Tristan seemed to be trying to catch his breath, panting. Holding Sophia’s hands still on his cheeks, the man spoke softly.
“I love you, Sophia. There’s not the slightest Cragun here.” Tristan then took one of Sophia’s hands. Aim it right at the chest. Reassure his wife that at this time, he said he meant it. Not because of compulsion or boasting, let alone just a mere mode. “For God’s sake, I love you. I don’t want to lose you one bit. I don’t want to let you go.”
Sophia herself didn’t budge. Too surprised to hear a fact that managed to tear apart his heart. There was a side where he was happy from the long wait. Tristan admitted his feelings honestly.
But on the other hand, she seemed confused himself. What action should she take after hearing this statement? Does he have to stick with the existing decisions or turn to Tristan and start a new life from scratch? But what about Edward? Should she hurt the man a second time? Wouldn’t that be too evil and unfair for the man?
“Sophia,” Tristan called when the woman remained silent, not responding to a word he said earlier. “I know, I’ve made too many mistakes during this time. I also realize that there are too many sins that I have inscribed in your heart. Is there a way for you to forgive me? Whatever it is, I will try to do it for you.”
Sophia was still faithful in silence. Her blue beads moved in search of any lies that might be tucked away in Tristan’s pair of ocean blue beads. Staring closely, but only with a solemn look, she could get there. Convinced that Tristan wasn’t lying about what he just said.
“Sophia …” Tristan gripped both of Sophia’s wrists tightly this time. Still looking at his wife’s face, he tried to speak again. “What should I do for you? What should I do so that you will forgive and then be willing to return with me? I promise I will try to do all the conditions you put forward even if you ask me to die, even if I am willing, Sophia. You know, nothing can mend the wounds of the past. But, there’s nothing wrong with trying to fix things, right?”
Sophia finally nodded. Responding for the first time to what Tristan had been saying to him for the first time.
“Tristan, from the start, I accepted you as a partner. There are many hopes and dreams that I rely on you,” she said slowly without taking his eyes off the figure of his husband. “As soon as I became a wife, my desire increased. There were many good prayers I said for you. But all of them just disappeared after you inflicted a terrible wound. I tried to be silent until the end of my patience. Then soon, I tried to reply. Until I finally found one, a great fact that makes me feel sorry for your family.”
Sophia’s emotions began to stir. She also realized that what his father had done was truly unforgivable. Because this was also the reason, she decided to stay. Then, Sophia took several deep breaths, and before long, she continued speaking again.
“I’m trying to give in. Put my ego aside by staying by your side. At one point, I felt betrayed on purpose. You’re openly making out with Aurora. I’m angry, and I hate it. Remember? At the last second, I still had time to consider saving you even though I ended up sacrificing the baby here.”
Sophia immediately pointed at her stomach. Feelings of pain and sadness re-emerged when she had to remember how he lost an innocent fetus and even almost died just because he wanted to save the people he loved.
“I’m sorry, Sophia,” Tristan spoke again with a look of regret on his face. “Sorry?” Sophia said that in an even tone of voice. Not long after, a faint smile appeared on his lips. “Do you remember? After thousands of pains you have inflicted all this time, I still want to help you. Still agree to come with you, for what? Because I’ve always been too easy to forgive you. Either because I’m stupid, or because I love you too much!”
Tristan immediately embraced Sophia’s body with all the emotions that accompanied him. Hugging while cursing in his heart for his stupidity in the past because he was consumed by revenge until his eyes darkened to torture the woman he should love and protect. Now? sorry, that has been given. Does he still deserve to go back to live together with Sophia?
“I’m sorry, Sophia. There’s nothing I can do right now but say those words. I have sinned against you too much. But letting you go from my side, I’m not willing either,” the man said earnestly.
Sophia tilted her head and took a deep breath. She needed to decide what action she should take after this quickly.
“I forgive you. Or rather, maybe never able to hate you.”
Tristan stretched his arms. He cupped Sophia’s face and kissed her cheeks and her pink lips. It was like an oasis in the middle of the desert. the sand that resided in his heart. Then with courage, Tristan asked another question. Please think of this as the determinant of the final round of fate that he will live after this.
“Then do you still love me?” Sophia cracked a faint smile. said yes but didn’t deny it. The woman’s eyes closed for a moment as if enjoying the warmth of Tristan’s hands that were still pressed against her face. you opened your eyes, and then he spoke.
“My feelings for you have never changed a bit for you, Tristan. If you were asked if I love you, of course I would say yes.”
Tristan smiled. After achieving forgiveness, he has now succeeded in getting love. It made him more confident that his reunion with Sophia would soon come true. For this reason, Tristan convinced himself by asking his wife again.
“Does that mean you’re willing to come back with me? Repeat our story from the beginning? Live together. Love each other, love each other, promise to spend time until we grow old or until death do us part?”
Sophia looked at Tristan expressionlessly. Countless times he took a breath before finally plucking up the courage to answer all the questions directed at her.
“I love you, Tristan. I have forgiven everything you did. But to be back with you…” Sophia paused for a few seconds. He shook his head and then spoke quietly. “I’m sorry. I can’t do this.”
Tristan’s face immediately paled. Blinking repeatedly, he tried to digest every word that escaped Sophia’s lips slowly. Did he hear wrong?
“W-what do you mean, Sophia?” Tristan asked in awe. He wasn’t ready for the woman’s refusal just now.
“I can’t go back with you. I beg you, I’m sorry. We weren’t meant to be together anymore.”
Tristan changed his seat position while rubbing his face in frustration. Anger, sadness, and disappointment were now mixed in his chest cavity. The hopes and dreams he had carved into his shadow instantly vanished and were replaced with deep regret.
This might never have happened if he hadn’t been a fool to waste Sophia in the past. If only he had not been so selfish that he was blinded by vengeance, perhaps his life and Sophia would have been happy long ago.
Now? When was the decision of the woman next to him made up? What else could Tristan do?
“Tristan,” Sophia called. “Even if we’re not together. At least the two of us can still have a good relationship. Either we become friends, or we become brothers. What’s important is that there’s no longer any enmity between the two of us.”
“Does that mean there’s no longer any hope for me with you, Sophia?”
“I’m sorry,” Sophia replied curtly.
Tristan smiled blandly. Shaking his head, he couldn’t understand the fate that seemed to be playing with him. Strengthening his heart, he tried to accept his wife’s decision. Ah no. Maybe soon, he will even be his ‘ex-wife.
“It’s, Okay. Maybe this is God’s reward for all my actions in the past. Again, no problem. I respect your decision.”
Without saying much more, Tristan immediately reached for something right behind the passenger seat that Sophia was sitting in. He reached into one of the folders containing Mario’s documents prepared beforehand. Open, then check first.
After making sure, he reached for the ballpoint pen neatly stored on the car’s dashboard. Put a few signatures and handed the document to Sophia seconds later.
“I have all signed the divorce papers you gave me.” Tristan then gives a sheet to Sophia to keep as evidence. “Here’s a copy, for you to keep. The rest, Mario will take care of until the trial is over.”
“Tristan —”
“It’s okay, Sophia. I’ll learn to accept your decision. I’ll also keep my promise to get our divorce sorted out soon.”
Sophia swallowed back the words she wanted to leave her lips when Tristan interrupted her words. Trying to smile. The woman steeled herself not to waver with what she had decided. “We can still be friends, right? At least say hello instead of moving away from each other like enemies?”
Tristan just smiled. Didn’t give a definite answer to the question Sophia gave him. “Before we part, can I hug you one more time?”
Another wish escaped Tristan’s lips. Full of hope, the woman in front of him granted his request this time.
“Of course,” Sophia said, immediately throwing her arms around the man next to her.
Tristan, of course, did not waste the opportunity given. He hugged Sophia tightly for a moment. Be complacent. Who knows, he will no longer be able to do this in the future.
“Take care of yourself, Sophia. I hope this decision makes you happy. Whatever is best for you, I’ll be happy too. Again, I’m sorry,” Tristan whispered before breaking his embrace.
Sophia nodded. Then get ready to get out of the car. Before he left, he turned once more to Tristan.
“Be careful on the road. See you next time.”
Right after Sophia’s image disappeared, Tristan wiped the corners of his watery eyes. Struggling to hold back, the tears finally fell. What a crybaby, he thought. Just because a woman left him, he was crying like now.
“It hurts so much to be rejected like this, Sophia. Am I really that nothing to you? I don’t know how I can afford to let you be with another man.”
***
Tristan entered the room feeling so hurt. Samanta was even confused when his boss arrived at the house. The athletic man answered not a single question he asked. Aurora, who had been shouting at the door, didn’t even pay attention.
Tristan could only sit limp beside the bed. His eyes stared at the beautiful wedding ring pinned on his ring finger.
Like it or not, like it or not, he had to take the ring off right now. The great hope he had been waiting for now, evaporated in the wind and disappeared without a trace.
The next day there was nothing Tristan could do but be alone in his room. Raphael, who was confused, asked the maid to find a spare key so he could open the man’s room for fear of something bad happening.
Feeling confused, the middle-aged man approached the son. Seeing how messed up Tristan was, Raphael fell to his knees and sat on the floor. He grabbed the body of his only son and hugged him tightly.
“What really happened to you, Tristan? What made you like this?”
Suddenly, Raphael remembered the time when Tristan had fallen like now. At that time, his son locked himself in his room until days after his mother died. Raphael remembered how devastated Tristan was. He didn’t want to eat and didn’t want to do anything, not to mention his disorganized state, just like the one he saw today.
“Tristan,” Raphael called after breaking the hug. “Tell Papa, what really happened? Didn’t your tender work? Then what made you like this?”
Tristan shook his head slowly. Rubbing his puffy eyes, he smiled wryly. “I just found out this is what it feels like to be heartbroken, Pa.”
Raphael gasped. He didn’t understand what his son meant.
“Broken heart? You mean?”
“Yes. Sophia turned down my offer to reconcile. She forgave me, said she still loved me, but didn’t want to come back with me.”
“Jesus,” cried Raphael. “So Sophia still wants to divorce you?”
Tristan nodded while laughing. Laugh at the tragic fate that has befallen him. “I signed his divorce papers yesterday as I promised him. It’s ironic, Pa. I used to waste him. Now? When I was sure he loved him, he didn’t want to live with me anymore.”
“Oh my God, Tristan.” Raphael ran out of vocabulary. If it has been decided like this, he can do nothing but provide support so that his son does not get worse.
“Be patient, son. Maybe it’s your destiny. Most importantly, you did your best and promised never to make the same mistake in the future.”
Tristan didn’t give any response. His gaze was straight and looked blank. I don’t know where his mind is at the moment. To be sure, right now, he wants to fix himself and his heart first. Only after that make a plan of what will be done.