[104] b
“I see. Now you’re keeping secrets from me.”
“It’s not like that, Adrianna. It was spontaneous yesterday, with no plans for a vacation.”
Adrianna stared at Chloe intently. “Good for you, Chloe. You deserve to be happy, and you can be happy without Leonel. I’ll be glad if you’re happy. Whatever decision you make, I’ll support you.” Adrianna said it with a genuine smile.
The atmosphere changed instantly, making Chloe touch and even bringing tears to her eyes. “What’s wrong with you? It’s not clear.” The woman blinked her eyes several times after turning her face away from Adrianna.
“That’s why you’ve been teasing me all this time. Oh, so there’s someone whose heart is blossoming, feeling happy. Look at you, just back from your honeymoon.” This time, Adrianna teased Chloe, no longer pouting like she did when she first entered the café.
Chloe grinned. “Honeymoon? No way! We just went on a trip together, unlike what you’re thinking. Your mind is so dirty; it needs to be cleansed.”
“Look at you, blushing and shy but still willing,” Adrianna poked Chloe’s chin.
“Don’t tease me. It would be best if you took care of your beloved school principal. I’m sure he likes you; it’s just that you’re not wise enough.” Chloe mentioned the school principal again, making Adrianna pout again.
“Why are you still talking about that person? I’m happy your relationship with Darren is progressing, but you’re ruining the mood by talking about that person again. Forget whether he likes or dislikes me. What he’s doing now is just unacceptable, so annoying!”
With her style, Adrianna continued to refute Chloe’s seemingly irrational opinion.
Considering the possibilities Chloe mentioned made Adrianna feel embarrassed. She started contemplating the same options and paid attention to her appearance. If it was confirmed that the school principal was causing all those disturbances to get closer to her, she started thinking about what she would do. She also wondered about her feelings toward him. “Does he like me? And… if he does, what should I do? Would I reject his feelings? Or maybe I like him?” Adrianna asked herself internally. She daydreamed and thought deeply about the possibilities Chloe mentioned, although her lips kept refuting them.
“Be careful; if he really likes you and suddenly brings flowers and kneels in front of you, you might have a seizure if that happens.” Chloe continued to tease her friend.
Adrianna shook her head vigorously. “Enough! Stop! No, I don’t want to be delusional!” she exclaimed while shaking her head. Then she stopped shaking and covered her ears with her hands.
Adrianna started daydreaming again. She imagined the school principal kneeling while holding flowers, just as Chloe had described. Suddenly, she smiled, but a few moments later, she shook her head. “Stop it, Chloe. I regret telling you. You’re just stressing me out even more!”
Seeing her restless friend, Chloe felt grateful. She felt lucky because Darren openly admitted his feelings for her. She couldn’t imagine if Darren were the shy guy who expressed his feelings weirdly. Just imagining it made her feel amused.
“Alright, let’s not talk about that school principal anymore. Now I’ll ask you, how is your relationship with Darren? Can we interpret your recent trip together as a sign that you will marry him?” Adrianna’s question caught Chloe off guard. The beautiful woman didn’t know how to answer. Her cheerful expression turned into confusion as if she had lost her direction and didn’t know where to go.
On the one hand, Chloe acknowledged that Darren was a good person, an excellent prospective husband. But on the other hand, she still hesitated to get married again. She was still traumatized by the lingering pain in her heart.
Staring at the table with several empty plates and cups, Chloe took a deep breath before finally answering Agatha’s question. With determination, the beautiful widow looked at her former husband’s mother. “Chloe is close to Darren, Mom. And Chloe’s feelings for Darren are growing stronger every day, although when it comes to marriage, Chloe still can’t.” There was a momentary pause before Chloe tried to compose herself again.
“Why? Are you still thinking about Leonel?” Agatha asked with partial curiosity. Her gaze was fixed on the woman she was talking to. After several months without seeing each other, Agatha noticed some significant changes in Chloe and thought that Chloe might have found her happiness here.
“No.” Chloe shook her head vigorously. “It’s not because Chloe is still thinking about Leonel, but she can’t forget Leonel’s wounds on her heart. They are still deeply ingrained in Chloe’s heart, so she’s afraid to get married again. Chloe is saying this not to make Mama and Papa sad. Chloe wants to be honest with Mama and Papa.”Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org
Discussing the wounds in one’s heart, the invisible scars, was indeed complicated. The damages leave a mark on one’s heartfelt tricks for Chloe to forget. Despite having another man who had managed to open her heart, albeit not completely, and fill her days slowly, Chloe had changed a lot after Darren’s patience and kindness. She couldn’t deny that she still lacked the courage when discussing marriage.
Agatha and Robby felt ashamed, as if Chloe’s confession tore their hearts apart. They never expected this to happen. Leonel and Chloe’s marriage was the kind of marriage they wanted, which they hoped would bring happiness to everyone. But now Chloe was hurt because of Leonel’s grave mistakes in the past.
Agatha had high hopes for the relationship between her two children. However, she never expected Leonel to be so stubborn when facing his marriage. Ah, should Agatha regret not giving her blessings to Ester back then, or should she continue feeling guilty about the divorce and the pain Chloe experienced?
“Forgive Leonel, Chloe. Are you that hurt? What should Mama do to redeem all of Leonel’s mistakes?” Agatha asked, tears starting to well up. Her hands also began to tremble. Over a year had passed, but it still felt suffocating.
Chloe shook her head gently. “Chloe knows that it’s all in the past; it’s the destiny that Chloe had to go through. Chloe can’t forget everything completely because there’s still a corner in Chloe’s heart that hasn’t healed. But, Mom, trust Chloe; Chloe has forgiven Leonel. Chloe has also opened her heart to another man. But when it comes to marriage, Chloe still isn’t ready.” She also wanted to shed tears but held back so Agatha and Robby wouldn’t feel sad seeing her.