little did she know, the neighbors and fellow villagers from her home would see her and her uncle’s family this way.”
Damien spoke with clarity, his voice deep and imbued with.
arrogance.
A sudden hush fell over the crowd as his words hung in the air.
Before the incident, Cherise and Elvis had enjoyed a stellar reputation in the village.
Cherise had been a beacon of pride for the entire community when she successfully secured a spot in university.
Now, they faced the villagers’ disdain. The shift from admiration to mockery was jarring and disheartening.
“Haha, do you think your words mean anything?” Ben sneered.
“I could come up with nonsense just like the garbage you spouted earlier.”
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“You don’t have to be blind to sweet talk someone!”
“If Cherise was so attached to this place, why marry you? Why bother with college? Staying
here would’ve suited her just fine, wouldn’t it?”
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