"It's not worth letting an outsider like me cause problems between you two."
Don't overthink it.
I stared at those words and let out a cold laugh.
I still remembered the time I'd dragged myself out of bed with a burning fever, clutching screenshots of Humphrey's posts, and confronted Ida. She'd given me the exact same explanation.
"Humphrey and I grew up together. He went abroad after high school and stayed overseas for years. Now that he's finally back, I can't spend some time with an old friend?"
"Roland, you're just cooped up at home recovering with nothing to do. That's why you keep overthinking."
When she noticed my fever-flushed face growing paler by the second, she seemed to realize she'd gone too far.
She quickly pulled me into her arms and pressed her forehead against mine.
"Roland, if not for anything else, do it for our baby. Trust me. Stop overthinking, okay?"
She wiped my tears away gently, her voice soft and helpless.
"Stop crying, Roland. Fine. I promise I'll keep my distance from him."
When my tears only fell harder, Ida deleted Humphrey's contact right in front of me.
She even changed all her passwords to my birthday.