The first moment I saw James, I froze.
There was no other reason, but because he looked so much like Icarus—his eyebrows, his lips, especially that unique cold demeanor, it reminded me of him in high school.
My best friend told me I was supporting James with Icarus's money, helping him treat his brother's heart disease, buying him a house in the southern suburbs, and staying there most of the time since it was closer to work.
She said James had just graduated from a top university, majoring in engineering, and worked at the same company as me.
So when we met, my first question was: "Don't you want to pursue a postgraduate degree?"
"No, thanks."
He smiled shyly: "Grad school is too busy, not convenient to take care of you."
I sat down in front of him in silence.
My best friend, understanding the situation, left: "You two talk, and call me when you're done."
As soon as she left, James looked at me with grievance, asking in a sad tone:
"Lavy, you haven't come to see me for so long. Are you getting tired of me?"
I looked at him and asked, "You know I'm married, right?"
"Yes."
"Then why are you still hanging out with me?"
James's eyes widened.
"But your husband treats you badly, he cheats, he's emotionally abusive. You're not happy being with him, are you?"
For a moment, I didn't know what to say.
After a while, I reached out and poured him a cup of tea: "Tell me about the story between you and me. I want to hear it."
James probably thought I wanted to revisit our past, and smiled happily, a small dimple appearing on his cheek.
The first time he met me was two years ago, by the lake at the top university.
I was sitting on a rock, lost in thought, and suddenly, I hugged my knees and began crying.
He happened to be troubled about his younger brother's medical expenses, and seeing me like that, he felt a sense of kinship. He handed me a tissue:
"From the moment you saw me, you froze, stepped back a few steps and almost fell into the lake. Luckily, I grabbed you."
"Later, when I asked, you said I was really handsome, so much so that it stunned you."
He shyly lowered his head, revealing a small canine tooth.
It seemed like he'd never seen Icarus, and didn't realize how much he resembled him.
My emotions became a little complicated.
He continued:
"Later, you paid for my brother's surgery and arranged a place for me to stay. I'm really grateful to you."
He said seriously: "I've been working to earn money. I'll pay you back for the surgery expenses later."
The way he said it made it seem like our relationship was just a pure financial support arrangement.
I suddenly asked him:
"Did anything happen between us?"
He paused for a moment, and after realizing what I meant, his face turned a little red.
"No."
He softly said: "You said you weren't divorced, so we couldn't do anything substantial. It wouldn't be fair to me."
Then, he suddenly looked up and asked:
"When you left last time, you said you had a way to make your husband divorce you. What happened to that?"
But I didn't answer him, not even really hearing his words clearly.
Because through the transparent glass of the tea room, I saw Icarus leaning against the luxury car, standing straight with a cigarette between his fingers, staring right at me.
---
The scene of being caught in the act made me feel deeply uncomfortable.
I grabbed my bag, intending to leave, but after taking a few steps, I turned back and said to him:
"If you want to study, then keep studying. You can even go abroad if you want. You're still young, you don't need to rush into making money."
I took a piece of paper from my bag and handed it to him:
"Write down your phone number. I'll contact you later."
He sensed something was off but obediently didn't ask any questions. He seriously wrote down his number and said: "I'll wait for you."
I grabbed my bag and ran out.
Icarus was already sitting in the driver's seat.
Through the front window, he was glaring coldly at James, who was still facing away from him.
Then, he looked at me as I hurriedly got into the passenger seat, his voice harsh:
"If I just crash into him like this, will he die or not? What do you think."
"Don't drag me into your craziness."
I fastened my seatbelt and calmly said:
"Let's go. Find somewhere to have lunch, I have something to ask you."
