Chapter 20 Barbecue Encounter\u00a0<\/p>\n
M\u00a0<\/p>\n
He put a hand on Scarlett\u2019s shoulder, his voice gentle. \u201cI\u2019m so sorry. I had no idea.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett shook her head. \u201cIt\u2019s not your fault. It\u2019s mine. I should\u2019ve been a better mom. A better\u00a0<\/p>\n
wife.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nolan pulled her into a hug, careful not to overstep. \u201cNo. You did your best. Sometimes, that\u2019s not enough\u2014but it doesn\u2019t make you a failure.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett pulled away, wiping her tears. \u201cAnd Vincent-he\u2019s my husband. Well, soon-to-be ex- husband.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nolan nodded, his heart aching for her. He now understood why she\u2019d been so quiet at the restaurant, why she\u2019d ignored Vanessa-she was hurt, not cold. \u201cI\u2019m sorry I didn\u2019t realize sooner,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett smiled, a small, shaky thing. \u201cIt\u2019s okay. None of it matters anymore. I\u2019m letting go.\u201d She\u2019d tried to save her marriage, to win back her daughter\u2019s love, but it was no use. Vincent and Vanessa had chosen Sabrina, and Scarlett had chosen herself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After Vanessa darted onto the stage, Vincent didn\u2019t rush to follow. Instead, he glanced to the side-and his gaze landed squarely on Nolan dabbing at Scarlett\u2019s tears.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They stood so close, from his sight, it looked like they might as well have been pressed together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just then, Sabrina appeared, having changed out of her performance dress. She was guiding Vanessa back toward Vincent, her steps soft.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cVincent,\u201d she called, her voice warm and gentle, like she was afraid to break the moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent snapped out of his staring, his attention shifting to Sabrina. A faint, soft smile tugged at his lips. \u201cHmm?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWant to get dinner together?\u201d Sabrina suggested, her tone light, like it was just a casual thought rather than a plan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent\u2019s smile widened as he nodded. \u201cSure. That sounds good.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vanessa immediately tugged at his arm, her eyes lighting up. \u201cDad! I want barbecue! Please?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sabrina reached over, tapping Vanessa\u2019s little nose playfully, a laugh in her voice. \u201cYou little foodie-always thinking about eating first.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Outside the music hall, the cold night air helped clear Scarlett\u2019s head. Nolan suggested grabbing\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
15:30 Sat, Jan 3\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00d8\u00a0<\/p>\n
46\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 20 Barbecue Encounter\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
something to eat, and Scarlett agreed-she was hungry, and she didn\u2019t want to go home to an empty house yet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They walked to a nearby barbecue restaurant, a casual spot with the smell of chili in the air. Nolan held the door open for Scarlett, and she stepped inside-then froze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the center of the room, at a large table, sat Vincent, Vanessa, Sabrina, and a few others. Vincent and Vanessa had their backs to the door, but Sabrina was facing sideways-she hadn\u2019t seen them yet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett recognized two of the men at the table-Daniel Lennox and Harris Whitmore, Vincent\u2019s business partners. The woman with them was a stranger, but Scarlett wasn\u2019t surprised -Vincent\u2019s circle was full of people who brought different dates to every event. The only constant was Sabrina.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nolan saw them too. He grabbed Scarlett\u2019s arm, his voice urgent. \u201cLet\u2019s go somewhere else. We don\u2019t have to be here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Scarlett shook her head. She stood up straight, her chin high. \u201cNo. I didn\u2019t do anything wrong. I\u2019m not hiding.\u201d She\u2019d spent too many years hiding-hiding her feelings, hiding her disappointment, hiding from the fact that her marriage was falling apart. Now, she was done.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nolan looked at her, admiration in his eyes. He smiled. \u201cAlright. Let\u2019s eat here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
They chose a table near the door, far from Vincent\u2019s group-back-to-back, so neither could see the other. Nolan handed her the menu, and Scarlett ordered two dishes she loved-spicy fish and grilled greens.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The food came quickly. Scarlett took a bite of fish, savoring the heat, when Vanessa\u2019s voice cut through the noise.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel! Sabrina\u2019s the best! Her piano playing is like magic-you have to hear her sometime!\u201d Vanessa gushed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Daniel laughed. He leaned forward, grinning at Vanessa. \u201cOh, I\u2019ve heard. Sabrina\u2019s a genius- grad school, PhD program, piano prodigy, even models on the side. She could do anything she wants and be the best at it. You\u2019re right to look up to her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vanessa preened, her chest puffing out. \u201cI know! She\u2019s the coolest person ever!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett\u2019s fork froze halfway to her mouth. Her daughter thought Sabrina was \u201ccool\u201d-the woman who\u2019d taken her father\u2019s love, who\u2019d made Vanessa hate her. What had Scarlett ever done to make Vanessa feel that way? She\u2019d fed her, bathed her, read her bedtime stories, stayed\u00a0<\/p>\n
with her when she was sick. But none of that mattered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
up\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nolan noticed her hands shaking. He put his hand over hers, squeezing gently. \u201cIgnore them. Eat your food.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
15:30 Sat, Jan 3\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
46\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett nodded, taking a deep breath. She picked up her fork again, forcing herself to eat. She wasn\u2019t going to let them ruin her night\u2014not anymore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 20 Barbecue Encounter\u00a0<\/p>\n
1.0K\u00a0<\/p>\n
A\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
15:30 Sat, Jan 3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Awakened Housewife Ignore Betrayer\u2019s Begs\u00a0<\/p>\n
Silent Dreams Never Die \u2014 Author: John Miller 20 Chapter 20 Barbecue Encounter\u00a0 M\u00a0 He put a hand on Scarlett\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[81],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-impossible-condition-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27384","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27384"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27384\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27384"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27384"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27384"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}