In the pool hall, when Oscar walked in, he saw Alvin furiously smashing balls around. The way he was ying was clearly a way to blow off steam.


    Oscar didn’t try to stop him. Instead, he picked up a cue stick and casually strolled over. “Same old routine, ready for a game?”


    Alvin didn’t even look up, lost in his frustration. He kept hitting balls, missing one after another, until finally, in a fit of rage, he threw the cue stick onto the table and stormed off.


    Oscar set his stick down and followed him, saying, “What did Zoe do this time to piss you off?”


    “Who said it was because of her? Don’t bring her up in front of me,” Alvin growled, his face contorted with anger.


    Oscar chuckled, “Is it really not about her? You’re losing it over her, aren’t you? She doesn’t want you anymore, and now you can’t handle it.”


    As usual, Oscar got straight to the point, hitting where it hurt.


    Alvin spun around suddenly, grabbing Oscar by the cor, snarling, “Don’t start with me.”


    “What did I start?” Oscar asked, unfazed, his gaze steady.


    Alvin’s lips moved, as though he wanted to say something, but then he let go, his hands trembling slightly. He wanted to tell Oscar to stay away from Zoe, but he knew that doing so would mean admitting how much he still cared for her.


    How could he not care?


    From the moment Zoe had joined the Dolton family when she was just a teenager, he’d known she was meant to be his wife. He didn’t know why, but he hadn’t rejected the idea. Instead, he had silently protected her, treating her like his own little wife for the past ten years.


    For ten years, he’d protected her, and she had be his girlfriend. She’d followed him, obedient and sweet, always within reach.


    But now, she had pulled away, even fighting him for another man. That feeling was like watching someone steal his favorite


    toy.


    “You know exactly what I mean,” Alvin snapped, ring at Oscar.


    “Alvin, you love Zoe,” Oscar said, his voice steady and clear, cutting through the tension.


    Alvin blinked, taken aback for a moment, then snorted, “Love her? I don’t love her, I’m just used to her, okay? It’s like how you’re used to ying with your left hand when you y pool.”


    Oscar didn’t buy it. He shook his head and said, “So why are you acting like this?”


    “I’m angry because she doesn’t appreciate what I’ve done for her. Whatever. Let her do what she wants, I’m done trying to control it,” Alvin waved his hand dismissively, clearly exhausted by the conversation.


    Oscar didn’t push it, instead sitting down and starting to make coffee. Alvin stared into space, lost in thought, until he suddenly muttered, “She does love me, otherwise she wouldn’t have said those things. She’s just jealous. I’ll go apologize to


    herter.”


    “You should go apologize then,” Oscar said, pouring him a cup of coffee.


    “Apologize?” Alvin scoffed, shaking his head. “You can’t spoil women, you know? If I give in now, she’ll just cause more trouble next time. Then I’ll be spending the rest of my life ‘making it up to her.””


    Oscar took a sip of his coffee, ncing over the rim at Alvin. “Aren’t women meant to be ‘spoiled’? Or are you saying they’re just tools for sex or childbirth?”


    “That’s not what I meant,” Alvin quickly denied, but Oscar’s words seemed to hit a nerve.


    “Then what do you mean?” Oscar pressed, raising an eyebrow.


    Alvin stared back at him, uncertain. After a long pause, he finally said, “Don’t look at Zoe’s outbursts now. Once she’s had her tantrum, she’lle back to me.”


    Oscar ced his coffee cup down, watching him quietly. “Maybe.”


    Alvin’s gaze hardened. “Definitely.”


    I received a message from Oscar: [You’re getting better at this. You’ve got Mr. Dolton so mad, he’s venting on my pool cue.]


    I didn’t reply. No matter what Oscar meant by that message or what he was trying to achieve, I wasn’t in the mood to respond because Alvin was already out of my life.


    He didn’t deserve my time or energy anymore.