After Divorce

Chapter 51 Unacceptable

Cyril was a little shocked to see Karina there. His eyes involuntarily darted to the blanket – nothing wrong, nothing happened last night. That’s a relief.

Cyril’s movement was a bit abrupt, and it woke Karina up. She rubbed her eyes and sat up to

face him.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

“Last night, I came to look for you and found you asleep at the bar, so I brought you up here, “Karina explained straight away, her tone casual as if recounting a simple fact. “I wanted to leave, but you kept holding onto me. I couldn’t do anything about it.”

Karina was actually quite frustrated. She had hoped for something to happen last night, but Cyril hadn’t given her the chance. However, there wasn’t much she could do about it now.

She needed to maintain some level of significance in Cyril’s life, so she had to find a way to make him think they had some kind of connection.

Feeling a tad embarrassed by Karina’s explanation, Cyril couldn’t believe he had clung to her. But the person he vividly remembered seeing last night was Sylvia, not Karina. Shaking his head, he decided not to dwell on it any further.

“Oh, I see,” Cyril said, trying to hide his awkwardness.

“I’ve got work to do, so I should head out. And you should head home too. Things have

and mostly settled; still, you should consider going abroad. It’s a better fit for your career, staying here might give people the chance to hold things against you for the next couple of years.”

Deep down, Cyril knew the issues in his marriage to Sylvia were largely linked to Karina, something he hadn’t realized before. He wasn’t quite clear on his motives, but he guessed he just wanted some things to gradually get back on track.

Karina froze, feeling a sharp sting at his words. Was Cyril pushing her away? The decision seemed final and out of her hands. Grinding her teeth, she replied, “I can’t leave just yet. International pop star, Barker, is coming for a concert soon, and my company wants me to be a guest star. It might give me a boost, whether I stay here or go abroad.”

“I need to wrap up my work here before I can consider leaving. If I don’t, I’ll owe the company a lot of money, and I don’t want to trouble you any further.”

Cyril paused, then, without rejecting her reasoning, he simply agreed, “Okay.”

Karina’s face could barely muster a smile. Cyril seemed heartless on one hand, but on the other, he was still looking out for her reputation. Yet if he really cared, he wouldn’t be

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Cyril dressed and left, his clothes still reeking of last night’s drinks. He decided to go home, take a shower, and change before heading to work.

As for Karina, she had made the story up on the spot without much thought. The idea of her actually becoming Barker’s guest artist seemed daunting. Everyone knew Barker had a strong character, and the company couldn’t really control him due to the massive success he brought them.

Gritting her teeth, Karina realized since she had spoken, she must find a way to truly become a part of Barker’s concert, or else she truly would have to leave, Gaining Barker’s support would be ideal.

Karina immediately called her manager, who had been dealing with her mess. Upon hearing her voice, the manager was irate.

“Why are you calling me? Don’t you think you’ve caused enough trouble? Do you have any idea how much I’ve had to smooth things over because of you? From now on, you better behave. If you stir up one more problem, I don’t care who’s behind you, I’m done with you for good.”

Karina was stunned by her manager’s harsh words but was resolute in her request. “Can you get me on stage with Barker? If I pull that off, Cyril might continue to support me.”

The manager couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “Do you think you’re that important? Barker doesn’t need you! He controls the company and can boost any of the numerous talents under him. Why would he choose you, wrapped up in scandals?”

“And you think that simply performing with Barker will make Cyril divorce Sylvia? If you can pull it off, go ahead. But otherwise, don’t bother me with impossible favors.”

Karina was deeply uncomfortable with her manager’s mocking tone but knew she had little choice. “You’d better find a way, or else I’ll tell Cyril everything. Even if he’s losing patience with me, he should know that you forced me into this, and you played a part too. Let’s see if he lets you off the hook then.” 1

The manager panicked at the thought of Cyril finding out. This risk could spell the end of his career. He gritted his teeth and said with finality, “Fine, you’ve pushed me far enough. This is the last time I’ll help you. But even if it works, I’m not promising anything. This might be the end of our contract.”