Chapter 175:

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She struggled, trying to get him to let go of her hand, but his hand was still clinging to hers. His voice was distant and weak, “It’s okay! I know you need some time and I won’t bother you.”

At the sound of his voice, she felt a lump in her throat and an overwhelming pain in her chest. He was gone, and his figure was so desolate and lonely. She knew she might lose it, but she never thought it would be so soon! There was no one else in the room.

Alone, she leaned against the wall, slid down, wrapped her arms around herself and moaned. She thought to herself, ‘Why does Dad’s death have to do with William, why?’

…

The Rowland Group.

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William went back to work.

He buried himself in a pile of papers and tried to numb his nerves with work.

Three days had passed.

Sherry wasn’t calling him, and he didn’t dare initiate a call with her because he feared the response he would get would be a breakup.

He knew she needed time to come to terms with it, but he didn’t dare anticipate what the outcome would be. White smoke rose from the lit tobacco in his hands and permeated the air.

When Liam knocked on the door, he didn’t even notice and was still deep in thought, as if he had lost his mind. “Will! What’s the matter with you, why are you suddenly back at work, didn’t you insist on not coming to work even if you were dying?” This was the third day Liam had asked him this question. But, as before, William said nothing. “Hey, you’re being a stranger! What’s going on with you and Sherry, how about I ask her out tonight? It seems like a long time since we’ve gotten together, do you want to go for a drink?”. suggested Liam. William continued to smoke, not uttering a word. “Then it’s a deal! Let’s get Leon and Ashley to come with us, you and Sherry, me and Sarah! The six of us are going to Karaoke tonight! Let’s paint the town red!”

Sherry then got a call from Liam inviting her to Karaoke tonight, but Liam didn’t say who else was invited, only that Sarah and Ashley would be attending.

Sherry didn’t decline the invitation.

It had been three days.

Her mind was scrambled. Cohen and Susan also knew the cause of Clark’s death, but Cohen said nothing, only patted Sherry’s shoulder. But Susan advised him, “Sherry, some things are in the past, so let them be in the past! Don’t take the past too seriously, otherwise your life will be very tiring!” However, once she thought that her beloved father, Clark, had died because of William; once she thought that he had never shown up over the years; once she thought that he let someone else handle the car accident; once she thought that he had driven under the influence, her heart turned over in sadness!

William didn’t pick Sherry up after work. He was afraid that if he went to pick her up, she wouldn’t come. Liam, who knew of Sherry’s estrangement from William, offered to pick up Sherry and Ashley, while William and Leon went ahead and booked a private room at KTV.

“How have you been?” asked Leon to William as he lit his cigarette.

William was also smoking. The two men sat on the couch in the private room and smoked, “Not good! How about you?”

“Me too!” Leon smiled helplessly. “Susan has really let bygones be bygones, and I thought Ashley would need me after losing her father and Mrs. Anderson. But I found out that she’s actually getting stronger and stronger and she doesn’t want to see me either!”

“You’ll see her later, Liam is going to pick her and Sherry up!”

“What’s going on with you and Sherry?”

“It’s a long story!” William blew out a long puff of smoke, giving an even more forlorn look.

By the time Liam led the three women into the KTV, William and Leon had already smoked an ashtray of butts of cigars.

Sherry and Ashley froze when they walked in the door. William’s loving gaze rested on Sherry’s face. She had lost weight and her plump face was gaunt.

William could only feel his heart pounding with pain, every inch of him yearned for her. Ashley was a little surprised too, but then she smiled.

“William, Leon, I didn’t expect you to be here too!” Sherry just glanced at William, hand clenched, and said nothing. At first, she wanted to turn around and leave, but Ashley tugged at her. “Sherry, let’s sing together tonight, and let’s not go home until we’re drunk!”

Liam and Sarah agreed immediately, “Yeah, yeah, it’s a rare opportunity to get together. Let’s not go back without getting drunk.”

Sherry had no choice but to sit down, but she didn’t give William another glance. Leon’s eyes landed on Ashley, but when she turned her eyes and collided with Leon’s, she just smiled and thought nothing of it, as if nothing had happened between them.

For now, Ashley was merely treating Leon like any other friend, she was indifferent and distant from him.

The day his father and Mrs. Anderson died, he received a call from the butler. However, Ashley did not call him when something so serious happened.

When he tried to hug and comfort her, she avoided him, refusing his hugs and comfort. Her polite and indifferent attitude made it hard for Leon to adjust for a while, but then he told her, “Let’s break up, you never loved me, why be so fake? It’s better not to force yourself.”

In an instant, the atmosphere in the room became tense. Ashley wore a faint smile on her face, while Sherry’s was expressionless. William and Leon had a torn look on their faces, so Liam could only say aloud, “Hey, what song do you guys want to sing? What kind of beer do you want to drink? Sarah, go turn on the music.”

“Oh! Okay!” Sarah turned on the screen and put on an upbeat song.

But the room was still quiet, so quiet that only the cacophony of the music could be heard.

Sherry and Ashley sat on the corner of the couch, and Ashley whispered in Sherry’s ear, “Sherry, what’s going on with you and William?”

Sherry twitched the corner of her lips and shook her head. William had to sit up. Contemplating her beautiful face, which looked calm and peaceful, but was stubborn, he took a strong drag on his cigarette and narrowed his eyes.

Was she really going to ignore him? Ashley also realized that there was something fishy going on between Sherry and William, but Sherry refused to reveal it and couldn’t ask him again.

She had to get up, grab the microphone and sing. She was no longer the palm treasure, she had to be strong on her own! Sing with a smile and face everything with a smile! Suddenly, Sherry felt some air in the room, so she got up and walked out.

…

Liam nudged William, signaling him to chase her out. After taking a puff on his tobacco, William quietly got up from his seat and walked out.

Sherry was standing outside the room, breathing. When she saw the door open, she froze and watched him walk toward her.

He had a cigarette in his mouth and was looking at her as a deep male voice came from the front.

“You’ve lost weight!” She didn’t answer and was about to walk away, looking at that handsome face, she didn’t know how to face him and how to forget that he was the one who killed her father. “Sherry! Can we talk?” William asked in a deep voice the moment she turned around.

“I have nothing to say!” Her indifferent tone cut deep into his heart, and in a croaking voice, she spat out the fragmented words, which were so mournful as to make others feel pity.

“Sherry, let’s talk, shall we?” William struggled to put on a smile, but there was still bitterness wandering through his heart, and his face was full of guilt and remorse as he looked at Sherry.

Sherry sighed inwardly, and her heart pounded. When she saw William’s haggard appearance, her heart still ached for him. Could they still be together? She feared they could no longer.

Though she was torn and in pain, she still loved him, loved him after all.

Suddenly, he reached out and dragged her to the corner of the staircase, where there was no one coming or going who was suitable for conversation.

“I’m sorry, it’s my fault.”

In the quiet corner, William reached out to stroke Sherry’s face, as usual, but she dodged sideways to avoid his hand.

“Say what you want, and take care of yourself, don’t get so haggard. And it’s over between us, I’ve given it a lot of thought, and I don’t think I can be with you. If I am with you, I’d feel sorry for my father! I can’t feel sorry for him.” Sherry withdrew her hand from his, gave William a numb look and said calmly.

Once so much had happened, there was no turning back. “Sherry, your father’s death is indeed my fault, but I’m not the only one responsible, he drank!” William slowly withdrew his hand, which was frozen in the air, and said painfully.

“He never drank!” Sherry muttered, “And how do I know it’s not a rumor that you’ve conspired with the police?”

“How could I do that? Sherry, the autopsy certificate had proved it! It couldn’t be false!” William’s deep gaze rested fondly on Sherry’s face, as calm as still water, and he said softly, “Sherry, give me a chance, okay?”

“Sorry.” With a long sigh, Sherry shook her head, “I can’t be with you, I can’t be sorry for Dad. If I’m with you, I’ll feel guilty and sad.”

In fact, she would be sad not to be with him, too. Why was the world playing tricks on people?

“Sherry, we both have children! What should Samuel do if you do this?” Sherry’s spine stiffened. She thought, Yes, what about Samuel, what about Daniel? Daniel was having a hard time accepting William, she could see how much he liked her, AND Samuel couldn’t give her up as a mother either! But… They really couldn’t be together. “Sherry, can’t you even forgive me for the sake of the children?”

Her face was cold and calm as William pleaded movingly for forgiveness. He hid his pain in a flat tone, suppressing the grief in his bones and not allowing himself to lose control and take her in his arms.

Sherry smiled sadly, “I don’t hate you, and I just can’t be with you without scruples! I’m sorry.”

She didn’t want to cry, but the tears rolled uncontrollably and poignantly. Sherry put on an ear-to-ear smile and wiped the tears from her face with her white, trembling hands, then said to William, “Let’s end our relationship.”

At this moment, she wished she could throw herself into his arms. His warm, comforting chest was once the harbor she was most attached to, but now she was pulling away from him and it was all over.

William’s slender frame trembled and choked as he lifted his head, hot tears welling up in his crimson eyes. “Sherry, I’m sorry! It’s all my fault. If this is really what you want, I’ll stay away from you! I’m so sorry, please let me hold you again.”

William suddenly reached out and pulled Sherry’s body into his arms, hugging her tightly.

“William, take care of yourself.”

Sherry looked lovingly at the grief-stricken William before her, then decisively pulled back from William’s embrace and turned to leave.

“Sherry!” With a shuddering cry, Sherry’s turned body seemed to freeze, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

Suddenly, she turned and threw herself into William’s arms, reaching out to hug him tightly. She let her tears dampen her chest, falling drop by drop into William’s heart, “William, let me go.”

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