Everyone was slack-jawed with amazement.
Just a kiss?
Was it really necessary to chase after Leopold for 15 years just because of a peck on the lips?
This woman was really something!
"Explain, my foot! My BFF told me a kiss is as good as hitting the hay, and you even held me close, swearing you'd marry me when we grew up! Are you even a man? Can't remember your promises?" Griffin fumed, her anger mounting by the second.
That was her first kiss.
And she had held onto it for 23 years, waiting for Leopold to step up and take responsibility.
But this guy!
He was flat-out denying it!
Leopold was hopping mad, "Which of your BFFs said that? Bring her here. I'll give her a piece of my mind! Responsible for a kiss? If that's the case, considering the number of women I've kissed, should I marry them all?"
"Ptooey! Have I lost my mind? Why did I say 'the number of women I've kissed'? I've only ever kissed Griffin!" He thought.
And it was that very kiss that had sparked a decade and a half of pursuit, leaving him so terrified that he dared not even think of romance.
"You dared to kiss someone else?" Griffin's face turned a shade of jealous green.
Leopold opened his mouth to explain, but Griffin turned her back, clinging to Vivienne's legs and wailing, "Vivienne, look at this scoundrel! Not only does he refuse to take responsibility for me, but he's also messing around with other women. My life is so miserable, truly unbearable."
Vivienne rubbed her temples as Griffin's ranting gave her a headache.
She grabbed Leopold, swiftly healed his previously dislocated arm amid his cries of surprise, and then shoved him toward Griffin.
get hitched!" Vivienne said dismissively, her eyes
it really isn't how she's making it
"So you think you don't have to take responsibility after
had never been in a
had ever kissed
dictionary, a
they slept together, the
got to take responsibility
reasonable! A real problem solver!" She
a loss
would come to this, I would have never kissed
to forget that he was only ten at the time, and Griffin was a cute seven-year-old, like a porcelain doll, and he just could not
he had earnestly promised, "Don't worry, I'll marry you
whole situation was Percival's doing. Thus, there was no way he would speak
of something that happened when we were kids, can we?" After speaking, Leopold
pondered for a moment, then agreed,
plagued with hostility. If they
no objections, neither did Vivienne. She said,
turned to Leopold. "Don't make me
Leopold's spine at her icy tone. He nodded meekly. "Understood, Vivienne. I'll
he hurriedly
back in her chair.
"Sure."
atmosphere in the room was still recovering from Griffin's outburst, eerily
fell on Percival, her eyebrows lifting. "Mr. Wolf,
curled slightly. "Breaking ties
know
she felt a twinge of sympathy for
minutes later, Leopold returned
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!