Veronica had just finished her work. After tidying up a few things in her new room, she decided to head home as it was already seven in the evening.
As she stepped out of the room, Veronica was slightly surprised. There was Sean, who apparently was sitting there, possibly waiting for her.
“Veronica,” Sean greeted as he noticed the woman he had been waiting for standing right in front of him.
“What are you doing sitting here?” Veronica wondered as Sean approached her position.
“I was waiting for you to come home.”
“Waiting for me?”
Sean nodded.
“Yeah. I was initially going to head home directly. But when I passed by your room and saw the light was still on, I decided to wait so we could go home together,” he revealed without any pretense.
Veronica let out a soft sigh. She was reminded of the old times when they were still dating. They often waited for each other, then enjoyed dinner together before finally heading home.
“But I have the driver with me.”
“Allow me to take you home tonight, Ve. I just want to make sure you get home safely. And I promise I won’t do anything inappropriate.”
Veronica studied Sean’s face carefully. There was a hopeful glint clearly visible in the handsome man’s expression. He was waiting eagerly for his request to be granted.
Besides, just going home together shouldn’t be a problem, right? After all, Sean promised not to do anything inappropriate. So, a few moments later, she nodded, agreeing to Sean’s invitation to go home together.
“Alright then, let’s go.”
Sean smiled joyfully. He then gestured for Veronica to walk ahead. The two of them headed to the basement to leave together.
“Have you had dinner?” Sean asked when they were already on the way.
Veronica shook her head. Busy with her first day’s work at Infinix Group, she had forgotten to eat. Even since noon.
“Not yet. I’ve been really busy today,” Veronica said while looking at the road ahead.
Upon hearing Veronica’s response, Sean actually pulled over the car he was driving. He stopped for a moment, then turned to her, his face showing concern. He looked at his former girlfriend with worry.
“Oh my. You have a stomach condition, right? Why didn’t you eat?”
“I’m fine, Sean. Don’t exaggerate.”
“Well, you might be fine now. But it’s possible your condition will worsen tomorrow morning, Ve. In that case, let me take you out to eat right now. If you delay, your stomach might act up and you might catch a cold,” he said with deep concern. He knew all too well Veronica’s habits and the underlying health issues she had.
Veronica returned Sean’s gaze. She smiled faintly, appreciating the care her former boyfriend was showing.
“No, really, it’s fine. Just take me home. I can eat there.”
“No!” Sean objected, shaking his head. “You have to eat before going home.”
“Sean-”
“Ve, I know how you are,” he interrupted. “Who will guarantee that once you’re home, you’ll actually eat?”
Sean was right. In the past, when she was busy, Veronica often postponed her meal schedule. As a result, she frequently suffered from flare-ups of her stomach condition, experiencing pain and discomfort for days.
“But I really can eat at home,” Veronica replied afterwards. She felt uncomfortable with the idea of Sean going out of his way to accompany her for dinner. She was afraid she might lose control of her emotions. Because she was acutely aware that her feelings of love for Sean Galael were still present, even up to this moment.
However, Veronica was resolute. She was married now, and she mustn’t betray the sacred bond of her marriage like what Darwin did to her.
“I’d rather you just take me home now,” Veronica softly stated again. Her eyes gazed deeply into Sean’s earnest ones.
“Ve, please. Let me accompany you for dinner. After that, I promise I’ll take you home right away. At the very least, let me make sure you have dinner tonight.”
Veronica let out a long sigh. Seeing how persistent Sean was in persuading her, she reluctantly agreed to his request.
As a result, the two of them eventually stopped at a well-known restaurant that was conveniently located on the way to Darwin’s residence. They had a quick dinner. Once they finished, Sean promptly escorted Veronica back home.
***
From their seats, Kennedy and Randy could see how Darwin entered the restaurant with an infuriated expression on his face. Before heading home, the three of them had decided to meet briefly. As usual, they wanted to have a chat and share a meal, as well as welcome Randy back home after her recent out-of-town assignment.
As he took his seat, Darwin audibly sighed in frustration. If observed closely, Kennedy and Randy could easily guess that something was going on with their cousin.
Since childhood, Darwin, Kennedy, and Randy had a very close familial bond. The three of them used to play together frequently, spending a lot of time swapping stories and seeking advice from one another on various matters-whether it was about school, daily life, work, and now, matters of married life. That’s why, when an issue arose among them, one of them could usually sense what was happening.
“Why again, Win? You come in with such a messed up face. Go to the laundry guy first. Ask for help to iron out that expression,” Randy joked casually, which only seemed to annoy Darwin even more.
“Come on, Ran. Can you just be quiet for a while?”
“Such a weirdo! Why even bother meeting up if you’re going to act all silent?”
Darwin let out a heavy sigh. The frustration was still clearly visible on his handsome face. He reached for a glass of water on the table and drank it all in one go.
“What’s wrong with you, anyway? Did you run a marathon?” Randy quipped again. He was a chatterbox, constantly asking questions, even though Darwin had just scolded his earlier.
“Why are you like this, Win? You came in looking all uncomfortable. Is something bothering you?” Kennedy, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. He couldn’t bear to see his cousin’s sulking and unclear expression.
“Veronica is just out of line!” Darwin grumbled, starting to explain what was happening to him.
“What’s wrong with your wife?”
Randy was curious. He shifted his seat to get closer and enjoy hearing his cousin’s story.
“Are you two fighting again or what?” Kennedy asked.
“Fighting again?” Randy interjected. “Not again, Ken. It’s not just ‘again,’ but I’ve noticed that you two haven’t been at peace for a single day since you got married until now,” he teased while laughing.
Darwin sighed, then took a deep breath. The frustration he was feeling was truly overwhelming.
“Just imagine, today she nearly drove me crazy. First, she suddenly came to the office and announced that she’s now one of the shareholders at Infinix Group. Automatically, what does that mean? She’s one of the leaders now, right?”
Kennedy was taken aback. He was also surprised by this information.
“Veronica is a shareholder? Did she buy shares in Infinix Group?”
Darwin nodded. Then he let out another sigh.
“Well, before we got married, when Infinix Group was facing bankruptcy, Veronica’s name was already among the shareholders. But this afternoon, I confirmed with Dad again. He said Uncle Damian intentionally bought the remaining shares because Veronica has plans to start a new company in the mining sector.”
“But isn’t it good if she bought the remaining shares? After all, she’s your wife, right? In the end, it will be yours too, Win,” Kennedy affirmed.
“The problem is, do you think I want to be her husband for a lifetime?”
“Well, it’s your fault if it ends up in divorce,” Randy retorted, irritated by Darwin’s words.
“So, what else is making you annoyed? Is that all?” Kennedy interjected, trying to refocus on Darwin’s story that he believed wasn’t finished yet.
“Well, it’s not just that, Ken. After making the announcement, she did something outrageous and downright uncalled for. When Veronica came to the office, Vivian happened to be in my room. Veronica saw and she blatantly showed her displeasure.”
Listening attentively, Randy raised an eyebrow. Darwin had the audacity to blame Veronica for being angry when she caught him cheating.
“Of course, she wouldn’t be pleased. She’s your legal wife. I can guess that Veronica and Vivian had a disagreement, right?”
Randy then guessed the narrative Darwin had been describing. After all, as a known playboy, he was surely familiar with the typical behaviors that women displayed during arguments.
“Not just a disagreement. You know what Veronica did to Vivian?” Darwin said, looking from Randy to Kennedy in turn.
“What did your wife do?” Kennedy asked, his curiosity growing. From his demeanor, it was clear that whatever Darwin was about to tell them was quite intriguing.
Meanwhile, Darwin shook his head repeatedly. He took a moment to inhale deeply before explaining.
“Imagine this: Veronica, who usually cries when I raise my voice, had the audacity to grab Vivian’s hair yesterday. And crazier still, she pulled it, attempting to drag her out of the room, probably to humiliate her. I swear, Vivian ended up in tears from the pain.”
Laughter erupted from Randy and Kennedy. Rather than feeling sad or sympathetic, the two of them found Darwin’s recounted incident quite amusing.
“I can just imagine how embarrassed and angry Vivian must have been while being dragged around by Veronica,” Randy commented. “So, didn’t you help her?”
“Enough!” Darwin retorted. “I even kicked Veronica out of the room. But instead of leaving, she threatened to do something worse if she ever saw me being affectionate with Vivian again. Who does she think she is, telling me what to do?”
“Well, she is your legal wife, Ferguso!” Kennedy exclaimed. She thought it was quite silly for her cousin to ask a question that already had an obvious answer. “Besides, what wife would like to see her husband being affectionate with another woman?”
Darwin sighed. This was always his fate when discussing marriage. He would become the target of his two cousins’ teasing.
“But Veronica knows I’ve never considered her a wife. I was forced into this marriage. From the start, she knew my heart was with Vivian! Not anyone else.”
Randy sighed as well. He was tired of repeating the advice he often gave Darwin when talking about his marriage.
“Who knows what’s going on in your head, Win? You’re given a beautiful, wealthy wife who’s obviously got all the qualities one could wish for, she’s like a valuable diamond. And yet, you chose a worthless pebble instead,” Randy said without mincing his words. He knew his words would most likely provoke his cousin’s emotions.
“No need for all that talk, Ran,” Darwin retorted with a sharp look. His eyes squinted disapprovingly.
“I’m just stating the facts. Think about it, why make things so complicated? Why not try to make your marriage with Veronica work? It doesn’t have to be forever, just give it a year or six months, at least. Or, if you think that’s too long, try three months just to get to know each other better. But no, instead of giving it a chance, you’re already overthinking everything. If you weren’t my cousin, I might even try to steal Veronica’s heart away.”
“Besides, how do you know that the person you’re neglecting isn’t being pursued by other guys out there?” Kennedy added. The slanted-eyed guy followed up on Randy’s statement.
Darwin sighed repeatedly. His ears felt hot from listening to the lectures his two cousins were delivering.
“Enough with the lecture. You two might as well eat,” Darwin said when the food they ordered arrived and was served.
“And you’re not going to eat?” Kennedy immediately asked when she saw Darwin leaning on his shoulder, looking like he couldn’t be bothered to do anything.
“No,” Darwin shook his head. He folded his arms across his chest and added, “My appetite’s gone!”
Randy giggled with amusement. Ignoring Darwin’s irritation, he and Kennedy decided to start eating the food that was laid out before them.
However, their meal was interrupted when Randy accidentally caught sight of Veronica, who had just entered the restaurant accompanied by a man. Instantly, he nudged Darwin with his foot, signaling for him to look at what he was observing.
“What is it?” Darwin asked in confusion.
“Your wife over there,” Randy pointed with his chin.
Darwin and Kennedy both looked in the direction Randy indicated. They both noticed Veronica sitting down and ordering food with a man.
“Isn’t that the guy we met a while back?” Kennedy asked, seemingly recalling a previous incident.
Darwin nodded, confirming Kennedy’s statement.
“If I’m not mistaken, that’s the expert staff who recently arrived from abroad. So, Veronica was assigned by her dad to accompany him during his stay in Indonesia,” he explained.
“Are you sure their relationship is just professional? They seem pretty close,” Randy prodded. She delighted in being a provocateur, hoping Darwin would feel a pang of jealousy from her words. Randy’s intention was to make her cousin feel a bit uncomfortable. “From a distance, it looks like he’s good-looking, too, just like Veronica. Are you really not worried about other guys trying to steal your diamond-like wife? Wake up, Win. Wake up before it’s too late.”
Instead of responding, Darwin fell into silence. While staring at Veronica from afar, he suddenly found himself bothered by Randy’s words.