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墨書 Inktalez
In a skyscraper located in the bustling area of Taipei City, the most eye-catching presence is the advertising company named "Origin."
As soon as the automatic doors on the company's floor open, one can see the white marble floor and elegant decorative artworks.
On that day, Evan and Michelle were casually choosing their lunch at the food street on the first floor.
The food street offered a variety of cuisines, from Taiwanese snacks to international dishes, catering to all tastes.
The decoration is modern, mainly using stainless steel and glass, with soft light sprinkled on various types of food. After selecting their food, they found a slightly secluded corner to sit down.
"Do you know? Peter on the third floor has started flirting with another female colleague again," a female colleague said in an almost whispering voice, but her words landed like a stone thrown into a lake, creating ripples.
"Is it true? Who is his target this time?" asked another new colleague.
"I heard it's Miss Zheng from the HR department on the fourth floor who is already married," responded another male colleague excitedly.
"Yes, the discerning people in the company all know, only they themselves think they are hiding it well," the female colleague's words had just fallen, and a subtle atmosphere instantly permeated the air.
Evan and Michelle exchanged a glance, understanding the topic with a tacit understanding that held different meanings for both of them.
"Peter is on the same floor as you. Has he been harassing you? If so, remember to tell me, I'll come find you after work," Evan put down his knife and fork, his tone carrying a hint of seriousness that couldn't be ignored.
Michelle smiled and shook her head, "Don't worry, he knows I won't become his prey."
Peter's behavior made the two people inevitably think of his wife, Sophia.
The more people there are, the more gossip there is. Whether it's at the water cooler or during lunch break, this kind of gossip always finds an outlet. Even if you try to conceal it, the news will still be exposed in some form unintentionally, unable to escape everyone's attention, and then become people's pastime after dinner.
A colleague once casually mentioned that their child attends the kindergarten where Sophia works, and there have been some rumors circulating about Sophia there recently. It is said that these rumors have spread unintentionally through parent chat groups, speculating about her close relationships with certain parents.
Peter and Sophia have a seemingly perfect but actually false marriage.
"Peter, do you really think it's worth it to continue like this?" Sophia asked in a tone that was almost disappointed during the call.
"Why are you suddenly saying this?" Peter frowned, feeling somewhat surprised.
"I've already told you, those were all just office politics," Peter responded, his voice tinged with a hint of disdain.
"I mean, isn't playing with fire like this too dangerous?" Sophia expressed her concern more clearly.
Peter sighed, "Sophia, I understand what you mean, I'll be more careful. But didn't we agree before to each do our own thing? This is the lifestyle we chose, isn't it?"
Sophia nodded slightly, with a hint of a complex expression on her face. "Yes, we all agreed to go down this path. But even in an open relationship, there still needs to be basic trust and respect, right?"
"Okay, okay, darling, don't be angry. I promise to be more careful," Peter said, although his expression showed no sign of remorse.
Evan and Michelle happened to overhear all of this. They had decided to take the stairs to the first floor because the elevator was too slow, and that's how they had the chance to hear Peter and Sophia's conversation, which made them both feel alert.
On the outside, Peter and Sophia seemed like a successful urban couple, but their marriage was filled with distrust and falsehood.
The two of them had lunch at the food street. Michelle was lost in thought, while Evan frowned.
"Evan, how do you see the marriage of this couple?" Michelle's eyes were full of inquiry.
Evan looked at Michelle, a hint of a complex smile on his lips. "What I see is a kind of balance, but I also see insecurity and risk. They are trying to explore the boundaries of love and freedom with an open relationship, but I'm worried that this kind of balance is easily disrupted."
Michelle nodded, "I agree. An open relationship does require more trust and communication, but even the strongest trust can be shattered by a moment of carelessness."
"Yes, so what can we learn from them?" Evan asked, his gaze becoming even more profound.
Michelle stared into the distance as if searching for an invisible answer, "Perhaps, even in the pursuit of love and freedom, we all need to carefully balance, including trust, respect, and responsibility. If this balance is disrupted, then everything could become unbearable."
Evan looked at Michelle and felt that at this moment she was like a philosopher, using words to explore the mysteries of love, "It sounds like you seem to understand all of this even more than I do."
Michelle smiled and said, "Maybe, or perhaps we are all trying to understand something that we have never fully possessed."
She picked up her coffee and continued, "So, what do you think they are doing it for, in the end?"
Evan frowned and said, "To be honest, I think they might not care about that marriage certificate at all. To them, it's just a social facade that provides some extra sense of security."
"If that's their approach to marriage, then what about us? Can we avoid going down the same path by choosing not to marry?" Michelle's question struck at the heart of their inner thoughts, causing Evan to fall silent for a moment.
"I don't know," Evan's tone became serious. "But I do feel that choosing not to marry doesn't mean we can avoid all the entanglements and problems in life. Not marrying doesn't mean not loving, and love always has its own risks and tests."
Michelle placed her coffee cup back on the table, her gaze meeting Evan's, and a hint of understanding flashed in both of their eyes. "I understand what you mean. Choosing not to marry is also a kind of responsibility and choice, and it will have its own problems and challenges."
"Yes," Evan nodded, "every choice comes with its own costs and rewards. What's important is whether we are willing to take responsibility for the path we choose and not give up easily."
Michelle smiled, "So, our choice not to marry isn't because we fear the constraints of marriage, but because we value a relationship that doesn't need to be defined by marriage."
"I can't agree with you anymore," Evan looked at Michelle, feeling secretly grateful to have found someone who shared his views so closely.
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