The Wrong Woman

With roadside parking off-limits, Sean skillfully maneuvered the car into the nearest parking lot.

Equipped with a black umbrella, he splashed through the pooled water to join Elio, shielding him from the unrelenting rain.

At that moment, Sean found himself at a loss for words.

After all, he had been the one to bring Candice to this location.

Upon returning to the banquet, Sean discovered that Elio was already outside, making his way directly to this very spot. Having stood by Elio's side for many years, Sean was intimately familiar with almost every aspect of his life.

What he witnessed in Elio was a man devoid of joy, weighed down by the expectations of his parents.

Every facet of Elio's existence-his career, his future, even his marriage-had been meticulously orchestrated by them.

Since birth, Elio had never experienced true autonomy. He was merely a puppet shaped by the Hoffis family to inherit their fortune.

For someone like Elio, who had always been drawn to Candice's carefree and innocent spirit, she appeared as an unattainable dream, a vision of happiness forever beyond his grasp.

Sean trembled as the biting wind whipped around him, accompanied by relentless raindrops that felt like they were piercing deep into his core.

Though Sean was only partially damp, Elio was thoroughly soaked. Undoubtedly, Elio must have felt even colder.

Apart from the physical discomfort, witnessing the intimate moments inside the restaurant must have been a tormenting ordeal for him.

Hoffis, you're soaked through. You'll catch a cold if you stay out

unmoving, his silence conveying more

stretched on, each moment heavier than the

tremble. His teeth chattered incessantly, and his hands grew increasingly numb. Suddenly, the restaurant door swung open, and Mervyn

he drew her close, offering

of enduring the rain,

slowly, facing away from Candice and

that moment, Sean swiveled and lowered his umbrella, ensuring that Candice

her

hushed tone, she lamented, "It's been pouring for two hours straight. When will it ever let

lot of rain lately. Make sure you

know," Candice replied, her

up ahead. That's where my car is parked," Mervyn

could you adjust the umbrella? You're leaning it all on me, and

fine," Mervyn assured

way to the

delay, Mervyn turned up the heater and

she glanced up and noticed a vehicle in the opposite parking

paused abruptly, scanning her