Obsession With My EX-wife

Chapter 16: Go Home, Vivian!

They had only been driving for a while when Leonard turned to Catherine and said, "You don't need to take a taxi to the hospital. Obviously, when we're done eating, I will drive you back." 

Catherine scowled and said, "Don't bother." 

Leonard was silent for a while, and then he said, "Why don't I just take you back now?" 

"Okay," Catherine replied. She hadn't wanted to go with him in the first place. "I wasn't hungry, anyway."

Leonard: "Will you check on Grandpa tomorrow?" 

Catherine: "Yes." 

Leonard: "Why don't I pick you up?" 

Catherine. "No. I can manage."

Leonard didn't say anything. Catherine leaned her head against the window and quietly watched the flashing scenery outside the window. The car crawled along at a slow pace. Catherine found that Leonard always drove too slowly, and the twenty-minute journey to her apartment took more than half an hour.

The car stopped, and when Catherine got out of the car, Leonard didn't prevent her from leaving. 

***

Catherine stood at her apartment window to watch Leonard drive away, and she was surprised when he didn't leave. What is he up to? – she wondered. His presence there made her afraid. She tried telling herself that there was nothing to be frightened of, but the feeling would not leave her. 

After their divorce, it seemed that Catherine's life was finally settling down, and she didn't know why Leonard was interfering with it now. He had said that he had no ulterior motives, but she hadn't believed him then, and she didn't believe him now.

***

Leonard sat in the car for a while, thinking and smoking cigarettes, and then he finally drove away. He didn't go back to his apartment, though, because he knew that he would feel lonely there, and the place reminded him of Catherine. He wouldn't be able to sleep there either, so he went back to Campbell Castle.

As soon as he entered the house, he heard Vivian's voice, and he frowned. Uncle Smith saw him and greeted him, saying, "Childe, Miss Vivian has been here for a while. She's waiting to see you." 

Leonard passed by Uncle Smith, and he saw Grandpa and Vivian sitting on the sofa.

"What are you doing here?" Leonard asked in a voice oozing with disgust.

Vivian ignored Leonard's tone and forced herself to smile. She said, "The last time that I was here, Grandpa said he would teach me to play chess. I have a lot of free time now, so I came over to take him up on his kind offer." 

Grandpa Campbell rolled his eyes and smiled, and then he took a leisurely sip from his teacup. Vivian was lying. He hadn't offered to teach her chess, but he didn't expose her lie - not yet, at least. Lately, Vivian had been visiting a lot, and her stays were getting longer and longer. Of course, she wasn't there to play chess. She was there to see Leonard. 

Leonard looked at his Grandfather and asked him if they were done playing chess, and he said that they were, so he turned to Vivian and told her that she should leave. Vivian was stunned when she heard what Leonard said, and it took a while for her to react. She was trying to find an excuse or reason to stay longer, but she couldn't think of one. After a few minutes, she smiled at Grandpa Campbell and said, "Grandpa Campbell, I'm going to leave now, but I will see you soon." She looked at Leonard. "Could I bother you for a ride home?"

Leonard smirked and said, "A driver is waiting for you out front." 

Vivian was stunned. She couldn't believe what Leonard had said, and for a moment she couldn't move. Is he saying that the driver will take me home? - She wondered – Before he divorced Catherine, he always drove me home, personally. So why would it be any different now?" She opened her mouth to say something, but her mind went blank, and no words came out.

When Grandpa Campbell saw that Vivian wanted to say something, he suddenly gripped his stomach and grimaced. "Ouch..." he grumbled. "Leonard, hurry up and help me to my room. I have an unbelievably bad stomach-ache. Hurry up! It is unbearable. Ouch..."

Grandpa Campbell looked uncomfortable, and it didn't seem like he was pretending. It only took a second, though, for Leonard to see that it was a ruse, and he knew right away why his Grandfather was pretending to be in more pain than he was actually in. He smiled gratefully at the old man as he stood up, and he said, "Okay, Grandpa. I'll help you back to your room." 

Grandpa Campbell was surprised that Leonard was being so kind to him and that the tone he was using was as gentle as it was, but he didn't say anything. Leonard helped his Grandfather between the two couches, past Vivian, and up the stairs, without once giving Vivian a second glance. Lest I turn into a pillar of salt - Leonard thought absently. 

Vivian watched Leonard walk away, and her fists clenched and unclenched at her sides, and as he disappeared from view, she thought - Damn it! Leonard won't even look at me! He is too obsessed with Catherine to give me a chance… So what am I to do?

Uncle Smith saw Vivian's clenched hands, and in a low tone of voice, he said, "Miss Green, it's time to leave." 

Vivian sighed and called up to the old man: "Grandpa, have a good rest and take care of yourself. I will come to see you again soon." She waited for a minute or two, but he didn't reply, and she muttered, "Maybe he didn't hear me…"

Uncle Smith cleared his throat and said, "Vivian, please leave." 

Vivian was angry, but there was nothing she could do. And more than anything, she hated that feeling of utter powerlessness.