Chapter 89: Chapter 89

“Isa!”

Two men handsome men stood by the female student’s side. They are both wearing worried expressions while checking over the lady. When I looked at her, who was looking all proud and vile before, she had these facial reactions as if she was very wronged.

‘Woah. How fast it is for her to change her expressions. I am impressed.’

“Are you okay?” the man with black hair asked, holding both Isa’s shoulders. “You suddenly disappeared after class. And Geoffrey and I been waiting for you in the coffee shop. So, we got worried because we couldn’t contact you.”

“I was so scared, Chadwick. I thought I’m gonna die,” she shared with quivering voice.

What a show.

“Why? What happened?” the blonde-haired guy with eyeglasses asked.

“There are two scary looking men who brought me in alleyway. They threatened to hurt me if I da lowt give them my money,” she said in a low voice.

“Hey! Are you an idiot?!” the black-haired guy nagged. “You should have given them the money and escaped as soon as possible.”

The way that black-haired guy stared at the girl, it is obvious that he harbors feelings for her.

“But I can’t give them my money!” the girl refuted. “I worked so hard to buy brother’s Geoffrey’s birthday gift.” Slowly, her sheepish eyes went to the blonde-haired guy whom she called ‘brother.’

I think I went on the wrong shows. Just a moment ago, I was with action genre. And now, I am watching a teenage love-triangle drama in front of me.

‘Yuck.’

“What a fool,” the blonde-haired guy said. “What’s so special about my birthday? Anyway, what happened after that?”

“Well…”

The girl looked at me. Then, she pointed to my side. “A courageous woman helped me.”

Two pairs of eyes went on my side.

Just before, she called me crazy and now a courageous woman.

“She came and beat the guys for me. Then we ran away together,” she added.

At least she told them the truth.

I raised my hand and waved at them as if to give them my greeting. But I don’t have a plan to stay with them longer. A messy relationship isn’t my style.

“Since you are with your friends now,” I said behind the face mask that I am wearing. “I’ll go in my way.”

I turned around from them and walked away.

“Wait a minute!” a voice called me from behind.

I ceased my steps but did not look back.

“Thank you so much for saving Isa. If you are not busy, can you come and go with us? It will be good if we can treat you something as to pay our gratitude.”

I heaved a sigh then tilted my head to see him, the black-haired guy.

Although he won’t see my lips, I smiled at him.

“No, thanks. I’m fine by myself.”

My eyes opened.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw the dark surroundings enveloping around me. My eyes quickly adjusted and realized that I was in someone’s room.

This isn’t my room.

I stayed laying down on the bed while looking at the unfamiliar ceiling.

‘What the hell did I dream? I am pretty sure I saw Isa, Geoffrey and Chadwick.’

After processing the information inside, a sardonic grin played on my lips.

“So, I already met them before,” I whispered, sitting up with aching head. I caught my forehead with my free palm and massaged it. “I met those three when we were young,” I uttered before putting my hand down.

It is so hard to believe that the female student and the two handsome men I met before when I skipped from school are Isa, Geoffrey and Chadwick.

I tend to forget people’s faces who don’t hold significant roles in my life. Perhaps, that is why I forgot them. Besides, I was wearing a mask too, so they did not see my face.

“Huh,” I snorted and fell into another laugh.

It is so funny to realize that our fate already started way back then. Does it mean I was destined to indulge in this messy relationship of the three even though I declined them multiple times?

Sighing once again, I looked around the unfamiliar room that has the scent of strawberry.

Strawberry?

I know one person who loves to wear strawberry scented perfume. And that is…

“Oh? You’re awake!”

I lifted my eyes towards the woman standing at the open entrance of the room. My guess is right. The owner of this room is none other than my secretary, Hansel.

I said before that I tend to forget details about people who don’t hold significant role in my life. Seeing that I remembered the scent of my secretary’s perfume, perhaps Hansel became an important person in my life.

Then how about the three?

Just now, I had a dream of meeting from my past together with Geoffrey, Chadwick and Isa.

“I made a hangover soup for you, ma’am. I am sure you are hungry,” Hansel said.

Come to think of it. How did I end up in Hansel’s house?

“Are you thinking why you are here?” Hansel asked, as if she could read my thoughts.

“You were so drunk before, ma’am. This early afternoon, you visited your favorite bar and drank lot of tequila. Then, you passed out.”

Putting my brain into work, I am starting to put my memories back into pieces.

First, after resolving the divorce in court, I went to the bar and met Geoffrey.

[“I have loved you for 12 years. And it is too late for me to back down.”]

I shook my head after remembering Geoffrey’s confession. But when I recalled that Chadwick also came, his voice came in my mind right after.

[“I love you, Adira.”]

My free hands grabbed my head as my memories dug farther from the time I received two confessions, I got drunk, stumbled on them on the wall, slapped Chadwick and lost my consciousness.

I usually don’t get embarrassed at the things I did in the past but right now, I just wanted to disappear into thin bubbles.

‘How will I face those two in the future? Sh*t.’

“I lost my consciousness before, right?” I asked Hansel.

“Yes, ma’am. So, your husband…” She stopped right away and changed her words. “I mean your ex-husband called me. Sir Chadwick said that you are so drunk, so I came to pick you up. He doesn’t know if you wanted to go and stay in your condo or go back home. So, he wanted to wait until you’re sober to make decisions.”

I told Chadwick that I can still live with him under the same roof for five more months. But after his confession yesterday, maybe he’s giving me time to decide whether I will stay with him, my ex-husband.

I did not give any response to Hansel and just followed her on the way to her kitchen.

This is my first time visiting her humble home. But I guess it is the house she and her husband are living in before they got divorce.

“It seems that you got the house,” I said to Hansel while looking around.

“Ahhh, yes ma’am,” Hansel answered. “I provided enough evidence in the court during the trials and I won over the title of the house. So, Daniel had no choice but to leave the house out.”

I nodded my head and praised the justice system of our country for the first time.

I did a background check about Daniel after knowing that he’s cheating on Hansel. And based on the information I got, Daniel is having a hard time at work. He also has lot of debts here and there that he’s hiding from his wife. Hansel worked so hard to buy this house and supported their relationship so it is decided that she should win the case.

As I think about her and Daniel, my eyes catch the picture frame on the side.

With hands behind my back, making me look polite, I approached the picture frame and the photo in it.

It is the picture of Hansel and Daniel during their wedding.

“That…!” Hansel gasped. She quickly grabbed the picture frame and put it down.

When I turned around, I saw her blush in embarrassment.

Perhaps it was too rude of me to look at the picture, so I played ignorant.

“I am getting hungry. Where is the soup?” I asked.

“Oh, here! Please sit here, ma’am.”

She led me to sit on the chair with a warm soup on the table.

‘It looks good.’

Well, even though Hansel looks so busy, she probably knows how to cook. I am also busy woman, but I am confident of my cooking skills.

I picked up the spoon and got a spoonful of the warm soup. I was so excited to fill my stomach with this, not until the spoon reached my tongue.

‘It’s salty.’

“I am sorry, ma’am,” Hansel suddenly apologized while standing in front of me.

I forged a cough, put the spoon down and replied, “It’s okay. There are also times when I accidentally put too much salt in the food.”

Hansel’s eyes widened. “The soup is too salty?”

I blinked swiftly. ‘Didn’t she apologize because of the salty soup?’

“If it is not because of the soup, then why are you apologizing?” I inquired.

“I am apologizing because I haven’t cleaned yet. Not because of the soup,” she answered then soon panicked. “B-But if the soup is salty, let me fix it, ma’am!”

I cleared my dry throat again, then said, “No. It’s natural. The place is dusty, and the dust made the soup salty, I guess.”

“Yeah?” she uttered in disbelief.

‘What am I doing? Why am I being so considerate? I am the CEO of the Crimson Meadow so there’s no need for me to be this considerate to my secretary.’

I guess my heart is softening as the days pass by.

“Ahhh, really?” Hansel let out a shy chuckle.

“And what are you there? Standing? Go and sit down. My nape is hurting,” I said.

Hansel hurriedly pulled the chair backward and filled the empty space across my side. “Sorry, ma’am.”

“You are saying sorry too much. I am losing my appetite,” I said then crossed my arms.

‘Finally. I have a valid excuse not to eat this hellish soup.’

“Ma’am, you are pretending mad so that you cannot eat the soup, right?” Hansel suddenly said that widened my eyes.

‘How did she know?’

“It’s alright. You don’t need to finish that,” Hansel said with a chuckle. “But don’t worry, ma’am. I already ordered from a soup restaurant in advance. They will deliver it as soon as possible.”

I praised her for placing the delivery in advance. But if she has a plan of ordering, she should not have to cook in the beginning.

“Then, I will eat the soup before going,” I said then leaned my back on the chair.

Keeping my eyes downward, I listened to the music of silence around the dining room. Seconds later, Hansel’s voice returned.

“Where are you planning to go ma’am?”

The place I will go.

Let’s see.

I decided to live with Joshua for five more months so that we can hide our divorce until the project ends. It is necessary for me to go back home right now. It is odd, however, that I cannot bring this up with my own lips.

“Hansel,” I called while looking in free space.

“Yes, ma’am?”

“In exchange of feeding me this salty soup, I wanted to ask something.”

“What is it, ma’am?”

“Did you regret it? Divorcing your husband?”

Another silence settled after I dropped the question.

Seeing her keeping her wedding picture with her husband means that despite all the things Daniel did to her, she still has feelings for him. So, I wanted to know if she is keeping it because she has regrets.

“It is because of the photo?” Hansel responded which made me look straight into her eyes. “Actually,” she continued, sighing. “To be honest, there is still a part of me that loves Daniel.”

Love.

I clenched my hands into curling missiles at the word.

It is the emotion that everyone is longing for. Yet for me, it is something I cannot dare to receive. Because I am scared.

I am scared to lose my grip. Just how my mother left me and how my father’s affection turned into despair.

“But I am planning to let it go slowly,” Hansel continued.

My hands loosened as I stared back at her smiling face.

“Loving the wrong person is indeed painful. But I don’t think I need to trap myself in the past and decline from moving on.”

“...”

“I deserve to be happy.”

When Hansel said that she deserved to be happy despite being cheated, there is this great pang that gripped in my heart.

I thought I was strong.

I thought it is better to ignore everything and just go with the flow.

But I am not.

Surely, this woman in front of me is much stronger.

“I also wish happiness for madam too,” she added.

“Me?” I pointed to myself.

“Yes. I hope for ma’am Adira to be happy.”

Once again, I fell into deep thoughts.

What are things that make me happy?

My life is like a cycle. Working hard, meeting deadlines, succeeding a project, eating, sleeping, drinking…

If there is one exciting part in my life, then it is when I got married and when I had to seduce the grumpy husband. Then, after getting a divorce, two men confessed at me at the same day. One is my ex-husband, and the other is my ex-husband’s friend.

What if the answer to my question is already among the things that happened to me so far?

“Two men confessed at me at the same time.”

At my words, Hansel’s eyes widened just like characters in cartoon. It is good thing that she’s not drinking something or else, she’ll spit it out in my face.

“Did Sir Chadwick confess to you after the divorce?” she asked, still in bewilderment.

My brows twitched.

“How did you know?”

Hansel gasped and covered her mouth as if she realized that she had a slip of tongue. She did not answer my question and just avoided my eyes.

Now I got it.

The reason why Hansel and Neil put me and Chadwick together in the cave is because they are aware that Chadwick has feelings for me.

I feel like an idiot.

Well, it’s not like I am really dense or dumb.

Chadwick has been liking Isa for a long time and it did not hit me the possibility that he’ll like me back. If it is my body that he wants, I’ll believe it then.

“Sorry for not telling you that,” Hansel apologized.

“No need to apologize.”

“But ma’am, you said that two men confessed at you. Then who is the other person? Is he… the man who saved you in the pool?”

Oh, how quick witted. There’s really a reason why Hansel stayed as my secretary for a long time.

“Yes,” I answered then heaved a sigh.

“Then, what happened? Did you accept any of their confession?”

“I don’t know,” I said, putting my eyes back on the salty warm soup. “To be honest, I wanted to reject both of the confession.”

First, it does not make sense that I’ll accept the confession of my ex-husband who recently divorced me.

Second, can I imagine myself dating that bartender, A.K.A, Isa’s stepbrother?

Nevertheless, I found it weird that I couldn’t say anything yesterday and became a drunken mad woman.

“I just don’t know,” I added. “I think I am too old to think about this.”

“Age?” Hansel asked. “Age has nothing to do with this, ma’am.”

I looked at my secretary who’s uttering something that I know made sense.

“It’s not about the situation, age, or responsibilities. If someone truly wishing to be happy, then she will prioritize her feelings above else.”

“...”

“So, what do you feel ma’am? You should know that to get the answer.”

Will it be possible for someone like me to fall in love with either Geoffrey or Chadwick?

The challenge is so tempting that my heart suddenly beats so fast.