Lucy Sullivan feigned grievance and lowered her head, staring blankly at her shoes. Suddenly, as if struck with an idea, she looked up at Albert Hudson and said, "Albert, why don't you write an IOU and list all the things you borrowed from me? Then, I can mail it to my parents along with a letter telling them that you need the money for our better life. They will surely believe you. After that, I'll tell them how much you need this time, and they will definitely help us out."
Upon hearing this, Albert slightly furrowed his brows and looked into the girl's clear eyes, lost in thought.
"Albert, don't worry, I won't actually ask you to pay me back. But I have to show my parents where I spent all that money, otherwise they won't give it to me." Seeing his hesitation, Lucy hurriedly added more fuel to the fire.
Albert thought about Village Secretary Ethan Thompson's demands and the fact that his own parents were already struggling. All their hopes rested on the person before him.
Thinking of how devoted Lucy had been to him all these years, Albert finally gritted his teeth and wrote an IOU, listing all the valuables he had taken from her.
Looking at the signed IOU, Lucy beamed, her eyes curving into an adorable crescent, and her tiny canines adding a playful touch. Albert couldn't help but swallow.
Compared to Eleanor Thompson, Lucy was much prettier with her smooth, fair skin, big, round eyes, and a faint scent that always lingered around her. If it weren't for the fact that Eleanor could provide him with more support, he would definitely choose Lucy.
However, he was confident that Lucy wouldn't leave him. Considering her feelings for him, all he had to do was make a name for himself, divorce Eleanor, and then maybe he could marry Lucy or even meet a more beautiful girl.
"I gave you the money, but you still shouldn't marry Samuel Smithson. I don't want to see you together with him..." He spoke from the heart – even though he couldn't be with Lucy now, in his mind, she belonged to him. Even if he didn't want her, no one else could touch her.
Lucy was speechless, thinking 'You can get married and have children, while I must keep myself pure and subsidize your family, leaving all the good benefits to you.'
"Don't worry, Samuel and I have agreed to just put on a show. How can I really choose someone else? I just don't want to embarrass you and don't want people in the village to gossip about you." Lucy assumed the appearance of, 'I'm only doing this for your sake.'
Albert found it very useful and repeatedly urged Lucy to ask her family for the money as soon as possible. Then, he hurriedly left, not wanting to be seen together with her by the villagers in broad daylight.
Watching him leave, Lucy spat at his retreating figure, then carefully put away the IOU. Sooner or later, she would get back everything Albert had taken from her – even if she had to feed it to the dogs, she wouldn't let him get off cheap.
"This Albert, with his skinny arms and legs, I could send him flying with one punch. How can he even compare to Samuel?" Lucy mumbled to herself as she walked, picturing Samuel's bronze body in her mind. Unconsciously, she licked the corner of her mouth, quickening her pace, and even humming a little tune.
With her joyful footsteps, she entered Samuel Smithson's courtyard and saw him sitting under the big locust tree in the yard, staring at her with cold eyes.
Lucy had grown accustomed to Samuel's indifference and didn't feel anything wrong. She greeted him cheerfully, "You're back! I was just telling you that I went back to the dormitory..."
"Get out!" Lucy was interrupted again, and for a moment, she was dumbfounded.
She hadn't been in contact with Samuel for long – just a day and a night. During that time, though he was cold towards her, there was a subtle gentleness beneath the rough exterior. He had never spoken to her so loudly or harshly before, so she didn't know how to react.
Samuel saw her expression and realized he had gone too far. But just when he went to look for her earlier, he happened to see her flirting with Albert. Albert had held her hand to his chest, and they were gazing into each other's eyes. From a distance, they seemed like the perfect couple.
What did he, an unsophisticated country brute, have to offer her? Thinking of everything she had done and that she might have come close to him for that other man, Samuel's anger became uncontrollable.
Even though he knew his tone was harsh, Samuel still didn't speak again. He just sat there, motionless, angry at both Lucy and himself.