Crystal's One Night of Love

Right then, Henry figured it out.

Crystal’s foremost priority was her children. He came after them.

The discovery made him ill at ease.

As he gazed down upon her delicate features, he seemed to see another version of himself, a version that held all memories of him.

He did not give in to her. But the next day, he found himself returning to the Miller residence.

They sky grew dimmer as the evening progressed.

Henry did not head indoors immediately. He leaned against his car, lighting a cigarette and taking slow drags, smoke veiling his face.

The Miller residence echoed with children’s laughter and spirited play in the living room, infusing the surroundings with vibrant energy. Yet, this liveliness felt somewhat foreign to him.

After he finished smoking, he walked into the living room.

A young and unfamiliar handsome boy occupied a seat.

Toys were scattered around him, and he seemed somewhat awkward.

Before Henry could inquire about the boy, Crystal walked over with a tray of freshly baked cookies. She crouched down before the boy and said tenderly. “Christopher, these are fresh from the oven. Give them a try.”

The boy appeared somewhat bashful as he sampled a few cookies.

“Is it good?” Crystal ruffled his hair affectionately.

“It is!”

Skyler came up next to him. “Christopher, Mommy put lots of milk in them! Why don’t you come back tomorrow?”

A blush crept onto the young boy’s face as he nodded in agreement.

Henry’s brow furrowed with concern.

No matter how he looked at it, this boy named Christopher appeared like a young daughter-in-law raised by the Miller family.

He felt that a conversation with Crystal was imperative.

Later at night, when the children had finally gone to bed, Henry knocked on the door of the children’s room. “Convenient to talk? I want to discuss something about Skyler with you.”

Crystal was always open to discussing their children, so she looked down at Skyler who was nestled in her arms and murmured, “I’ll be in your room in a moment.”

A while later, she entered his room, which was dimly lit.

Henry, who had taken a shower, sported a casual white bathrobe that highlighted his strong build.

While Crystal sized him up, Henry did the same and snorted. “You’re all bundled up. Why, are you afraid I’ll do anything to you?”

Crystal ignored him. She settled on the couch across from him and asked gently, “What is it about Skyler you want to discuss?”

“Who’s Christopher to the Millers? Who is he to Skyler? And if my guess is right, he has Rh-negative. blood, doesn’t he?” Henry didn’t beat around the bush.

Crystal lowered her gaze. “You’ve got it right.”

Tension hung in the air.

Henry looked at Crystal.

sweater dress, she projected a gentle demeanor, but behind that facade lay remarkably

yet stern voice, “That’s a living, breathing human being, not some item you can trade! Crystal… how much did you spend to come to an

let out a chuckle.

of being immoral.

the

placed a phone call to Edith. “Miss Sage, could you retrieve the first document from my safe at the office? Yes, bring it over to the Miller

that, she hung

knitted in puzzlement.

over the

passed the document to Henry. “The answers

after reading

a legal expert, he had never imagined himself performing such an outlandish action until he read

It was him.

the one who had pumped two hundred million into

engaged in golf rounds with

was the one who had decided to have Christopher’s continuous

the start, it was all him, or perhaps

to look at Crystal.

***

the floor-to-ceiling window. After a while, she murmured, “Henry, even if I don’t want to, I have to admit that you two

those three years, Henry

his core, and he had been prepared to make monumental

and composure the figure before her displayed, he was not the

that Crystal wanted to give up on him, but that she simply received nothing besides sorrow from

stood in the darkness of the

curled ever

yet the words refused to cross his lips, for Crystal seemed to be

she… longing for the

was snowing

courtesy of the heater. The floor-to-ceiling

Her voice was slightly raspy as she said, “Henry, you turned me into someone like you, but you left me behind and gone back in

not the Henry Miller she loved.

were

shared intimacy, she felt empty

current look was enough to make

from behind. He leaned into her ear and whispered, “Is he truly remarkable? What

feel this way, but the discomfort

of another variant of himself. cavorting unabashedly in the embrace of their shared bed, her cheeks flushed and her voice intoxicating all because of

of it kindled an acute sense of unease within him.

her head slightly. “You want to know?”

from her cheek to her ear, down to her neck. Those tender, reverential kisses mirrored an act

around and reciprocated his

while, as she leaned against the crook of his warm neck, she said, “If you want to see it, I’ll show it

grew deeper, Crystal went back.

allowing him

bathrobe, leaning against the bedframe and operating

second, he was stunned by the scene before him.

in the study and Crystal tending to him with care in his embrace. She was pregnant at the

intently, observing her long legs on

heart threatened to pound out of his chest.

hair

them sharing a heartbreaking kiss.

blue light illuminated