Chapter 63

After resolving the dispute, Zoey got off work.

Lucille followed closely behind and walked out as well. She saw Zoey's righteous demeanor, which might have been accentuated by the police station.

She couldn't tell if it was Zoey's inherent aura or something else.

The two of them walked together towards the subway station. Lucille thought for a moment, then quickly caught up and sincerely thanked her, "Officer Brown, thank you so much for what you did earlier. If you hadn't recorded the video in advance, I might have come here for nothing today, and who knows what might have happened when I got home tonight."

Zoey thought about Lucille's hatred towards Paul earlier and wondered if she might be different from other fools.

At least, when she mentioned Paul assaulting an officer, Lucille didn't try to plead for him.

Zoey paused, turned back, and asked, "Why don't you divorce him if he hits you?"

A bitter smile appeared on Lucille's lips, "I've known him since I was eighteen. We dated for six years and just got married a year ago. Now, I don't know if it's my sharpness that provoked him or if he's been pretending too well these past few years. I find it hard to let go and want to see how he'll treat me in the future."

Zoey nodded coldly. Compared to other foolish people, Lucille wasn't too foolish.

She reminded her, "Once domestic violence occurs, it's hard to stop. I hope you wake up early if it happens a second time. Don't let the past hinder a beautiful future."

"Thank you, Officer Brown. I'm definitely not the type to continue suffering."

Zoey's subway arrived, and she didn't have time to see if Lucille would continue talking. She got on the subway and said goodbye to Lucille.

It wasn't just Lucille; in a few days, she would be saying goodbye to this place as well.

She was about to transfer to a new job.

After one transfer, it took less than half an hour to reach Robert's house by subway.

Even though she was now renting this house, she still felt a bit awkward every time she opened the door.

As she opened the door, Tenley and Robert were sitting on the couch watching TV. Tenley was leaning on Robert's shoulder, looking like a loving couple. When Tenley saw Zoey return, she immediately got up from the couch.

Her smile was warm and penetrating. "Zoey, you're back so quickly. I thought it would be another half hour. Wait a moment, I'll heat up the food! Dinner's ready!"

Robert turned off the TV and chimed in, "I'll help you!" He then told Zoey to wash her hands and get ready for dinner.

When Zoey returned to the dining table, it was already filled with various dishes, both meat and vegetarian, all meticulously prepared. She could tell at a glance that she hadn't eaten any of them before. She was worried that her month's rent wasn't enough to cover this meal.

"Mrs. Davis, Officer Davis, did you wait for me to eat?" Zoey said.

Tenley replied, "We're not hungry. Besides, it's more lively with more people at the table."

"But..." Zoey felt a bit embarrassed and continued, "Next time, you don't have to wait for me. It's too much trouble."

"How could it be trouble!" Tenley sat down and took a bag from beside the table, smiling as she handed it to Zoey, "Open it and see if it fits. If not, I'll exchange it."

"What?" Zoey took the bag and opened it to find a new pair of pajamas, which were pink that girls would love at first sight.

Holding a corner of the pajamas, Zoey felt a pang of emotion.

From childhood to adulthood, her biological parents had never bought her a brand-new piece of clothing.

All her clothes were hand-me-downs from her cousins.

Lena would tell her that as long as they fit, there was no need to be picky.

Then she would turn around and buy several new outfits for Derek.

Zoey felt a moment of sadness. Tenley continued, "How do you like it, Zoey?"

Zoey replied, "Yes, I like it very much. It's very cute."

Tenley smiled brightly upon hearing Zoey's approval, "I knew you would like it!"

Zoey put away the pajamas, and the food was ready.

The three of them sat at the dining table, and the couple chatted while eating, creating a happy atmosphere Zoey had never experienced.

To make her feel more comfortable and less awkward, they occasionally included her in the conversation.

To have something in common with Zoey, they often talked about Kelvin.

"Kelvin is such a nerd. It would have been nice to have a daughter," Tenley said, looking at Zoey with increasing fondness, "I really love kids. If we weren't an ordinary family, I would have had more."

"Kelvin is good too," Robert said proudly, "Kelvin skipped two grades in school. We were worried he wouldn't keep up, but he ended up being the top of his class."

"What's the use of being top of the class? He even becomes a nerd!" Tenley kept teasing Kelvin, while Robert kept defending him.

Despite this, Zoey could feel their love for Kelvin.

Zoey grew increasingly envious of Kelvin. If only she had grown up in such a family. Tenley and Robert were both well-educated and loved their children, as she had observed during her time with them.

They were upright and morally sound people.

Listening to their banter, Zoey's eating slowed down.

Looking at the dish closest to her, the voices of Robert and Tenley grew fainter, and past memories played in her mind like a movie.

She remembered it was when she was in middle school.

It was snowing heavily outside, and she was curled up, using the coffee table as a desk to do her homework.

To finish before Lena started cooking, she had to work quickly.

After dinner, the living room lights would be turned off, and Fiona never turned on the lights. She shared a tiny room with Fiona, which had only a wardrobe against the wall and a bed right by the door.

There was no room to move, let alone a desk.

Sometimes she envied Derek. His room was big, with a large desk and all kinds of toys he liked.

Back then, she was just envious. Lena had given her an irrefutable reason: since Fiona was still around, she had to share a room with her, while Derek, being a boy, needed his own room.

But young Zoey didn't understand why she and Fiona's room was so much smaller than Derek's.

"Pat, put your homework aside. You're so good at studying that even if you don't do it, the teacher won't say anything. Come help with the cooking!"