Everyone knew those truths.
But Kenneth couldn't bear the thought that he might fade from her world.
After a prolonged silence, his voice was tender, âIâm sorry, Dorothy. Iâve been a burden for too long,
right.â
âYou donât have to put yourself down like that,â she replied. âI just hope that someone as good-
hearted as you will get the happy ending you deserve.â
âYeah, I will. Iâm going to spend some more time with Eleanor and then Iâm going to propose,â
Kenneth said, his gaze fixed on her, never allowing his tumult of emotions to spill into harsh words.
He always honored all her wishes. âWould you come to the wedding?â he asked.
âI might. If I'm around, I'll be there.â
He nodded, âOkay.â
After he left the cemetery, Dorothy lingered a while longer, speaking softly to her motherâs
gravestone, âIâll come back on the day of the verdict.â
Descending the hill, Dorothy didn't hail a taxi back to her apartment. Instead, she headed straight to
the supermarket. She needed a drink.
The court session wasn't until the next afternoon, so even if she got wasted tonight, it wouldn't mess
with anything.
Without a drink, sheâd face another sleepless night. It would be unbearable watching the clock tick
towards dawn.
But after aimlessly wandering the supermarket aisles, Dorothy left empty-handed. She then
grabbed a cab and made a beeline for the local bar.
If she was going to drown her sorrows, she might as well do it surrounded by others looking to do
the same. It made her feel less conspicuous.
As soon as she walked in, Dorothy caught the eye of a lot of men. She didn't look like your typical
club-goer, but that didnât matter. Her innocent yet alluring face and slender figure exuded a
challenging aura.
Men are drawn to challenges, after all.
âMiss, may I have the pleasure of buying you a drink?â
The first suitor approached swiftly, not-so-subtly flashing his exclusive credit card.
Dorothy merely glanced at it, not chasing him away but not engaging either. She just downed her
drink and took out her phone, dialing a number.
âThe number you have dialed is not in serviceâ¦â
As the man realized she wasn't interested, he left with his ego slightly bruised.
The second and third attempts by other men yielded the same results.
Dorothy kept her head down, stubbornly dialing the same number over and over. If it didn't go
through, she'd take another drink and try again.
Finally, when she didn't know which attempt it was, a young man, probably a college student,
approached, âFlying solo tonight, miss?â
It was then she finally looked up, her voice tinged with inebriation, âGot a cell phone?â
âOf course!â
âLend it to me.â She said, pushing a hundred-dollar bill towards him. âFor the call. Itâs yours.â
The young man had never encountered such a situation before. He smiled and found it amusing.
âI wouldn't dream of taking your money just for lending out my phone. But... after I lend you my
phone, could you give me your number?â
âNo.â Her reply was blunt.
Surprisingly, he grinned at her candor, âI like your straightforward rejection. Here, use my phone all
you want.â
Dorothy took it, dialing the familiar sequence of numbers.
This time, the call connected immediately â that confirmed her number had been blocked.
A deep male voice answered promptly, âHello, who is this?â
âEverett... I'm drunk again. Why havenât you shown up yetâ¦â
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