Duncan loved the flush on Sonny’s face. Sonny looked so adorable that Duncan couldn’t resist kissing him on the cheek. To Duncan’s surprise, Sonny kissed him back, causing him to grin from ear to ear with joy. Elated by Sonny’s response, Duncan decided not to wash his face that night.
He lifted Sonny and approached Liberty, fixing her with a sincere gaze. “Liberty,” he said gently, “since you’re out shopping with Sonny, you probably need someone to help carry your things. I’m strong and can assist you.”
“Mr. Lewis, what brings you here?” Liberty responded, her attitude towards Duncan remaining unchanged. She wasn’t going to alter her demeanor just because he was pursuing her so eagerly.
“I— I just happened to pass by,” Duncan stammered, reluctant to admit he had been to Liberty’s place and coincidentally spotted her taking Sonny out on the bike, prompting him to follow. He feigned a chance encounter.
Liberty saw through his act but chose not to call him out. “Sonny wanted to go to the third floor, so I brought him here to play for a bit. We’re not shopping, so we won’t need any help carrying things. Mr. Lewis, I’m sure you have other matters to attend to. Please, carry on with your work. Sonny, let’s go.”
As she left, she unexpectedly ran into her ex-husband and her admirer. Liberty thought to herself how small the world truly was.
“Dunc, do you want to join us?” Sonny asked, eager to include Duncan, even as Liberty desperately wanted him to leave.
Duncan responded enthusiastically, “Absolutely! I’ve just finished work and have plenty of free time to play with you.” While speaking, he carried Sonny and turned to Liberty, saying, “Let’s go, Liberty.”
Meanwhile, Hank and Jessica…
Duncan ignored them completely, showing no interest in their presence. He was aware that Hank was glaring at him intensely. This situation only served to frustrate Hank further. He had no one to blame but himself for hurting Liberty. As a result of his actions, Liberty had lost hope for love and marriage, and he had made no headway in his attempts to win her heart back.