Dear Ex-wife Marry Me (Maja and Ian) novel Chapter 1718

Carol stumbled backward, nearly tumbling onto the bed.

"Felix?"

Felix stood there, his face dark as a storm cloud, and after a moment, he strode towards the door.

Annoyance flared within Carol. She had grown used to his doting over the past few months. Sure, the first week had been rough, but since then, he had been nothing but accommodating. And now, he pushed her and was about to storm off on his own.

"What's gotten into you? I get you a gift and you can't even pretend to be happy? Today's my birthday."

In years past, the Miller estate would've been decked out in splendor for her birthday, a term like 'Gatsby-esque' wouldn't have been an overstatement.

And now, just asking a man to put on a uniform had him looking like she'd asked him to walk the plank.

Felix had reached the door, pausing only briefly at the mention of her birthday.

But it was just a pause; seconds later, he continued on to the living room and out of the house.

Carol was livid, even contemplating a breakup.

But then she saw the tidy house, the half-eaten cake in the fridge, and her anger subsided a bit.

It wasn't worth breaking up over. Felix was generally good to her.

Downstairs, Felix lit a cigarette, a rare indulgence as Carol detested the smell.

He chain-smoked, restlessness gnawing at him, then hailed a cab to Nathan's place.

Felix was usually frugal, preferring subways and buses over the expense of cabs.

He knocked on Nathan's door, which was promptly opened with a chuckle, "Coming to collect the meds yourself, man? I gave you two bottles already. How frequent are you guys to run out so fast? Damn, I'm envious."

Nathan's room was a cramped mess, clothes piled on the couch leaving hardly any space to sit.

Familiar with the chaos, Felix made himself at home among the clutter.

"Felix, did you talk to Carol tonight? Listina’s surgery can't wait any longer."

"No, tomorrow."

He hadn't expected to run out of medicine tonight and hadn't broached the subject with Carol yet.

The restaurant closed at nine, and Carol hadn't brought an umbrella. There were none to spare, and the staff, including her, waited at the entrance, hoping the rain would stop.

One girl said, "I called my boyfriend, but the rain's too heavy; he can't make it. Told me to take a cab home."

"I called my husband, but he doesn't want to come out in this."

"Why don't you divorce him already? It's late, raining, and a husband should pick up his wife, for crying out loud. How stingy can he be?"

Their eyes turned to Carol. She shared their job, but her elegance and the Hermès knockoff she carried set her apart.

"Carol, didn't your boyfriend used to wait for you every night? Is he coming tonight?"

Having just fought with Felix, Carol was still smarting from their cold war.

She hadn't reached out to Felix all day, nor had he texted her.

"I don't think so. We're in the middle of a cold war."

"Damn, with a boyfriend that hot, I'd be slapping some sense into myself!"