Chapter 208: Roxanne Left

Roxanne left the café much earlier than expected. After getting into her car, she gripped the steering wheel, remaining motionless for a long time.

Her mind was a whirlwind. She'd been overseas for six years and believed she'd moved past her past. Yet, Aubree's comments stirred up old feelings. She hadn't even known Aubree when she married Lucian six years ago. Reflecting on her naive infatuation with Lucian, she bit her lip self-deprecatingly. Even then, she might have married him anyway.

The happiness of her marriage to Lucian had been precisely matched by the misery of its end. Incredibly, after a long marriage, they'd only consummated it once—after she'd drugged him. The next morning, she left heartbroken.

Looking back, Roxanne felt pitiful and foolish. Worse, six years later, she was still a wedge between Lucian and Aubree. She remembered Lucian's vow to marry Aubree, yet their engagement had dragged on for six years.

His treatment of her was vastly different from six years ago, leaving her confused. After a period of reflection in her car, Roxanne realized time was running out. She started the car and drove to the research institute, arriving just in time to clock in.

As she exited her car, she ran into Colby, returning from lunch. "Dr. Jarvis, did you have a lunch appointment?" he asked, smiling and walking with her toward the facility.

Roxanne, thinking of her unpleasant afternoon, shook her head. Colby watched her for several seconds before hesitantly asking, "You seem upset. Did your lunch appointment go poorly?" Roxanne was taken aback; she hadn't realized she was so transparent. Colby's chuckle confirmed his assessment. He changed the subject, suggesting she go home early and let him handle the project.

Roxanne declined, stating she wouldn't let a minor setback affect her work.

Colby looked confused. "Dr. Jarvis, do you not trust me? Everyone's seen how hard you've worked, leading to mandatory overtime and complaints. Why not give everyone the day off? It might improve efficiency later." Roxanne couldn't argue. Her overseas work experience had led her to assume everyone shared her work ethic, forgetting this was her first time working with this team. Their research progress had slowed in the past two days. She nodded appreciatively.

"Thank you for the reminder. Everyone can rest early today."

At noon, the institute staff left early. Roxanne went to pick up Archie and Benny from kindergarten. Her conversation with Aubree made her unsure how to face Estella, so she avoided eye contact and left immediately.