Chapter Text
Cale was a student at the University of Huiss in Roan City. Because his family home was far away, he stayed at the house of a family member living in the city. He shared the accommodation with his maternal cousin, Rosalyn, and her husband, Alver.
Initially, Cale had planned to temporarily crash there for a semester, or at the longest, a single academic year. However, because his cousin and her husband worked demanding schedules, the house remained empty most of the time. The couple eventually asked him not to move out and to simply stay on. They reasoned that if Cale were there, the house would at least feel lived-in rather than completely deserted. After thinking it through, Cale agreed to stay with them until he graduated.
Cale was not idle either. As someone accustomed to handling household chores, and an expert at it, he took great care of the property as if it were his own. He managed the cleaning, tended to the garden, and restocked the groceries using an allowance provided by the couple. He cooked, baked, and handled any necessary sewing. Although Rosalyn and Alver never asked him to perform these tasks, Cale volunteered. He had no desire to be a freeloader and was content with the arrangement. The chores were second nature to him, so the work never felt tough or exhausting. To him, the give-and-take felt entirely fair.
The formerly empty house soon looked genuinely lived-in and welcoming. It bore the distinct impression that actual humans resided there, rather than robots, which spoke volumes about how busy the couple usually were.
Cale also maintained excellent relations with the neighbours. The local residents took a great liking to him, and they frequently exchanged home-cooked food and small favours. Within just one year, he had firmly established himself as "the young man all the aunties in the neighbourhood wished they had as a son".
His cousin, Rosalyn, was a highly successful career woman whose photograph occasionally appeared in the newspapers. She was beautiful, sharing the same red hair as Cale, though theirs were of slightly different shades.
His brother-in-law, Alver, was equally successful, serving as the chief executive of a high-profile corporate company.
Together, they formed an absolute power couple.
Between the two of them, Rosalyn was by far the busier, and she was rarely at home. There were weeks when even Cale found it difficult to catch a glimpse of her.
But his brother-in-law was an understanding person. Even when Cale's cousin came home late, or did not return at all, Alver never lost his temper. He tolerated it all without a word of complaint.
If Rosalyn was not back by the time he returned from work, Alver would simply head up to his room, take a bath, and then come downstairs to eat the dinner Cale had prepared. The two men would talk for a bit, and afterwards, Alver would always offer to do the dishes. He was not a picky eater either. He ate whatever Cale cooked for the day without a second thought and frequently praised the meals.
Observing him, Cale genuinely admired his qualities. He felt glad that his cousin had brought someone so reliable and level-headed into the family.
That admiration held firm, right up until the moment Cale discovered his cousin was two-timing her husband with another man.
At first, Cale thought the other man was merely Rosalyn's friend.
The first time he spotted the two of them together, they were simply standing close, but clearly invading each other's personal space. However, they did not take things any further. Cale reasoned that they might just be close friends, and chose not to make a fuss over it.
But then he saw them for a second time.
This time, the man had his arm wrapped firmly around Rosalyn's waist, holding her the way a lover would. Rosalyn was looking up at him with an expression that clearly spelled love. As they moved closer, touching each other familiarly, Cale was certain he saw his cousin kissing the other man.
Any sane person would know this went far beyond the boundaries of just friendship.
Did his brother-in-law, Alver, know about it?
No.
It seemed that he was completely in the dark.
If Alver did know, Cale had no idea how things would turn out.
Now that he knew his cousin was cheating on her husband, what should he do?
Should he tell Alver?
He knew he should.
But at the same time, he felt he had no right to interfere. No matter how one looked at it, he was still an outsider to the couple's private affairs.
Should he keep quiet?
But if Cale kept quiet, it felt equivalent to conspiring with his cousin. It would be a direct betrayal to his brother-in-law. Alver deserved the truth, not lies.
Cale was caught in a deep dilemma. He truly did not know what to do.
Should he confront Rosalyn?
That seemed the most appropriate choice, given his cousin was the one who had started this entire infidelity drama. Cale decided he would confront Rosalyn and ask for the truth.
He brought it up one day when Rosalyn happened to be home. Alver was out, leaving just the two of them in the house.
"I saw you with a man the other day," Cale began.
Rosalyn paused, looking at him, but she did not interrupt.
"And the day before that," Cale continued. "That man was holding you tightly."
He hesitated, reluctant to voice the next part, but he forced himself to say it anyway.
"And you... You were kissing him." Cale looked directly at his cousin. "Are you and that man—"
He left the question unfinished.
Although he had laid out the facts, deep down he still hoped that what he had witnessed was somehow wrong. He wanted Rosalyn to have a logical explanation for all of it.
He had expected to hear half-truths and lies. Some form of denial, or perhaps a desperate promise to break off the affair with the other man in order to salvage the marriage.
"Yeah. We're in a relationship."
However, to his surprise, his cousin did not deny a single thing.
Cale stared at her, still trying to absorb and process what she had just said.
Before he could find his voice, she spoke again. "He's the man I love."
"...But you're already wed, Rosalyn."
"So what?" Rosalyn replied, her expression unbothered. "I love that man. He loves me."
"You're somebody's wife."
Rosalyn merely shrugged. "It's just a status."
"Does Alver know about this?"
Rosalyn looked at him for a moment, her gaze unreadable.
"He doesn't," she replied simply.
She stood up, preparing to walk out of the room. As she reached the doorway, she paused and looked back over her shoulder.
"Even if he did, there's nothing he can do about it."
With that, she left the room, leaving Cale alone in the silence.