Leon Sterling put down his glass. His eyes were glazed over as he looked around, calling out, "Where’s my wife?"
"I want my wife."
His gaze swept the room, and after spotting Hazel Sinclair sipping juice off to the side, he stood up, walked over, and pulled her straight into his arms.
"Honey, don’t leave me."
Hazel found herself held tight in his embrace when a single, cold teardrop landed on her neck.
Feeling the chill on her neck, Hazel’s eyes widened slightly. She looked up at him, her expression filled with utter surprise.
’Why is he crying?’
"Honey, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. I’m so useless, making you suffer with me."
He clung to Hazel with both arms, refusing to let go, as if terrified she would vanish.
Nearby, Caleb Sinclair hadn’t expected a drunk Leon Sterling to be so singularly focused on finding his wife.
The living room was filled with the sound of Leon’s voice as he endlessly apologized, blaming himself for everything.
Through choked sobs, he lamented how he had wronged Hazel, forcing a young lady from a wealthy family to endure the exhausting work of running a food stall with him, even though their life had already started to improve.
And yet, because of him, Hazel had gotten dragged into this mess.
"I’m so useless. You love me so much, but I can’t even return your love properly."
Listening to Leon’s repeated self-deprecations, Hazel sighed and reached up to pat his head.
As if sensing her touch, he immediately nuzzled against her hand in return.
Caleb Sinclair watched this scene unfold while sipping his drink, and his opinion of Leon Sterling began to shift, just a little.
Still, this drunken display was just too embarrassing to watch. It was fine at home, but if this were happening in public, he’d be a complete laughingstock.
"Just seeing you work hard is the best reward for me," Hazel replied.
She had no idea if a drunkard could even process her words, but he was so heartbroken that she had to offer some encouragement.
If someone remained trapped in despair with no hope in sight, they would just keep spiraling downward. Some who couldn’t endure it might even choose to end their own lives.
"Work hard, and don’t disappoint the faith I have in you, okay?" Hazel said, reaching out to stroke his cheek.
Leon’s eyes were hazy, but he instinctively nuzzled his face into her palm.
"Okay. I won’t disappoint the faith my wife has in me."
’A drunk Leon is actually pretty cute. He’s so much more talkative.’
Hazel patted his head like she was petting a dog. Watching them, Caleb’s eyes filled with disdain.
"Was he always like this?"
"Not at all. He used to be so quiet, always keeping things bottled up. If he hadn’t gotten drunk today, I never would have seen this side of him," Hazel said, shaking her head.
Caleb could see that she was doing well now and that Leon treated her right, which put him a little more at ease.
"I heard you started a job today," Caleb said, his gaze fixed on her.
"Yeah, I’m a livestreamer," Hazel nodded.
A livestreamer? Caleb’s brow furrowed. He wasn’t entirely comfortable with his sister doing that for a living.
Overhearing their conversation, Leon immediately piped up. "Honey, don’t go to work. You can just stay home and relax."
"I’ll support you, I swear. I’ll take on more coding jobs. I can make money."
He was squatting by Hazel’s feet, hugging her legs and muttering.
"I also invested in stocks. Those few are rising steadily now. They’ll make money."
This was the first time Hazel learned that he played the stock market. Her gaze fell on him as she said with some surprise, "You trade stocks?"
But as soon as she said it, she realized it made perfect sense. A man who had once been a chairman would naturally have that kind of skill.
"I do, honey. I have a lot of skills. I can support you."
"Don’t sacrifice yourself for me." The thought of all the hardships she’d endured recently made Leon’s heart ache even more.
Seeing him like this, Hazel couldn’t resist pulling out her phone and starting to record.
She reached out, tipped up his chin, and captured his utterly pitiful expression on camera.
Caleb watched them for a moment, shook his head, then stood and straightened his suit. "I’m heading out."
"Alright, take care, Big Brother," Hazel nodded.
"Take care, Big Brother," Leon chimed in. "Come again next time, Big Brother."
Caleb didn’t respond, simply opening the door and leaving.
Now alone in the apartment, Hazel stood up to head to the bedroom, but her legs were still being held captive.
"Leon Sterling, get up," Hazel called out.
"Okay."
Leon slowly got to his feet, but his head was spinning violently, and he couldn’t stand steady at all.
If Hazel hadn’t been there to support him, Leon would have fallen flat on the floor.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, don’t fall! I can’t carry you back to the room by myself," Hazel grunted, using all her strength to hold him up.
"Okay..." Leon mumbled, then lifted a foot and tried to walk toward the bedroom.
But after just two steps, he stumbled and fell to the floor, pulling Hazel down with him.
As Hazel squeezed her eyes shut in fear, she heard a loud THUD, but felt no pain herself.
Slowly opening her eyes, she found Leon lying on the floor with her sprawled across his chest.
His well-defined, muscular arm was wrapped tightly around her slender waist. His eyes were closed, and his chest rose and fell steadily. He seemed to have fallen asleep.
"Leon?"
Hazel propped her hands on his chest, her voice soft and sweet.
But the man on the floor didn’t respond at all. Instead, a faint snore escaped his lips.
’He’s really asleep.’
"Must be nice to be young, to be able to just pass out like that," Hazel muttered as she struggled to her feet. She looked at him sleeping on the floor and sighed.
Now it was time for her to get to work.
First, she dragged Leon onto the sofa. Then, she fetched a blanket and draped it over his stomach.
Looking at the table full of dirty dishes, Hazel sighed again.
She couldn’t just leave them for Leon to clean up in the morning. Besides, leaving them out all night would breed germs, and maybe even attract cockroaches!
The mere thought of cockroaches was enough to jolt Hazel into action, and she immediately started cleaning.
Only after she had finished cleaning did Hazel emerge from the kitchen. She looked over at Leon, who was sleeping like a log on the living room sofa.
She was exhausted too. Turning off the lights, she walked over and lay down right on top of him.
In the darkness, Hazel listened to the sound of his heartbeat as she slowly drifted off to sleep. The air conditioner hummed tirelessly.
It was cool, not hot.
And so, the two of them slept, wrapped in each other’s arms in the dark.
「The next day」
Leon Sterling opened his eyes to find Hazel Sinclair sleeping soundly in his arms. The hangover, however, was already making its presence known with an unbearable headache.
He took a moment to compose himself, then looked down at Hazel, who was dead to the world in his embrace. ’So cute.’
Leon, who never bothered to document his life with photos, opened his phone’s camera for the first time and took a picture of Hazel’s sleeping face.
Leon leaned down and kissed the top of her head. Then, with one arm holding Hazel tightly to keep her from falling, he rose from the sofa and carried her toward the bedroom.
He laid her on the bed, covered her with the comforter, and then turned off the air conditioner in the room.
After doing all this, Leon took her hand and kissed it once more.