Chapter 208:

Alice turned her back to Caden.

"Do you need anything else?"

His voice was cold. "Turn around and face me when you speak."

Reluctantly, Alice turned, wary of his unpredictable reactions. Caden's gaze fell to his knee. With an unreadable expression, she reassured him, "It's nothing. Just a little bump."

"Were you showing concern?" he snapped. "Remove all your belongings except the painting," he ordered.

Alice was momentarily speechless, realizing the depth of Caden's disdain—far deeper than she'd imagined. However, he was right. He was severing their ties completely. Leaving the painting, she carefully began gathering his things. Even though they were insignificant, she decided to discard them, knowing Caden had used them. She filled a large trash bag, item by item.

Caden watched, his annoyance growing. "Enough," he murmured, closing his eyes briefly.

"I've nearly finished," Alice replied firmly.

Caden remained silent, but as he watched, he noticed her knocking over a glass he often used. "Why are you throwing away my belongings?" he asked, frowning.

"I've used them. I wouldn't want you to feel… soiled," Alice replied.

He stood stunned. Alicia went to the kitchen and put the pots and pans in the bag. "These were my purchases," she reminded him, continuing her task. Caden remained speechless.

Then, she commented, "We have shared a bed and kissed. Should I also jump into your garbage bag?"

Alice replied indifferently, "As you wish."

Caden clenched his jaw. In a moment of tension, she reached for a calming candle. But after lighting it, she quickly extinguished the flame and threw it in the trash.

Now calmer, Caden asked, "You're taking it all, right?"

Alice considered, remembering the candle's value. She retrieved it from the trash and put it in her bag. "She's too soiled for you. I'll keep her," he declared, sneering disdainfully. Who cared about the candle?

After more than an hour of tidying, Alice announced, "All done. Check it out if you want."

Caden didn't bother. He knew Alice well enough; she had probably discarded even the slightest memory of their time together. "Have you completely emptied the bedroom?" he asked, looking at her.

Alice nodded. "Everything I touched is gone," he confirmed, scanning the room to ensure this was so. He returned holding several unopened condoms. Alice looked away.

"They're yours. I've never used them," he stated coldly. Annoyed, Caden threw them in a nearby trash bag. "I've come to hate this brand. It reminds me too much of our disastrous time together."

Alice remained silent, her anger almost pushing her to laughter. "Grim?" she mused to herself. "If it was really so terrible, why the repeated encounters? Why continue when I was clearly tired? How could I prolong our moments together, turning a short session into a marathon?"

He sneered disdainfully. "Honestly, you're not as impressive as you think you are. I once blamed you, but now I realize that it's your problems that are at stake."

Caden's lips twisted into a cold sneer. "Oh yeah? Then how do you explain that you wet the sheets before I penetrated you?" he challenged.

Although Alice was used to his harsh words, these stung. He refused to retract, replying, "You say our time together was terrible, but your face always showed pure pleasure. Why?"

"Men can fake pleasure too," Caden replied flatly.

Alice smiled with satisfaction. "Pretend? Interesting choice of words. I was pretending the whole time, and so was the so-called evidence. It was all a ruse."

Caden fell silent, his fists clenched. Seeing his reaction, Alice knew it was time to leave.

"It's okay to admit that you're struggling, but you should seek help soon. I wish you the best," she said, gathering her belongings and the painting, determined to leave that toxic environment behind.