Meanwhile, in Veronica’s office, during lunchtime, Deasy pays her a visit. After nearly a week of not seeing each other, Veronica’s closest friend decides to drop by. Even though they’ve been staying connected through phone calls and text messages, it doesn’t quite compare to meeting face to face.
“Here, a little something for you. I prepared it specially yesterday.”
Veronica hands over a large paper bag to Deasy. During their time in Malaysia, she went out of her way to find some items to give her best friend as a token of appreciation.
“Oh, come on, you really went through all the trouble. Thanks, though. And hey, you should visit more often,” Deasy says, earning a chuckle from Veronica. “How was Malaysia? Did you finish your work?”
Veronica nods. Overall, the tasks she worked on during her Malaysia trip are completed and, she can safely say, successful.
“Everything’s done without any issues. We’re even set to start next month.”
“Thank goodness. I’m glad to hear that your business is continuously thriving. You and Sean are quite competent. No doubt about it.”
Veronica gives a small smile. Instead of agreeing, she shakes her head and says, “No, Des. I need to admit that this success isn’t because of Sean and me. It’s thanks to Darwin. He was the one who did the observations, presentations, checks, and even handled the smallest issues on site. I also have to admit, he’s genuinely talented in this mining field.”
Deasy smirks teasingly. For some reason, every time she hears Darwin’s name, she wants to tease him, as she often does.
“So, are you now in Darwin’s corner?”
“From the beginning, I’ve never been against him, Des.”
“Only he doesn’t know how to say thank you and be grateful for having a wife like you,” Deasy replied intentionally. Emphasizing that she hadn’t forgotten how Darwin treated Veronica all this time.
“At the very least, for the next six months, he won’t be as ruthless and nasty as he was when we first met. The proof is, ever since that agreement was made, he’s been fully committed to doing what was agreed upon.”
“I hope he stays consistent.”
Veronica nodded. Just as she was about to continue the conversation, suddenly a knock on her office door was heard. When both Veronica and Deasy turned their heads, they saw Darwin standing there, holding a reasonably large plastic bag in his right hand.
“Darwin?”
“Have you had lunch?” the man asked.
“Not yet. I’m planning to grab lunch with Deasy after I finish my work. Why?”
“I brought some food. Coincidentally, I met a client at a Japanese restaurant earlier. So, I got sushi for you,” he said, extending the bag containing boxes he had been carrying.
“Awww, so attentive to his wife,” Deasy teased intentionally. Her words made Darwin somewhat embarrassed.
“No, it’s just a coincidence,” Darwin retorted. In truth, even if he wanted to be attentive, it wouldn’t be a problem.
“Don’t be shy, Mr. Darwin,” Deasy said playfully. “It’s normal for a husband to pay attention to his wife. Especially when his wife is as beautiful as this. It’s safer than someone else giving attention, you know.”
Scratching his neck, Darwin simply nodded. “Alright then, please continue your conversation. I’ll head back to my office. Don’t forget to eat. Besides, there’s plenty of sushi. So, you can share.”
“Okay. Thanks again for the food.”
After Darwin left, Deasy looked at Veronica with meaningful eyes. Moments later, sarcastic words flowed from her lips.
“Seems like someone is really diving into the roles of husband and wife.”
“What are you talking about?” Veronica retorted, understanding the intention behind her friend’s words.
“Let me ask. What were you guys up to in Malaysia?”
Veronica immediately frowned. Bombarded with such questions, she was unsure how to respond.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, during your business trip to Malaysia, what did you and Darwin do?”
“We didn’t do anything special.”
Right then, Deasy narrowed her eyes sharply. “Are you sure? Nothing special?”
“By God, even though we shared a room, we didn’t do anything special. Yes, we went out and had dinner together. But it didn’t go beyond that.”
Deasy nodded. Gazing intently at Veronica’s dark eyes, she once again threw a probing question.
“Don’t tell me you’re slowly starting to develop feelings for Darwin.”
“No way, Deasy!”
“Why not? Just from the way you and Darwin looked at each other earlier, it seemed different from before.”
“Well, I can’t deny that maybe someday I might like him. Hearts are unpredictable. But for now, I don’t have those feelings at all, Des. Especially with Sean being here too.”
“Are you still in love with Sean?”
“Of course, I am. It’s not that easy to forget someone you’ve loved for a long time.”
Deasy nodded in understanding.
“So, you’re not in love with Darwin?”
Veronica shook her head.
“Not at all.”
“That’s good then,” Deasy replied happily. “A guy like Darwin really isn’t suitable for you. Oh, by the way, your birthday is next Sunday, right? Do you have any plans to celebrate? If so, I can help organize it. There’s still a few days left.”
Veronica gently tapped her forehead. She had been so busy that she forgot about her own birthday.
“I don’t think there will be a celebration. I’m not sure who to invite either. Many of our friends are abroad.”
“Alright then, how about having dinner with me and Sean? I don’t mind being the third wheel for you guys like before.”
Veronica laughed. Ever since she started dating Sean, Deasy had often been the third wheel on their dates. Sean never complained either. Besides, by having Deasy around, Veronica could freely meet Sean without being interrogated or monitored by her father.
“Sure. Just arrange where we’ll have dinner. And you can talk to Sean about it. I don’t feel comfortable inviting him directly.”
Deasy nodded in agreement. It wasn’t difficult for her to include Sean in their dinner plans, especially for celebrating Veronica’s birthday. It was clear that Sean had feelings for Veronica.
While the two beautiful women enjoyed the sushi on the table, unbeknownst to them, Darwin had been listening attentively behind the office door to their conversation. With mixed emotions, he chose to leave while pondering over what he had heard earlier.