Nicholas : Don’t forget to come tonight, we will play billiards as usual.
Tristan reads the message that Nicholas sent again and then sighs softly. It seemed, this time, he was too lazy to join the hangout as usual. There were many reasons that Tristan was reluctant to attend.
First, until this moment, he is still confused about whether or not Sophia has filed for divorce. Second, he is focused on trying to make peace with his own heart so that he can sincerely accept Raphael as his biological father. Lastly, of course, Aurora. Tristan couldn’t forget his promise to her.
Squeezing in so many problems made him want to go crazy. Playing billiards or hanging out with friends is not the right choice now. Trying to ignore the message Nicholas sent, not even 15 minutes had passed, and the message’s sender made a call. Like it or not, he had to pick it up right then and there.
“Tristan,” called the man on the other end.
“Yeah, what’s up, Nick?”
“It’s too bad you didn’t reply right away. Don’t tell me you won’t be coming tonight. You remember, don’t you? It’s my birthday tonight. Besides, we haven’t been together as usual in a long time.”
Tristan scratched his non-itchy temple. I want to refuse, but I wouldn’t say I like it when I’m held up like this.
“Not that I don’t want to reply, Nick. I’m in a meeting with a client. As for tonight, I’ll try to come.”
There was laughter on the other side. “So, you’re so busy that you don’t have time to reply to my messages?” Nicholas inquired.
“You could say it like that —-”
Before Tristan could finish his sentence, from the direction of the door, two men he knew entered. One of them is even now on a phone call with him.
“Tristan Quartararo, he’s busy,” quipped the man who was none other than Nicholas. He came directly to Tristan’s room with Jacob, who was also enjoying a break from work.
“Looks like this kid was avoiding you on purpose, Nick,” Jacob mocked as the man pulled up a chair and took a seat directly across from Tristan.
“It’s not like that,” said Tristan. “I do have a lot of work today.”
Nicholas chuckled. He, who also took a seat next to Jacob, immediately folded his arms in front of his chest and gave him a suspicious look.
“Don’t try to lie, Young Master Quartararo. It’s Edward who often lies. You’re not catching your friend’s behavior, are you?”
Nicholas’ gaze did not turn away from the man in front of him. Looking closely at Tristan, he believed there was a pile of problems that the man was hiding. It was evident from the sad look in his eyes that he wasn’t even passionate about replying to the jokes he and Jacob made. Very different as usual.
“Or are you in big trouble?” asked Nicholas then. “Mario at the front told us that your schedule for today was finished. That means you’re free until the evening.”
Tristan stammered. His eyes widened slightly with embarrassment. He was like someone who had just been caught lying openly. No matter how hidden it was, it seemed that Nicholas and Jacob no longer believed the reasons he was going to put forward. So, it’s better to confess, right?
“My mind has been in a mess these past few days,” he said with a downcast face.
Jacob raised his eyebrows. Look at Tristan with a questioning look.
“What’s the problem that made you mess up like now? Even if there is a problem that you can’t solve. Just tell both of us. Who knows it can help you.”
Tristan nodded. Felt flattered by the offer that Jacob gave. His friend was right. What Mario said the other day was also true. It seems that this kind of problem cannot be kept alone. “There are many problems that are entangling me. But I can’t tell you all right now.”
“Just the point, Mr. Quartararo,” Nicholas said. “Tell us what you think we deserve. Whatever it is, the important thing is that you lighten your load a little.”
For a moment, silence fell. The atmosphere was so awkward that Jacob cleared his throat to break the uncomfortable atmosphere.
“If you can’t tell, then you’ll forget it. We’ll talk about something else.”
“It is not like that.” Tristan answered quickly. “It’s about me possibly getting a divorce from Sophia soon.”
Jacob and Nicholas were immediately taken aback when they heard what Tristan had just said. They didn’t even know what was going on with their best friend.
“You haven’t even been married six months. And now, have you decided you want a divorce?” Nicholas shook his head in disbelief.
“Yeah, but that’s the truth. There have been a lot of bad things I’ve done to Sophia. And it felt like this household couldn’t be saved anymore. Besides, Sophia’s close to Edward at the moment.”
“Jesus.” This time Nicholas was exclaiming. “Okay, Fine. Jacob and I know about you who used to snatch the woman Edward was after. We were also surprised because you suddenly became close and ended up marrying Sophia. And now? After getting married, why did Sophia get back with Edward? What’s the real problem here that we don’t know about?”
“It’s a long story, Nick,” Tristan replied weakly.
“To what length? I have plenty of time to hear it. Don’t worry, the leader of BlackHorse is even here, sitting quietly next to me. So, I don’t need to be afraid of being fired by him.”
The man then turned to Jacob as he gave a code. Tristan grabbed the glass of water in front of him first. He gulped half to wet his dry throat. Then after a while, he came back.
“I’m sorry I never told you this. But the point is, I used to approach and even marry Sophia for some reason.”
“Huh? A certain goal? What do you mean?” Jacob immediately put on a confused expression.
“The point is, I didn’t really love her back then. I approached Sophia because I had a plan to take revenge on Unlce Alfonso who turned out to be the mastermind behind my Papa’s death in the past.”
Jacob and Nicholas both gasped in surprise. Neither of them knew anything about this one. As long as they are friends, Tristan is not a person who likes to tell his personal life. He has always been a man who is secretive and keeps his privacy very private.
Hearing that his father died because he was killed even by his in-laws, of course, made both of them immediately shocked.
“I can see how hard it must be to live with a woman who is clearly the daughter of your Papa’s killer,” Jacob guessed.
Tristan nodded. “You know, I’m not the type of person who likes to hurt other people, Ken. However, Sophia… since officially becoming my wife, I’ve hurt her a lot and even intentionally tortured her with the excuse of getting revenge, recently nearly died and had to miscarry while protecting me from his father’s gunfire.”
“For God’s sake, Tristan! Why are you being such a savage?” Nicholas was made emotional by his best friend’s confession. “If Edward hears, he’s going to beat you up.”
Tristan laughed blandly at what Nicholas had just said.
“You’re late, Nicholas Alistair. Edward already knows this. He even beat me to a pulp at that time. A few days ago, that guy almost killed me while in the hospital. Just so you know, my and Sophia’s divorce was even handled by the Edward family’s lawyers. It’s okay, Edward seems to be planning to marry Sophia.”
Laughter escaped Jacob’s lips. Instead of pity, the man even openly mocked his best friend. “You do deserve that. If I were Edward, I’d probably do the same,” Jacob said.
At the same time, Nicholas rubbed his chin as if thinking about something. Before long, the man spoke again.
“I think I can guess what’s bothering you right now. You don’t want to be divorced by Sophia, do you?”
“It’s possible, and now you’re in love with your wife.”
Tristan chuckled. Why is Nicholas like Mario jumping to conclusions. “No way. I’m sure it’s not about love.” Tristan continued to dodge. He was sure that his current feelings were nothing more than extreme guilt. Not because he liked or fell in love. “I’m just sorry for everything I’ve done so far.”
“What do you want to do, Mr Quartararo? You want to improve your relationship? Keeping the marriage? Or what? Please explain your purpose!” Nicholas shouted. His expression showed he was annoyed with his friend’s behavior, which was quite a prestige to admit. “If you hold on like now without clarity, it’s the same as torturing him. Why not just let Sophia be free to live with a man who truly loves her.”
“But, Nick —-”
“Oh, come on, Tristan. You can’t even make it clear why you’re holding him,” Nicholas cut in. He didn’t give Tristan a chance to continue. “If you really love her, it’s okay to keep it. But if it’s just for reasons of feeling guilty, it’s best to do what I said before. After all, it was your own wife who asked for a divorce, right? Don’t be a selfish man.”
Tristan was at a loss for words. His hopes were gone now. His other best friends didn’t even give him the slightest bit of support to maintain this marriage.