Chapter 187: Chapter 187- Cruel woman
For Karl, the thought of Marylin being away for the whole weekend was unbearable. Two entire days without seeing her—he could hardly accept it.
"I haven’t even left yet," Marylin teased him with a playful smile, "and you’re already acting like it’s the end of the world. Who knows, maybe once I’m gone, you’ll feel free again—like you’ve finally been released from prison."
Plenty of men were like that, weren’t they? Dating felt like being tied down, and the moment their girlfriends weren’t around, they would come alive again—hanging out with friends, drinking, wasting the night away.
But Karl wasn’t like that. He didn’t smoke, he barely drank except for work functions, and when he wasn’t at the lab or visiting his parents, he was stuck to her side. And if she was too busy to entertain him, he was content to sit quietly with a book in hand.
Marylin could practically picture what his life would be like without her—eating, reading, sleeping, or doing experiments at school.
Simple. Disciplined. Almost too much of a nerd.
She couldn’t deny it though: having a man like Karl as a boyfriend saved her a lot of trouble. She didn’t have to worry about him partying all night, nor did she have to worry he lacked ambition. Every spare moment of his was spent studying, working, or bettering himself.
Unexpectedly, she found herself thinking: a man like this... might actually make a good life partner.
But then her thoughts strayed to the fact that he worked at a university, and a faint unease stirred in her chest.
Karl frowned, his voice low and firm.
"I’d never do that. The only thing I’ll be doing while you’re gone is missing you until I can’t sleep."
Marylin gave an exaggerated sigh, feigning disappointment.
"You say such sweet things. But how do I know you haven’t whispered the same lines to another woman behind my back?"
Karl looked wounded.
"Marylin, how could you think that of me? These words are only for you. Have you ever once seen me being intimate with anyone else?"
He was certain about this—when it came to women, his heart had no room for anyone but her.
"Oh? Is that so?" Marylin tilted her head, then finally let the words that had been bothering her slip out.
"That night, I was waiting for you outside your office building. I saw you coming out with a girl. You two seemed to be laughing together."
That night, they had agreed to have dinner. She’d arrived a little earlier, and saw him walking out of the building with a young woman, chatting and smiling. The sight had left a bitter taste in her chest, though she’d hidden it at the time.
When they parted ways at the door, Karl had spotted her waiting, and immediately pulled her into his arms with a bright smile.
She hadn’t asked him then. She had waited for his explanation, but he never brought it up. At first she thought she didn’t mind, but the discomfort had lingered for days. Now, she wanted to hear the truth.
Karl frowned, struggling to recall. Then his expression cleared as he nodded.
"Yes, there was such a time. But it wasn’t what you think—it wasn’t really laughing together."
He searched his memory carefully, then explained.
"That girl is one of my students. She came to me with a question, so I was explaining it to her. Then you messaged me that you were already downstairs, and I rushed to come see you. That’s why I ended up talking while walking out with her."
Karl’s tone was firm, his eyes steady. He wanted her to believe it—because there truly was no one else in his heart.
With a girlfriend as beautiful and capable as Marylin, why would he ever waste a single thought on another woman?
His expression alone was proof of his innocence, but Marylin still let out a little huff.
"Well, from where I stood, you two looked like you were laughing together."
"You must have seen wrong!" Karl declared solemnly. "Yes, I spoke with her—that much is true. But laugh? No. And even if I did, it was only the kind of polite smile a teacher gives to a student. Nothing intimate, nothing ambiguous."
Marylin couldn’t help but chuckle at his earnest face.
"All right, all right. I’ll believe you this time."
Karl grinned and wrapped an arm around her waist again.
"So... that means you were jealous, weren’t you?"
Marylin dodged his teasing with a serious question of her own, her eyes steady on his.
"Tell me the truth—don’t you ever feel bored being with me? I don’t understand your research, your field of study. My world is business, negotiations, and competition. Yours is a campus, research labs, and lectures. We’re from two completely different lives. Doesn’t that gap bother you?"
That night she’d seen him talking to another girl, the thought had crept into her mind. Could a man like him, rooted in the quiet world of academia, really find happiness with a woman like her, who lived every day in the chaos of the marketplace?
Karl’s voice softened, full of warmth.
"I knew from the very beginning that our worlds were different, didn’t I?"
He had known her background, her past, her everything. And even then, there had never been a moment’s hesitation—he had still pursued her with unwavering determination.
"Being with you has never been boring, Marylin. Work is work, and life is life. The time outside my work doesn’t belong to my research. It belongs to you... and to family. With you, I don’t need to talk about work at all."
It was in his arms, with his steady embrace, that Marylin’s worries began to dissolve bit by bit.
"Just holding you like this, looking at you... that’s already more than enough for me. How could I ever be bored?" Karl’s voice was firm yet tender, as if his very words were trying to anchor her.
Her cheeks burned at the confession. Pushing against his chest, she stammered, "Come on, we need to get going or we’ll miss the train."
Marylin had always thought of herself as a composed, rational woman—too experienced to blush like a young girl. But every time he bared his heart so honestly, she couldn’t help it. Perhaps every woman, no matter how strong she pretended to be, became a little girl again when faced with real love. Who could keep up the façade of being unshakable when they were showered with so much affection?
The trip to the station went smoothly. Karl carried her luggage, helped her buy her ticket, and stayed by her side until the last possible moment. But when it was time for her to go, his reluctance became impossible to hide.
"Marylin..." His voice, drawn out with longing, made her heart twist.
"Are you really not going to consider taking me with you?" His eyes searched hers with quiet hope. For a moment, her resolve wavered. But in the end, reason won over impulse.
"Next time," she answered vaguely, forcing a small smile. "I really have to go now, or the train will leave without me."
She grabbed the handle of her suitcase and hurried through the gates without looking back.
Karl stood there, watching her figure disappear into the crowd, before sighing softly. "Cruel woman..."
He returned to the parking lot, opened the trunk, and checked the contents. His small duffel bag was there, neatly packed with a change of clothes and toiletries. The gifts she hadn’t taken were still inside as well. Satisfied, he closed it up, slid behind the wheel, and started the car.
With the navigation set, he pulled out of the station and onto the road.
Yes, he had gotten Marylin’s home address from Laurent. And if she wouldn’t take him with her—then he’d simply drive there himself.