Husband With Benefits-Chapter 801: You

Lily blinked, her breath catching as she stared at the scene before her. Was she supposed to be angry, or just laugh at the absurdity? Here she was, losing sleep over him—wondering if he was still hung up on Jasmine, or worse, using her as a substitute. Yet there he was, already out with another girl, looking carefree before the sun had even risen. Less than ten hours after their ’date’.

Lily blinked. She had been blinded by her childhood impression of him. It had been years since Jasmine passed away! She should have known that he would grow into a different person! His parents had probably done their best to help him move on. Unlike hers, who had tried to turn everything into a shrine for Jasmine.

She wondered if she should go into the diner now or not. And then felt angry at herself. This was the reason she had cried all night and now she was hesitating about going to the one place that served her favourite food? Like hell she was going to let him ruin it for her. In fact, if she went inside now, she could see firsthand his guilty expression and then cure herself of her childhood crush.

He did not give a guilty expression as she entered the diner, letting the bells above the door ring loudly. In fact he gave no expression because he did not even see her there.

Lily walked toward the counter, determined to place her order and act like she hadn’t just spotted him. Her pulse quickened as she moved past his table, half hoping he’d look up and see her, that maybe he’d feel guilty for what she’d witnessed. But he didn’t look. He was too focused on the woman sitting opposite him, his attention completely absorbed by her.

Last night, that same focus had been one of his most attractive qualities—the way he had listened so intently, as if she were the only person in the world. Now, watching him give that same intensity to someone else, it was just... irritating. Lily found herself willing him to glance her way, to give her some sign that he felt bad for being here. But nada!

With a huff, she reached the counter and placed her order, feeling more frustrated than ever. She could have stormed out, but no—she wasn’t going to let him ruin her morning or her love for the diner’s muffins. She needed to see this through, even if it meant ignoring the lump of disappointment forming in her throat.

When the server brought out her box of muffins, she caught it, paid quickly, and turned sharply—too sharply. She collided headfirst into someone, the impact sending a jolt through her body. Her forehead smacked against a solid chin, and she let out a startled gasp.

"Ow," she muttered, rubbing her forehead as her eyes moistened from the pain, only to hear a low chuckle above her.

"You’ve got a solid headbutt, I’d say," a deep voice said with amusement. Lily froze for a moment, her gaze lifting. When did he come here. He’d just been there at the table now. And he was even grinning.

"I’m so sorry..." she began, mortified, but before she could finish, he took her hand away from her forehead and, to her surprise, rubbed the spot himself. "Let me see. We don’t want any permanent damage, do we?"

Lily blinked in confusion, her heart pounding as Cai rubbed her forehead like it was the most natural thing in the world. She frowned, the sudden intimacy catching her off guard, but even more unsettling was the fact that he didn’t look the least bit guilty. His easy smile and playful demeanor were miles away from the remorse she had hoped to see.

"Move out of the way," she muttered, pulling her head back as she felt a mix of irritation and bewilderment. Why wasn’t he apologizing? Why wasn’t he at least acknowledging what she had seen?

Cai stepped back, his grin faltering just a little. "Hey, no need to be so prickly. My chin suffered too! And now I know you are not a morning person. Anyway, please join me," he said, motioning towards a nearby table. His voice was casual, almost too casual.

Lily hesitated, her gaze flicking toward the table where she had seen him with the other woman. It was empty now. Of course. He didn’t look guilty because he didn’t even know she had seen them together.

"No," she said firmly, stepping past him. "I’m not interested."

But before Cai could respond, Lily’s peripheral vision caught movement outside the diner—the woman. She was coming back, walking towards the entrance.

She bit her lip, considering her options. If she left now, she wouldn’t get the answers she wanted and not be able to catch him red handed. And why should she be the one to run away?

"Fine," Lily said suddenly, surprising even herself. "I’ll sit. Just for a minute."

Cai’s eyebrows lifted, clearly caught off guard by her change of heart. He blinked, but quickly recovered, flashing a charming smile. "Great," he said, pulling out a chair for her. "Let’s sit down."

As she settled in, her eyes subtly flicked to the diner window, watching the woman pause outside when she noticed Lily sitting with Cai, the surprise on her face visible even through the glass. Would she come in or would she walk away?

Unexpectedly, the woman did not even pause to think over and simply walked towards them. Lily smiled. Perfect. Now, she could simply watch the show.

The woman came to their table and stopped. But instead of ripping into Cai about his two timing ways, she spoke up," Caius Frost! How could you! No wonder you were in such a hurry to get rid of me! You’d spotted her and that is why you wanted to get rid of me! You must be the very pretty Lily that he has been talking about."