Third person's POV
Tabitha closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if trying to calm her emotions. After a while, she opened her eyes again and asked, "Were you also involved that night on the boat?"
"Yes," Derek replied without hesitation.
"Is Wilmot your man?" Tabitha's voice carried a hint of doubt.
Derek paused for a moment, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes, before slowly answering, "Yes, I was just too worried about you, so I had him go to protect you."
"Then do you know what we..." Tabitha's words were cut short as Derek suddenly slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a stop on the side of the road.
He turned to look at Tabitha, his eyes filled with sincerity and urgency, and said, "Tabitha, I am very clear about what happened that night. He was there to help you."
Tabitha did not believe Derek's words. Her eyes were filled with anger and disappointment as she shouted, "Wilmot disappeared as soon as he came back. Forrest told me last night that he was dying. Was that your doing? What have you done to him?"
Upon hearing this, Derek's heart was filled with conflict.
On the one hand, he was secretly relieved that Tabitha did not yet know that he was Wilmot. On the other hand, he feared that when Tabitha discovered the truth in the future, she would hate him even more.
However, things had already developed to this point, and he had no way to turn back.
He looked at Tabitha, his eyes filled with determination, and said, "I swear, I really didn't do anything to him."
Derek's gaze was locked on Tabitha's face. His pupils faintly glowed with a hint of red, and his eyes were filled with unease.
His voice trembled as he asked, "Tabitha, tell me, have you fallen in love with him?"
Tabitha looked back at Derek unyieldingly, her eyes carrying a hint of stubbornness and calmness, and retorted, "What if I really fall in love with someone else one day? What can you do? Derek, we are already divorced."
Derek's finger on the steering wheel still wore the wedding ring that symbolized their once marriage.
In his heart, he had never acknowledged that this marriage had ended.
He furrowed his brows, his eyes revealing a determined expression, and said, "Tabitha, I can allow you the freedom to do as you please, but I really can't bear the thought of you falling in love with someone else."
"What if that day really comes?" Tabitha pressed.
Derek gritted his teeth and said, "I will kill him. I am serious."
Hearing this, Tabitha's emotions erupted instantly. She lunged at Derek and shouted, "I knew it! You must have done something to Wilmot. Is he already dead?"
Derek had not anticipated that things would escalate in this manner. His mind was in chaos, and he kept thinking, 'How can I prove to Tabitha that I am fine and still alive?'
To make the act more convincing, he quickly reached out, grabbed Tabitha's hand, and deliberately showed a fierce gleam in his eyes, shouting, "So you came to see me today just for another man?" In reality, he deeply regretted it, thinking to himself, 'Tabitha, I didn't really mean to get angry at you.'
Tabitha had initially been suspicious of Derek's calmness when mentioning Wilmot.
But now, Derek's intense reaction slightly dispelled some of her doubts.
She calmed herself down and said, "I don't love him, but he is my savior, and I must ensure that he is alive and well."
Derek sighed and said, "Alright, I will let you see him."
Subsequently, Derek restarted the car and drove towards the restaurant they often visited.
As soon as the car stopped, he quickly opened the door, nimbly picked up the umbrella, and walked briskly to the passenger side.
Tabitha wrapped herself tightly, warding off the cold outside.
Derek held up the black umbrella, carefully shielding her from all the wind and snow, just as he had been considerate and attentive when they first got married.
Tabitha suddenly stopped in her tracks, staring blankly at the dancing snow under the umbrella, her eyes revealing a hint of confusion and nostalgia.
"Tabitha, what's wrong?" Derek asked with concern.
"I was just thinking about the past. Derek, how nice it would have been if those things hadn't happened," Tabitha said, her voice tinged with a faint sadness.
She could clearly feel that she still loved the man in front of her, and his feelings for her seemed unchanged.
However, it seemed as if there were thousands of mountains and rivers between them, and the past grievances and real obstacles made it impossible for them to cross in this life.
The food was served, and the taste was as delicious as always.
The restaurant owner, knowing it was them, specially sent a piece of chocolate mousse, which was Tabitha's favorite dessert in the past.
Recalling the past, she was as innocent as a fawn, with bright eyes shining every day.
Tabitha ate the chocolate mousse, the sweetness spreading in her mouth, but her heart was filled with endless bitterness.