Throughout his lifetime, Darwin never expected that his life’s journey could be as complicated as it is now. However, if we delve deep into the past, his life could be considered quite joyful.
His career and job had been going so smoothly. Even in matters of romance, not a single obstacle had arisen. Building a relationship from always being together, then being separated for some time, didn’t diminish the flames of love between Darwin and Vivian.
Both of them managed to weather all the storms that came their way. They kept looking out for each other, offering mutual support, and promising to stay loyal no matter the circumstances.
Until a significant problem emerged. The sudden instability of the Infinix Group’s position prompted Magnus Walters to seek help from a close friend. Feeling indebted and recalling a past promise, this led the Chinese descendant man to arrange a marriage between Darwin and the friend’s daughter.
This is where the complexity began. Darwin’s plans to build a life with his beloved Vivian were shattered. He was forced to leave Vivian to comply with the command of marrying Veronica, the girl provided by his father.
Darwin obeyed. But he didn’t simply erase Vivian from his life. After getting married, he continued his relationship with his former lover. He even openly cheated in front of his wife.
Initially, Darwin felt like he was on top of the world. His actions seemed to go smoothly without any hurdles.
Until Veronica began to feel restless. The woman whom Darwin had considered weak all this time started showing her fangs and even began to turn the tables. She retaliated for all the wicked deeds Darwin had done. In fact, by every means she had, Veronica managed to temporarily remove Vivian from Darwin’s life.
And now? After some time being apart, and just when Darwin started to focus on opening his heart to Veronica, Vivian suddenly reappeared. At a grand party, the two of them accidentally crossed paths, which nearly clouded Darwin’s thinking.
“Darwin.”
The call sounded so soft as it reached Darwin’s ears. After a few moments of locking eyes with Vivian, instead of returning the greeting, Darwin decided to ignore her and walked away.
The man even tightened the link of his hand which had been affectionately holding Veronica’s since the beginning. He led his wife around to greet business colleagues without paying the slightest attention to Vivian’s presence, who was clearly signaling and even calling his name.
Of course, Veronica didn’t miss this observation. Throughout the party, Darwin focused on the guests and several business associates. Even when Veronica intentionally separated herself, she couldn’t see any suspicious behavior from Darwin.
“You look really beautiful tonight.”
Veronica’s reverie was instantly shattered when she heard a voice that was so familiar to her. Turning towards the source of the sound, Sean was already standing there, offering a friendly smile and a glass of drink to Veronica.
“Sean… you startled me.”
“Startled? What were you doing? Daydreaming? Lost in thought?” the man prodded and then laughed shortly after. “I guess I asked a lot, huh? Sorry.”
“No problem. Just relax. I was just admiring tonight’s party. It’s so lively. Different from before.”
Sean nodded in agreement.
“Indeed, a lot of important people are here. I’m lucky to be able to attend this event. It means I get to meet new amazing people.”
“Yeah. Deasy went all out inviting important people to this birthday party. Papa definitely made the right choice by putting her in charge of the event.”
Engaging in a conversation with Sean momentarily stopped Veronica’s activities. From another direction, a business associate suddenly approached and greeted Veronica, inviting her to chat.
“I’m so glad to meet Mrs. Veronica here.”
“I’m also delighted to meet an accomplished person like Mr. Adrian at this party,” Veronica replied warmly to the business associate with whom she had collaborated a few years back. “How’s the start-up business that Mr. Adrian is involved in? I see it has grown rapidly compared to before.”
The man named Adrian nodded with a smile and gladly responded to Veronica’s question.
“At first, it was shaky and even on the brink of collapse. Fortunately, I had a team that never gave up. And with the help of Mr. Darius as well, we managed to rise again and now we’re standing strong.”
“I’m pleased to hear that, Mr. Adrian. I hope your new business continues to be stable and dominates the start-up industry.”
“Thank you very much for your kind words, Mrs. Veronica.” Adrian’s gaze then shifted to Sean, who had been standing quietly and listening to the conversation between them. “By the way, is this Mrs. Veronica’s husband? I apologize for not being able to attend the wedding last time as I was in Taiwan.”
Sean smiled amiably, about to extend his hand when Darwin suddenly interjected, stepping forward and inviting Adrian to shake hands.
“I’m sorry, you’ve got the wrong person, sir. If you’re looking for Veronica’s husband, that would be me,” Darwin stated firmly while smiling. “I’m Darwin Walters. Veronica’s husband and also Damian Ashborne’s son-in-law.”
Adrian awkwardly nodded. Feeling a bit embarrassed but still accepting Darwin’s extended hand, he then offered an apology.
“Oh my, I apologize, Mr. Darwin. Nice to meet you. Hopefully, at another time, we can collaborate in business as well.”
Instead of approaching Vivian, who appeared to be standing alone in a corner of the room, Darwin intentionally returned to flank his wife. It was as if he had a radar or an alarm that alerted him whenever Sean was near his wife, causing him to quickly approach. He seemed unwilling to be even slightly replaced by Sean.
***
Until it was time to leave, Veronica kept observing her husband’s behavior. The man, who was previously active, suddenly became somewhat passive and occasionally appeared quiet throughout the journey.
Once they reached home and were in their room, Darwin finally spoke up again. As Veronica was about to lie down, Darwin hurriedly called her and reached for her wrist, gently squeezing it.
“Ve… there’s something I want to say.”
At that moment, Veronica looked up. Casting a serious gaze, she responded softly.
“Why?”
“For God’s sake, what you saw tonight was truly not intentional. I don’t even know why Vivian could be at my Dad’s company’s birthday party.”
“Oh, really?”
Darwin nodded repeatedly. He tried his best to convince Veronica that he genuinely had no idea why Vivian was at the same event with him tonight.
Darwin never once thought he’d encounter Vivian at his father-in-law’s company birthday party. He himself was wondering how his lover ended up being present there. But, no matter how curious he was, he couldn’t directly ask or clarify the matter with Vivian now. It would only make the situation more complicated and potentially escalate the issue.
“I swear, no matter what, I didn’t invite Vivian. I wouldn’t seek trouble like that. You saw for yourself, I didn’t even acknowledge her when we crossed paths earlier.”
Veronica smirked teasingly. Narrowing her eyes, she responded to Darwin’s words. Somehow, Veronica was convinced that what her husband did was nothing more than a reflex of fear or worry stemming from the threats he had once given.
“Why didn’t you acknowledge her? Because you’re afraid of me?”
“No,” Darwin shook his head repeatedly. “It’s not because of fear.”
“Then why?” Veronica inquired curiously. “Besides, you were with me at that time. If you were alone, I’m sure the situation would’ve been different.”
“No, Ve. You know well that I made a promise, right?”
“Promise?”
This time, Darwin nodded.
“Yes. I’ve committed not to have any contact with Vivian for the next six months, no matter the reason. And just so you know, I despise breaking promises the most.”
Darwin continued to go to great lengths to reassure Veronica. He was unwilling for his wife to believe that what he had said or promised earlier was mere empty talk or empty boasts.
“Well, for now, I believe you. And hopefully, that trust can endure until later.”
“I’ll prove my words,” Darwin responded confidently.
“Let’s see, Win. Let time be the judge.”
While Darwin decided to rest first, Veronica could only suppress a smile in her position. She really wanted to burst out laughing seeing the clear panic on her husband’s face earlier.
Certainly, there was a reason why Vivian suddenly appeared at her father’s company’s birthday party. All this happened because of her own involvement a few days ago.
During a meeting with Deasy discussing Darwin, the idea of bringing Vivian to the party crossed Veronica’s mind.
“Des, you’re the one handling all the invitations and everything, right?” Veronica asked to confirm.
“Yes,” Deasy nodded. “That’s why I’m so tired keeping track of who hasn’t been invited.”
“In that case, can I ask you for a favor?” Veronica inquired.
Deasy squinted her eyes, looking at Veronica with suspicion, and asked in return, “What kind of favor?”
“I want you to create a special invitation for someone.”
“For who?”
“Vivian, Darwin’s girlfriend.”
“What?!”
Deasy’s eyes widened immediately. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard.
“You want me to invite the woman who’s obviously causing chaos in your marriage? Are you insane, Ve?”
“I am a little insane, Des. That’s why, just go along with what I’m asking. Please create a special invitation for her.”
“But how? The invitations are only for employees or business associates.”
Veronica clicked her tongue. Shortly after, the beautiful woman smirked slyly.
“Vivian is actually an employee at Vortex Group now.”
“What do you mean?”
“Yes,” Veronica nodded. “I’ve placed her in one of Vortex Group’s subsidiary branches.”
“Seriously? Since when? Didn’t you tell me that you were only going to reinstate her job compensation and benefits after six months of marriage with Darwin? Why the sudden change of heart?” Deasy was puzzled. She started wondering what motivated her friend to change her mind.
“I just thought that if Vivian stayed idle for six months without any activity, she might develop intentions to disturb Darwin without my knowledge. So, I decided to give her a job quickly by making her an employee in one of Papa’s subsidiary branches.”
“But where did you put her, Ve?”
“At Vasco,” Veronica answered casually.
“Insane! That’s a company branch in Kalimantan. It’s so far, you’re practically placing her in the wilderness.”
“It’s okay. Let her focus on earning money there.”
“The problem is, are you sure she won’t contact Darwin?”
Veronica immediately nodded repeatedly.
“Don’t worry. The other day, when I asked her to come to the office, I gave her a new phone with a new number. I warned her multiple times not to contact Darwin for the time being.”
“And are you sure she’ll follow all your orders?”
Veronica nodded her head.
“She has to!” the woman stated firmly. “Moreover, I made it clear to Vivian that if she follows everything I say, she’ll be safe and her life will be secure. But if she dares to misbehave just once, don’t expect me to stay quiet. Even her aunt, the singer, won’t be spared from my interference.”
Deasy was momentarily stunned by Veronica’s response. Then, shortly after, she heard Veronica exclaim loudly.
“This is madness! What on earth are you doing with Darwin? I truly can’t comprehend it, Ve.”
Deasy never expected Veronica to go to such extremes. Just for a man like Darwin, Veronica was using her power to hinder anyone who might disrupt her marriage.
“If I were you…” Deasy continued arguing. “I’d just get rid of Darwin. Why bother trying to maintain everything?”
“Enough, you don’t need to comment so much, Des. You don’t need to know all the reasons. Let this be my marital affair. Just follow my initial request to invite Vivian to the company’s birthday party. Make sure she comes. Because I want to see what Darwin will do with his beloved girlfriend.”
And earlier, Veronica saw clearly what Darwin had done to Vivian. So, did she feel satisfied? The answer was, of course, no.