“Win, can you just chill out? Relax a bit, seriously!” Randy scolded Darwin when she saw him looking visibly restless in his seat.
Today, after getting news that Veronica was admitted to the hospital due to an accident, Kennedy decided to take Randy to visit her cousin’s wife. Initially, the two of them had talked for a while in the room.
However, when Veronica and Darwin’s parents came to visit, Kennedy and Randy chose to wait in the hospital cafeteria. After some consideration, Darwin and Veronica finally decided to slowly tell their parents what had happened.
Ensuring that their daughter’s condition was okay, Darius finally breathed a sigh of relief. And now, after their in-laws and parents had left, Darwin decided to join Kennedy and Randy in the cafeteria. After all, his wife was currently being visited by some colleagues and coworkers.
“How am I supposed to be calm? You have no idea that in the hospital room, there’s Veronica’s ex with some friends from the office and other colleagues visiting.”
“Well, what’s the big deal if the ex and her friend are visiting?” Randy asked with a puzzled expression.
Darwin sighed in frustration. It seemed Randy didn’t understand what he was complaining about. But, it was understandable that his cousin would ask, as he hadn’t shared anything yet.
“You just don’t know, Veronica’s friend named Deasy really has it out for me. Right from the start, it’s clear she doesn’t like me. She’s also really into provoking and intentionally heating things up with Veronica.”
Kennedy chuckled softly hearing Darwin’s story. From her expression, she could tell that her cousin was genuinely annoyed.
“But isn’t Randy also into provoking your relationship with Veronica?”
Darwin nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, Randy can be a pain. But, it’s still different, Ken. Randy’s annoying antics are in a different league. I’d rather have Randy around,” Darwin defended. It was quite rare for him to actually support Randy’s actions. Usually, the two of them were like cats and dogs when engaged in a conversation.
“Why would you say that? You both like stirring things up, don’t you?”
“It’s still not the same,” Darwin insisted. Taking a deep breath, he continued his sentence. “I admit, Randy has been intentionally provoking things so that Veronica and I can continue like you and Luna, right? Always instigating so that I can slowly learn to genuinely accept Veronica,” he explained. “But Deasy, she’s on a whole different level, Ken.”
Kennedy furrowed her brow. The more Darwin talked, the more curious she became about her cousin’s intentions.
“So, what’s the deal with this Deasy?”
“She’s intentionally egging Veronica on to get back together with Sean.”
Kennedy let out a soft chuckle. Rolling her eyes, she doubted Darwin’s statement. Perhaps her cousin’s assumption was exaggerated.
“How do you know that? Don’t jump to conclusions, Win.”
“I’m not randomly accusing or slandering anyone, Ken. You know me, right? Plus, yesterday when Deasy visited, I overheard her talking to Veronica.”
“Do you have a new hobby now? Really into eavesdropping on people’s conversations,” Randy teased after staying silent for a while, listening to the conversation.
“Not eavesdropping. It’s just that it happened unintentionally, Ran,” Darwin exclaimed frustratedly. “So, you wouldn’t know how it started, but it can be concluded that Veronica might have confided in Deasy about our six-month marriage agreement. Then, without Veronica’s knowledge, Deasy goes and tells Sean, who’s her ex and still hopes to get back with Veronica.”
“Wow, that’s messed up if it’s gotten to this point,” Kennedy exclaimed. Darwin was ready to present various arguments swirling in his head.
Kennedy had always been a neutral figure. However, she often gave advice to Darwin about his cousin’s marriage. And if Darwin made a mistake, she didn’t hesitate to reprimand him. It wasn’t just because of family, she didn’t condone Darwin’s wrongdoings.
“Actually, it’s not wrong for Veronica to want to confide in Deasy,” Kennedy continued. “But it’s really wrong for Deasy to keep sharing Veronica’s confidences with Sean. Whatever her reasons are, it’s just not justified.”
Darwin snapped his fingers into the air. As usual, he wholeheartedly agreed with what his cousin was saying.
“Exactly! That’s what’s really making me angry. She’s just Veronica’s friend. It’s so unethical to discuss our marriage issues with others.”
“She might support Sean for various reasons, Win,” Randy speculated. He was trying to dissect the ongoing problem. “First, maybe she knows Sean better. From his personality, daily life, his good and bad traits. Second, maybe Veronica has told Deasy about your bad behavior. So, as a friend, she doesn’t like it and can’t accept how you treat Veronica unfairly. That’s why, perhaps because Sean was better than you before, she’s more in favor of Veronica getting back with her ex.”
“But still, Ran. What Deasy is doing is not acceptable. When I make a mistake, it’s immediately highlighted. But her behavior seems to be supporting Veronica’s relationship with Sean behind my back. That’s double standards. Even if she wants to support Veronica being with Sean, can’t she wait until we’re officially separated?”
Randy nodded. He understood exactly what Darwin was feeling right now. Just when Darwin was trying to keep his promise by honoring the commitments they had agreed upon, another party emerged intentionally stirring up the situation. Randy was sure anyone would feel frustrated in such a situation.
“Yeah, it’s wrong, indeed. Even if your relationship ends up being over, it would be better if Deasy wants to set Veronica up with Sean to wait until you both are actually divorced. Not right now. Otherwise, it might lead to infidelity.”
“That’s why I’m so annoyed!”
Randy let out a long sigh. Reluctant to continue the argument, he chose to wrap up the conversation.
“Well, just discuss with Veronica about it sometime. I’m sure she herself has already given Deasy a piece of her mind. I personally hope everything can be resolved peacefully without any fights.”
***
After seeing Kennedy and Randy off at the lobby, Darwin headed straight to the administrative office to settle all sorts of payments. Since the doctor had confirmed Veronica’s condition to be 100% safe and sound, Darwin decided not to delay their return any longer.
After paying for the medications and other things, he decided to quickly return to the room. Upon entering, he saw colleagues from the Infinix Group, including Sean, who had come to visit earlier, were preparing to leave.
“Get well soon, Mrs. Veronica. We’ll pray for your swift return to the office,” one of the representatives from the finance division said.
“Thank you so much, Alma, for your visit and the company of your friends. Hopefully, in the next few days, I can return to the office promptly.”
Not only did representatives from several divisions bid farewell. Before leaving, Sean also personally handed a bucket of flowers to Veronica while saying a few prayers for his ex-lover. And of course, Darwin didn’t miss noticing this gesture.
After bidding goodbye, everyone, without exception, immediately left the room. Darwin was left behind, walking straight to the closet. He grabbed a suitcase and began packing.
“Are we going home today?” Veronica asked to confirm.
“Yes, I’ve taken care of everything. Just wait a moment. Let me pack your things from the closet.”
Since there weren’t too many belongings, it took Darwin less than five minutes to pack. He neatly arranged the gifts given by the guests to take home.
However, there was one thing that surprised Veronica. Among the many gifts, Darwin seemed to intentionally leave behind the bouquet of flowers from Sean.
“Why didn’t you put the flowers in the bag, Win?” Veronica asked intentionally.
“No need. If you take a look, the flowers aren’t that great. Besides, it’s not trendy anymore to give rose bouquets these days, Ve.”
Veronica grumbled in annoyance. Somehow, Darwin always became sensitive whenever anything related to Sean was mentioned.
“Even though the flowers are nice, Win.”
“What’s nice about them? They’re not that great.”
“Who says they’re not nice? Just so you know, white roses are my favorite,” Veronica retorted indignantly.
Darwin stared at Veronica intently. Nodding, he responded.
“Oh, so white roses are your favorite?”
“Yes. So why did you leave them behind?”
“Enough, don’t protest by asking why I left them behind. Tomorrow, I’ll even create a white rose garden in the backyard to make you happy.”
Veronica rolled her eyes lazily. But shortly after, she burst into laughter. It was amusing to see Darwin’s expression of displeasure.
When the nurse with a wheelchair arrived, Darwin immediately helped Veronica shift from the bed to the wheelchair. Then, in a relaxed manner, he wheeled her out to his parked car in the lobby and drove them home.
“Is your leg still hurting, or can you walk on your own?” Darwin asked when they arrived in front of their house. Before she got out of the car, Darwin wanted to ensure Veronica’s condition once again.
“It still hurts a bit. But not as bad as yesterday. Can you hold my hand to help me walk to the bedroom?”
Darwin nodded. He proceeded to help unfasten the seatbelt wrapped around Veronica’s body. Once it was all undone, he got out of the car first. Then, he gently guided her out of the car.
“Be careful. There’s no need to rush,” Darwin said, assisting Veronica’s body as she slowly exited the car.
Veronica thought that once she was standing outside the car, Darwin would gently guide her to walk to the bedroom. However, to her surprise, her husband, without asking for permission, picked her up and carried her towards the bedroom.
“Rena, is the room ready?” Darwin asked as he climbed the stairs to the second floor.
“It’s ready, sir,” Renata replied, following Darwin to the room. “I’ve prepared everything as per your instructions.”
Darwin nodded. Once they reached the bedroom door, Renata promptly opened it. Believing that both of her employers had entered, she quickly closed the door tightly. After that, she went back downstairs to continue her tasks.
Veronica, who was still being carried, felt puzzled. She wondered why Darwin was bringing her to his room.
“Wait, why am I being brought here?”
Darwin didn’t immediately respond. He chose to lay Veronica gently on the bed first. Making sure she was comfortable, he then sat on the edge of the bed while answering her question.
“Because you’re having trouble walking, I thought it might be a good idea for you to sleep in my room for a while. That way, if you need anything, you can just ask me.”
Veronica was taken aback. For heaven’s sake, she never imagined that Darwin would be so attentive to her.
“I’m fine. Sleeping in my own room shouldn’t be a problem.”
Darwin shook his head. He didn’t agree with Veronica’s argument. He didn’t want anything bad to happen to her again.
“You can’t even stand and walk on your own right now, Ve. Besides, this won’t last forever. Until you’ve fully recovered.”
“But-”
“That’s enough,” Darwin interrupted. “No need to protest too much. Just try to endure it. You don’t need to worry. I won’t do anything weird.”
Veronica chuckled softly. Seeing the sincerity in her husband’s eyes, she finally agreed to spend the next few nights sleeping with Darwin in his room.