Tyler raised an eyebrow as he looked at Zachary. He did not want to admit it, so he shrugged. "No."
"Do you believe it yourself?" Zachary looked at him and continued, "Tyler, you are not good at lying."
"Fine!" He admitted. "I like Grace and because of that, I'm willing to protect her."
After listening to Zachary's words, Tyler also smiled as he continued, "It's just that I don't like her to the point where I'm willing to sacrifice myself for her."
"Zachary, don't talk about sacrifice." Tyler looked down. Obviously, he didn't want to talk about it.
"I know the reason," Zachary said. "I am just afraid that Grace doesn't know why. The period of time where you let yourself go was really a romance story to be admired."
"I'm afraid that you all might think that I'm a fool." Tyler laughed at himself.
"No, I admire you very much," Zachary stated. "Not everyone can give up such a good position for a woman, to let himself go and wander." "It's better to call it self- destruction," Tyler commented, looking away. "I've always felt that I've done something wrong, but when I ask myself, I don't regret it."
"Maybe she regretted it," Zachary said. "Do you know that?"
Tyler paused and something flashed in his eyes. Then, he changed the topic and said, "Do you know what I like about Grace?"
Zachary knew what Tyler was doing; he didn't want to continue the previous topic anymore.
Tyler did not wait for Zachary to say anything and continued, "I like the energy in her. Back then, she was struggling to survive, but she still wanted to save a bum like me. She has such a rare spirit and it makes a person feel so good inside."
"To tell you the truth, if I hadn't met Grace, I'd probably still be wandering aimlessly with no idea what to do. She healed the injury I got from another woman."
"Look at her; she strives to work hard every day. She took up multiple jobs just to raise her children. She was so poor and yet she took her sister in."
"No matter how many times she got knocked over, she would always stand back up again." "Even when the storms came and things weren't going well, in the blink of an eye, she could be full of spirit again."
"One can't help but admire her."
"To be honest, I felt that Heinz was not worthy of her, so I didn't approve of them initially, but when I thought of her children, I changed my mind."
"I have been a battle with myself. I tell myself that it's enough for me to just be able to see her and care about her. Nothing else matters. She has the freedom to choose who is by her side. I just want to watch her from afar."
"Tyler, you've suffered a lot," Zachary remarked. "Don't fall for someone you shouldn't. Grace doesn't belong to you."
Tyler smiled and asked, "I want to have a smoke, do you mind?"
"I also want to smoke." Zachary took a pack out and handed him a cigarette. The two of them quickly took a drag.
"She resigned after you left the United States," Zachary stated. "Did you know about this?"
Tyler was startled. He lowered his gaze and his gaze was sharp. "No matter what happens to her, it's none of my business. Her husband will take care of her."
With a flash of light in his eyes, Zachary continued in a low voice, "She got divorced on the day you left."
Tyler's hand, which was holding a cigarette between his fingers, stiffened. He unconsciously tightened his grip, and his gaze grew even deeper and more distant.
"This doesn't have anything to do with me anymore." When he spoke, his voice became more and more downcast.
At this point, there was no need to say anything anymore.
The two of them sat for a while.
"Let's go." Tyler said, "Heinz can take care of her for now, but if he can’t protect her, I will."
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