Chapter 877

He blurted it out without thinking, his concern as instinctive as breathing. It was as though it was

etched deep in his bones, he was completely oblivious to how his eagerness might be putting his

girlfriend next to him in an awkward spot.

Dorothy was the first to recover, clearing her throat with a subtle cough and offering a light chuckle,

"Been caught up in a bit of a whirlwind lately. Thanks for your and your girlfriend’s concern."

It was only then that Kenneth remembered he had brought his girlfriend along. An awkward grin

tugged at his lips as he took a step back and pulled his girlfriend into the introduction, "This is

Eleanor, my girlfriend. This is my cousin Karen, and that's her husband, Jeffrey. And this is..."

He paused for a moment before finding the right words, "Karen's bestie, Dorothy."

"Nice to meet you all!" Eleanor seemed unfazed by the earlier awkwardness, her greeting warm and

friendly, "Karen, Kenneth always talks about those childhood capers of yours."

Karen squinted her eyes in a playful smile, "Well, you might want to take his stories with a grain of

salt. Kenneth surely hasn't painted a very ladylike picture of me."

Kenneth rolled his eyes in resignation, "Mainly because you're rarely ever ladylike."

"Hmph!"

The group moved into the private room, laughter and banter flowing easily. The table was already

set with a feast of pre-ordered dishes.

Dorothy chose a seat near the door, planning her exit strategy for when the conversation lulled—

she felt out of place and was so exhausted that she wanted to go home and rest. After a restless

night filled with intermittent awakenings and vivid dreams that still clung to her memory, she

slumped into her chair, her mind drifting in and out of the ongoing chatter.

"Dorothy?"

Kenneth's voice snapped her back to the present.

"Oh, what's up?"

"Dig in, will ya? All your favorites are here. You should eat more and stop wasting away." His words

were laden with genuine concern.

She felt like a deer in headlights, "Yeah, sure! I'm just gonna hit the restroom real quick. You guys

carry on."

With that, she bolted from the room—not so much fleeing as needing a moment to breathe, splash

some water on her face to elevate her spirit—or she’d just sit there and fall into sleep.

After getting directions from a server, Dorothy found the restroom was a bit of a walk away, which

suited her just fine—it meant she could delay her return.

She splashed cold water on her face and rummaged through her purse for a disposable towel to dry

off. Before she could find it, a towel was handed to her.

"Here, use mine."

"Thanks!" She mumbled, not quite making out the face without her glasses. She patted her face dry,

then put her glasses back on to see Eleanor, Kenneth's girlfriend, holding out the towel.

"You look a bit off-color. Are you feeling alright?" Eleanor's voice was laced with concern.

"Just a rough night's sleep, that's all."

Eleanor nodded with a smile, "I was worried you were avoiding me."

"Why would I?" Dorothy couldn't be happier to see Kenneth with someone else.

Eleanor didn't linger by the sink. After washing her hands, she turned to face Dorothy, "I know about

you and Kenneth and the fact that he's waited for you for years."

Dorothy didn’t reply.

"I don't mind." Eleanor said.

Dorothy's expression was the very picture of embarrassment.

"I don't even mind that in bed, he insists on calling me Dorothy. I know he's not calling out for me."

Dorothy was at a loss for words.

"He doesn't really like me, but that's okay. I don't really like him either."