CHAPTER 43: CHAPTER 43- CHEATING AGAIN

After Catherine asked that question, Bert’s lips curved into a smile.

"If everyone were like you—needing to dig out the reason behind everything—wouldn’t we all die of exhaustion?"

He still didn’t answer her.

Catherine felt discouraged, even a little irritated, and finally chose to lower her head and continue eating.

Since he wasn’t willing to say it, she no longer wanted to hear it.

No matter what his motives were, Catherine couldn’t deny that he had been a great help regarding Renata. Toward him, gratitude outweighed everything else.

As for why Bert chose to hide his feelings from her for now—it was because he had carefully thought things through.

He hadn’t slept well last night. The other bedroom was prepared for Renata, and he had no reason to sleep there. But if he slept beside Catherine, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to control himself. In the end, he curled up on the tiny sofa.

The position was uncomfortable, his emotions unsettled, so he spent most of the night awake—and the more awake he was, the more he thought.

Renata had yet to be discharged. Catherine still had no job. Her life was already chaotic enough. If he confessed to her now, given her conservative and reserved nature, she would probably be frightened by his confession.

That would only worsen the mess she was already in—something Bert absolutely didn’t want to see.

He liked being deliberate with everything he did—including pursuing her.

Winning a woman’s body was easy. Winning her heart was not—especially when the woman was her.

A girl with her own little stubborn streak, a bit conservative, and with a quiet pride rooted in her bones.

So Bert believed he had to take things step by step. For now, what he needed to do was slowly build the bond between them.

They finished breakfast in silence. Catherine took the initiative to collect the dishes and wash them in the kitchen.

When she came out, he was already holding his jacket and car keys, ready to leave. The pure black suit jacket draped over his arm added an extra touch of mature charm to him.

Seeing her, he spoke naturally,

"I’m heading to work. I’ll drop you off at the hospital on the way. Get ready, I’ll wait for you downstairs."

Catherine wanted to say she could go on her own, but his firm, non-negotiable gaze made the words die in her throat. She turned toward the bathroom instead.

A moment later, she heard the door close—he had gone down first.

For some reason, Catherine suddenly felt their interactions resembled that of an old married couple. How was he able to speak to her so naturally? They weren’t even close before this.

Also, every time she faced him, he felt like a strict disciplinarian. She always felt pressured—her expression and even her mood would stiffen within moments.

After getting ready, she went downstairs to find Bert’s car already waiting for her.

When Catherine approached, Bert was on the phone. From afar, he narrowed his eyes through the windshield and saw the quiet, gentle girl walking toward him—graceful, soft, understated like an unobtrusive brushstroke in an old Eastern ink painting, yet absolutely indispensable.

This... was the girl Bert had chosen. She might not be breathtakingly beautiful, but she was enough to captivate hisheart.

As soon as Catherine opened the door and got in, she met Bert’s deep black gaze—deeper today than usual. His stare made her uncomfortable. Was there something improper about what she was wearing?

She quickly looked away, buckled her seatbelt, and quietly checked her outfit. Nothing strange. Then she pulled down the small mirror above her head to check her face. Since she was heading to the hospital, not an interview, she hadn’t put on makeup at all. Just a bare, clean face. So there shouldn’t be anything wrong.

She really didn’t know why he had looked at her like that...

After she got in, Bert withdrew his gaze and started the car.

The two of them stayed silent on the road. Catherine was a quiet girl, sincere and kind by nature. Anyone who truly understood her would never believe that she had done something so disgraceful two years ago.

That was also why she never explained herself. She always believed in that saying:

Those who understand you will understand even if you say nothing. Those who don’t understand—won’t believe a word no matter how loudly you shout.

While waiting at a red light, he turned his head toward her. His deep voice carried a hint of authority as he spoke:

"Alcohol is no good. You’d better stay away from it from now on."

If she drank again like she had last night... Bert felt anything could happen.

Alcohol really could numb a person’s nerves and make them do irrational things.

That was also why, for so many years, he had almost never touched it.

As far as he could remember, he didn’t even have the experience of being drunk.

He always kept himself clear-headed, always in control.

When it came to things like smoking and drinking — things that were easy to get addicted to — he had always stayed far away.

He disliked the feeling of being addicted to anything; it made him feel unsafe.

Catherine also turned to look at him. When their eyes met, she somehow opened her mouth to explain,

"I drank for the first time last night..."

He replied casually, without much emotion,

"Then let it also be your last time. That way, it’ll be memorable."

Catherine: "..."

What was so ’memorable’ about getting drunk?

After dropping Catherine off at the hospital, Bert drove away.

Catherine went to the cafeteria to buy Renata breakfast because the breakfast Bert had cooked earlier was only enough for the two of them.

There was no way she dared tell Renata she got drunk last night and ended up spending the night alone with a man — who even cooked breakfast for her.

She simply said she had a sudden craving for soup dumplings, so she ate outside first.

Renata didn’t question it, quietly eating the breakfast Catherine brought.

Renata trusted her daughter most of the time.

It was Catherine who felt guilty for lying.

Several times, Catherine had the urge to go confront Channing and warn him to stay away from Renata.

But Renata stopped her. She frowned and said,

"A person that disgusting — and you still want to see him?"

Renata feared Catherine would suffer a loss if she went.

That family, just as Renata said, was truly nauseating.

People like Tracy and Lucca were not people Renata wanted Catherine to clash with head-on.

Renata even blamed herself:

"It’s your foolish mother... letting myself get upset because of him. I should’ve known better. Scum like that can’t say anything decent."

"Don’t worry. You don’t need to warn them. As long as I straighten things out in my own mind, no matter how many times they come to stir up trouble — even a hundred times — I won’t let them anger me again."

Renata was right.

People only get hurt — only get angered — because they themselves are not strong enough.

Since Renata had already stopped her, Catherine could only drop the idea.

Renata was right: from now on, no matter what trouble Channing’s family caused, the mother and daughter would no longer respond.

What they didn’t know, however, was that the Channing household at this moment had already descended into chaos.

After Channing brought up divorce with Tracy—

Even though he tried to explain gently, saying it was only a fake divorce, just to appease Bert, and that once they received all the money from him, they could go back on their word...

After all, once the money was in hand, no matter how powerful Bert was, he couldn’t force them to remarry.

But Tracy didn’t believe a single word.

She immediately jumped up, screaming that she would never agree to a divorce — even accusing Channing of having another woman outside again, wanting to abandon her and their daughters to be with his mistress.

Channing was so furious he nearly had a heart attack.

And it wasn’t surprising Tracy thought that way.

After all, Channing originally divorced Renata because of Tracy — the woman he had outside.

So many years later, when he suddenly asked Tracy for a divorce, her first instinct was naturally:

Channing must be cheating again.