"What? Ex-husband?"
Alex's mind felt like it was about to explode. He realized he had just uncovered a sensational piece of news. If the researchers who admired Alice discovered she had been married, they might lose their minds. Thankfully, it was just an ex-husband—they still had a chance.
Alex glanced at Alice, then at Louis, gave a brief nod of acknowledgment, and hurriedly followed after Alice.
Watching the two of them walk away, Louis frowned deeply, his eyes reddening. He couldn't think straight; he only knew he wanted to pull Alice back to him immediately!
And so, with that thought, Louis acted. He quickly strode forward, closing the distance in just three steps, and grabbed Alice's hand to stop her.
Alice halted, startled by the force of his grip. She frowned slightly and turned to look at Louis. Her green eyes sparkled, dazzling like gemstones. Every expression on Alice's face only seemed to enhance her beauty.
Louis swallowed hard, his lips pressed into a firm line as he stared at her stubbornly. "Who is he?"
Alice, now visibly irritated, threw off his hand. Though her strength wasn't great, Louis still had no choice but to let go. Dazed, he looked down at his empty palm as if he had lost something precious.
Alice met his gaze, her voice cold as she spoke: "Louis, we're divorced. I've told you before if we meet, we treat each other as strangers. There's nothing between us anymore."
Her words nearly drove Louis mad. He looked up at her, his eyes wild, and a manic smile twisted his lips, though his gaze remained fierce.
He laughed, the sound cold and sharp: "You don't want to tell me, do you? Is he your new lover? Is he the reason you managed to attend this party? I never knew you could be so fickle, Alice. Were you with him before we even divorced?"
His anger boiled over, and he spoke without thinking.
Standing nearby, Maya quickly intervened. "Louis, calm down! Alice, you didn't do that? Louis has been so devoted to you!"
Alex, observing Louis, thought this man seemed utterly insane—entirely consumed by his love for Alice. Still, that didn't justify him throwing out such baseless accusations.
"I'm not... Alice and I aren't..." Alex explained, but Alice raised her hand to stop him.
She stared directly into Louis's frenzied eyes, fully aware that his emotions were spiraling out of control. But this wasn't the past. She no longer had any reason to tolerate Louis's madness.
Her expression turned cold as she spoke: "Louis, do you honestly believe you've been devoted to me? Why don't you ask yourself what you really thought of me—or better yet, ask your friends and those around you how they viewed our marriage? You're suspicious of me and Alex, yet here you are with Maya. Shouldn't I also have grounds to suspect that you were unfaithful?"
Alice paused, then let out a soft laugh. "No, I don't think I even need to suspect anything. It's clear as day. I was just a substitute for Maya, your unrequited love. Now that she's back, we're divorced, and the two of you being together is only natural. Should I offer my congratulations?"
Standing to the side, Alex stared wide-eyed, his mouth hanging open as if his jaw might drop to the floor. What was happening here? It was just a party, yet he had stumbled upon so many shocking secrets! Who would have thought Alice's life outside the lab could be this eventful?
And this man—he saw Alice as a stand-in for the woman standing beside him? Forget that the two women bore no resemblance whatsoever—how could anyone match Alice's beauty? Alex couldn't help but worry about the ex-husband's eyesight.
Meanwhile, Maya couldn't hide her astonishment. Internally, she was just as shocked. She had assumed Alice would cling to Louis, unwilling to let go. Yet, Alice had said all this so decisively. Could it be that Alice honestly didn't care for Louis? Regardless of whether it was true, this worked in Maya's favor!
With this thought, Maya glanced at Alice and then at Louis, her gaze filled with astonishment as though she couldn't believe what she had just heard.
"Louis, is it true? Do you… like me?"
But at that moment, Louis paid no attention to Maya. His eyes were fixed on Alice, his mind in turmoil. He had no idea how to explain himself. He didn't love Maya anymore, but everything Alice had said was true.
He had doubted Alice, and Alice had every reason to doubt him. They were the same: Alice had no obligation to endure his unreasonable behavior.
But it hadn't always been this way. Back then, no matter how others looked at him like he was crazy or how intolerable others found him, Alice had always stayed by his side. She had comforted him gently, no matter how irrational he was, always looking at him with tender eyes filled only with love—love for him and no one else.
Louis didn't understand why, but his eyes stung as if they were burning.
Alice didn't give him a chance to speak further. She looked at him coldly and said, "Louis, we owe each other nothing. Don't bother me anymore."
With that, she turned and walked away without hesitation.
Louis stood frozen, watching her retreating figure. He didn't even know what to do at that moment.
He should go after her, pull her aside, and talk things out privately! But about what? What could he even say? Louis didn't know what he wanted to tell Alice. He didn't follow her, either. He refused to. After all, Alice had always been the one chasing after him—should he now be the one chasing her? No. He didn't even like Alice, so why should he?
Louis was far too accustomed to Alice tolerating his unreasonable behavior, far too used to her selflessness. Even now, deep down, he refused to accept the reality before him.
While Louis hesitated, a commotion suddenly broke out in the crowd. All eyes turned away from their group and toward the grand entrance.
Louis barely had time to process it before Maya tugged on his arm, her voice brimming with excitement. "Louis, Professor Eslite has finally arrived!"