Hold My Tear, I’m Getting My Wife Back!

In the heart of summer, after a hectic week, a group of old friends decided to catch up over the weekend, picking a newly opened bar for their reunion.

Due to an unexpected delay in his afternoon meeting, Phillip arrived a half-hour late.

Time-tested friendships like theirs weren't easily shaken by trivial matters. When Phillip entered the bar, his friends were having burgers and beers, deeply engrossed in a lively discussion. Shrugging off his blazer and draping it over the back of a chair, Phillip took his seat. One of his friends gestured subtly with a nod, signaling Phillip to take notice of something.

A glance revealed a boisterous group of men and women. Phillip barely gave them a moment's attention before turning to his friends again.

"The guy in the pink shirt," one friend whispered with mischief, "is your rival in love."

Another friend, adopting a tone of mock solemnity, interjected, "What are you talking about? Phillip's only love is his career."

"Oh, my mistake," the first friend corrected himself, "That's your ex-fiancée's current fiancé."

"Be precise. Tina's almost-current fiancé."

Unfazed by their banter, Phillip wiped his hands and placed the napkin down gently, casting another glance toward the group.

The table was a mix of flashy men and women, the men looking like they'd be more at home in a nightclub, the women all dolled up in figure-hugging dresses, their faces indistinguishably made up.

The man in the pink shirt was partially turned away from them, with a woman in a mini-skirt perched on his lap. She wore elaborate makeup, and her refined tackiness couldn't hold a candle to Tina's natural radiance.

Someone at their table mentioned Tina. "In such a public place, aren't you worried about the paparazzi? The Watson family is quite the highbrows. What would Miss Watson say if she knew you were out here fooling around?"

With his arm around the woman, Alfred responded casually, "What's the big deal? She said I could have fun if it didn't bother her."

"Really? She's okay with that?" The table buzzed with surprise.

"Nonsense. No woman would say, 'Go ahead, have your fun' before marriage. Be careful. Maybe she's making you take the fall for something," one buzz-cut guy said disrespectfully. "She and Phillip were engaged for three years and nearly made it down the aisle. She's been with him. Who knows. Maybe she's pregnant, and it's not Phillip's baby. That's why she dumped him."

"I see her every day. Don't you think I'd have noticed if she were pregnant?" Alfred argued. "Look, how many married men do you know- who don't play around? Her saying that shows she's aware of the reality. It saves us the trouble of fighting about it later."

"Her only condition was no illegitimate children. Anything else goes. I wouldn't go that far. Having fun is one thing, but a love child? That's just asking for trouble."

The influencer sitting on Alfred's lap cooed, "Miss Watson is quite open-minded, huh?"Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

A bit drunk, Alfred let something slip. "You guys don't get it. Her mom killed herself because her dad had an affair and fathered a child outside. That's why she's so sensitive about it."

A collective gasp rose from their table, but Phillip's group fell silent.

The bar was brightly lit, yet Phillip's expression turned dark and unreadable.

After a moment, one friend sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair. "Tina's new fiancé... not a great guy, huh?"

Discussing her private matters so openly, especially her mother's suicide, a secret so closely guarded even Phillip, who was almost family, hadn't known. It was a disgrace to air such things in a bustling bar. Thinking about Tina, so spirited and beautiful, breaking off with Phillip to be with someone like that, everyone felt she deserved better.

"Phillip, did you do something to upset her? The more I think about it, the less her reason for calling you boring makes sense. If she can put up with this guy, how bad could your being 'boring' possibly be?"

Quietly resting his hand on the

table's edge, Phillip suddenly stood

up. Amidst the noise of the

surrounding chatter, he walked decisively toward the other table, where a local rich kid recognized him and immediately stood up, greeting him, "Hey, Phillip