Chapter 34: Chapter 34

Chapter 34: I've Made Up My Mind!

I sat crying on the bed, looking at the moment when I was at my weakest, and the one who cared and worried about me the most called me, Roy. Amidst my tears, I laughed. It wasn't that I was going insane, but I realized that there was still someone who cared about my feelings. It's just that I never expected that person to be my colleague and my friend, Roy.

Quickly, Roy arrived. I heard hurried footsteps and the urgency in each of his strides. He knocked on my bedroom door after searching everywhere.

"Flora, are you in there? Flora? Flora?"

I stood up, stumbling to the door and opened it, softly saying, "I'm here..."

"Are you okay? You look so tired and pale." Roy raised his hand to my forehead and gently touched it to check. He sighed in relief upon confirming I didn't have a fever.

This small gesture of his was enough to move me. Roy took a handkerchief and wiped the tears off my face. He didn't ask about my situation, he just gently wiped away the tears on my tear-streaked face.

After a while, I calmed down. At this point, I felt a bit embarrassed that Roy saw the messy state of my face.

"I'm fine. It's just... I've made up my mind."

"Flora, do you remember what I said?" Roy still held the handkerchief and wiped my tears.

His words were unusually gentle and warm, soothing the tension and confusion within me.

I heard him ask, but I didn't remember what he had said to me, so I shook my head, saying, "I don't remember."

Roy chuckled softly and put the handkerchief away, saying, "I told you that no matter what decision you make, I'll stand by your side and support you. Do you remember?"

Now I remembered. Roy had indeed said that to me, but in the midst of my confusion, I had forgotten that warmth. With me now being calm, Roy spoke again:

"Alright then, tell me what you've been through."

I hesitated, not wanting to recount the story. Every time I remembered it, my heart clenched in pain as if someone intentionally tightened a vice around it. Every image, every word from Enzo had cut into the still unhealed wound within me.

I shook my head again, saying, "I don't want to revisit that anymore. I just know that I don't want to be with him anymore. I don't want to be hurt anymore. It's painful, like a nightmare that always clings to me, no matter if it's in the past or now."

"Do you want to leave him?" Roy asked.

I lowered my head, looking at my cold bare feet, and said, "Yes, that's right. In the past, I made the resolute choice to leave him because I felt he never truly loved me during our time together."

"So why do you want to go back now? You know very well that he doesn't love you, don't you?" Roy held my trembling hands tightly and asked.

I laughed, a painful smile, a laughter that was even harder to bear than crying, "I know he doesn't love me, but... I still love him so much, so much that there were many times I regretted choosing to divorce him. And he wants to come back to me once again, even though I've moved back to the countryside, he can still find me. I... I chose to trust him once again."

"Ha... Roy, can you tell if I'm a fool? I knew well that the man doesn't love me, yet I still rushed in like a moth to a flame. I always pretended to be strong in front of him, just to hide my vulnerability, but..." I looked up at Roy, and his gaze was still as gentle as ever.

Roy ruffled my hair, shaking his head, "You're not a fool. You're just deeply in love. It's okay, you can make a different choice now. And this time, you have me by your side."

"Roy... Thank you. How can you be so good?" I laughed and cried at the same time.

Both of us laughed because of my expression and words.

Suddenly, I thought of Min again. I pondered for a moment and said, "Regarding my daughter Min, she will definitely have a better life with Enzo. After all, Enzo has publicly declared to everyone that Min is his biological daughter. If I take her with me, there will be a lot of trouble."

After hearing me say this, Roy stood up and came in front of me, kneeling down and holding both my hands that were still trembling:

"Flora, have you truly decided to leave that man?"

I nodded. Beside Enzo, I couldn't feel his love, only the wounds he caused.

"Do you want to go with me?" Roy looked up and asked me.

I didn't understand Roy's intention. "Go where?"

"I have a recently established company abroad, and I need to go there for management. Do you want to come with me?" Roy looked at me with affection in his eyes, and I could sense the warmth in his gaze.

But this proposal was so sudden that I couldn't immediately accept it. I looked at Roy in surprise, unable to give an answer. I was shocked by this suggestion.

Roy noticed my apprehension and confusion. He smiled and said, "It's okay. You can think about it. Whatever you choose, I'll support you."

"I... I... This is so sudden. I don't know... how to answer..." I stammered. This wasn't a decision I could make lightly; it would significantly impact my future.

Roy recognized my worry and unease. He smiled and continued, "It's alright. You can take your time to think. But consider the pain Enzo has caused you. Are you sure that if you leave him, he'll leave you in peace?"

"I..."

"In the past and now, if he could hurt you, he could do it again. No one can guarantee he'll change and love you. Things might go back to how they were, where he hopes you'll return to him and then hurt you again." Roy looked at me and spoke, every word reminding me of that time.

Enzo wished for me to come back to him. I would often remind him, "We're divorced," which would anger him every time. I said that not because I didn't love him, but because I loved him too much, and I needed to remind myself of our divorce to avoid hoping for that love.

I looked at Roy, briefly reflecting on unhappy memories. I realized I loved Enzo deeply, yet I didn't find happiness beside him.

"I need time... to think... Can you wait for me?"

"Sure, I can wait for you as long as needed," Roy said with a smile. His smile was different from Enzo's, warm in a way that was unfamiliar to me.

Roy was a kind man. He encouraged and comforted me with warm, gentle words that no one had ever spoken to me before.

But what touched me the most was his sensitivity. He wiped away my tears, holding my cold, trembling hand. Roy was a good friend, a good man who treated me kindly and gently, even though I considered myself ordinary.

...

I sent a resignation email to my workplace. If I stayed there, Enzo would quickly find me and create pressure on the company, as he had done before with my previous company.

Three days had passed since I left that mansion. I was still trying to stabilize my emotions. Every night, tears would fill my eyes. I had cried so much, almost every night until exhaustion overtook me.

Two weeks had gone by. I was unemployed and had no desire to do anything. I realized I was weaker than I had thought.

During this time, Roy would often visit my home, helping me tidy up and cooking dinner for me. He shared interesting stories about his day, about work, difficult clients, and humorous incidents. His storytelling was so funny that I couldn't stop laughing.

A month passed, and Roy asked if I had made a decision. I hadn't given him an answer. Simultaneously, Enzo sent me a text message.

[Come back home immediately], a concise message after a month of my absence.

By chance, Roy saw that message. He smiled and said to me, "Have you thought it through?"

I looked at the message on my phone, but I hadn't replied to Enzo's text yet.

"Roy, I've made up my mind." I said with a tinge of regret.

Roy pursed his lips upon hearing me speak, bowing his head to look at the steaming hot meal in front of us. He forced a smile, but I could sense his discomfort.

Roy gently said, "If you've decided, then that's good..." His tone and expression were filled with sadness, as if he had lost something vital. I couldn't understand why he seemed sad when I said that.

I smiled at Roy, my voice more cheerful, "That's right, I've made my decision! So when are we leaving, Roy?"

Roy, taken aback by my question, hesitated before saying, "Huh? You think I would..."

"Why the surprise? Previously, you mentioned your new overseas company and how you needed to go there for management. You even asked me if I wanted to come along. Do you remember?" I looked at his bewildered expression and burst into laughter.

"A... I remember."

"I want to go with you. Can you take me with you?"