"Vernon, is everything alright?"
…
"Vernon?"
"No, everything is not alright," Vernon replied. He knew he should've said that everything was okay and under control.
But he couldn't hide his vulnerability in front of Chloe. He wanted her to know how worried he was and how regretful he felt after realizing the true extent of Chloe's suffering under Vincent's hand for the past ten years.
Chloe had no idea what was in Vernon's mind, but she tried to comfort him even though she was blind about the problem. It was the least she could do, after all.
"You can tell me if you feel troubled over something…." Chloe muttered. "I don't know what's the problem, though? Is it about work?"
"No, it's not about work— I wish it was…." Vernon replied, his throat parched as he was holding his sobs.
