Her eyes narrowed in revulsion as she glared at the crumpled cigarette pack.
Seemingly unsatisfied, she sent it skidding across the ground with a forceful kick.
Turning her attention to Nathan, Lucinda fixed her gaze on the back of his head and spoke with stern seriousness.
âThis is the last time Iâm saying this.
I detest cigarettes.
It doesnât matter if you smoke outside; the mere scent of it makes me nauseous.
Your status in Stastle means nothing here.
If you choose to stay, you must follow my rules.
Smoke here, and youâll regret it.â
With an icy expression, Lucinda spun around and took Hildaâs hand, whispering gently, âHe reeks of smoke.
Itâs harmful to you.
We shouldnât let him inside.â
âButâ¦â Hilda faltered.
âItâs time for breakfast.â
âHeâs already filled with smoke.
Missing one meal wonât hurt.
Letâs go eat; just leave him be.â
Hilda appeared to want to protest further but allowed herself to be drawn into the house by Lucinda.
Kyson, who had been leaning against the doorway observing the interaction, received a sharp glance from Lucinda.
âIf you ever bring such disrespectful company to trouble me and Hilda again, you might as well leave, too.â
Kyson was taken aback.
He had watched as Lucinda had vehemently kicked Nathan.
It seemed she truly had no memory of Nathan.
This probably left a poor impression on her.
With this realization, Kyson cracked a wry smile and agreed, âOkay.â
As soon as they entered the house, Sonny hurried to Nathanâs side.
âNathan, are you alright?â he asked with concern.
Nathan clutched his waist and frowned, unwilling to utter a single word.
..
Library
Truth be told, he was far from alright.
His wife had kicked him that morning.
Feeling fine was out of the question.
Indeed, Nathan had smoked just to irk Lucinda, but her retaliation wasnât out of concern for his health; she simply detested the smell of cigarettes.
He felt his suffering was for nothing.
Feeling aggrieved, Nathan let out a heavy sigh and leaned on Sonnyâs shoulder, his demeanor utterly defeated.
With a sigh of his own, Sonny helped him straighten his coat and asked with evident worry, âLucinda doesnât recognize you anymore.
Why would she hit you?â
Recalling the ferocity of Lucindaâs blows, Sonny winced, empathizing with Nathanâs pain.
After a brief pause, Nathan confessed, âI smoked two cigarettes last night and two more this morning.
She caught me in the act.â
Sonnyâs eyes widened in disbelief.
âFour cigarettes in just a few hours?â
Nathan remained silent.