Perhaps, for some people, considering Darwin’s change of heart from deeply loving Vivian to suddenly turning to Veronica may seem impulsive. Maybe many doubt how Darwin could easily leave Vivian, who had been a companion for years, for a new figure named Veronica Ashborne.
What else can one do?
Love is like that, sometimes. Often, it defies human logic. It can even leave the person experiencing it perplexed.
Upon closer examination, some people find it difficult to forget or move on after years of being in a relationship. Others easily switch to a new love interest after finding someone who might be more comfortable and suitable than their previous partner.
It’s not uncommon for couples to date for years and then fail to reach the altar. On the contrary, there are other couples who meet and get married within a month, despite having just met. It’s ironic, indeed.
Who knows where Darwin falls in this spectrum from all these examples and speculations? What’s certain is that he is genuinely in love with his wife now. He’s doing his best to become the perfect partner for Veronica.
Indeed, this journey of love for Darwin is not easy. Within less than a month of being husband and wife without any formal agreement, one mistake he made ended up affecting everything and even jeopardizing his future.
That evening, after a meeting outside the office, Darwin intended to visit and pick up Veronica from her workplace. However, when he arrived, Sean informed him that his wife had left the office hours ago.
Confidently, Darwin decided to head home to catch up with her. In fact, he took a brief detour to the favorite pastry shop with the intention of buying her favorite cake.
Upon reaching home, Darwin was surprised to find Damian’s car neatly parked in the driveway, indicating that his father-in-law was visiting.
Without any foreboding, Darwin stepped inside the house. When he saw Damian sitting in the living room, he approached him in his usual friendly manner and greeted him.
“Good evening, Pa.”
Damian, who was busy with his phone at the time, looked up and then turned his gaze toward Darwin.
“Yes, good evening, Win,” Damian replied casually. He was trying to be polite and composed to avoid letting his anger show. In reality, he was extremely upset with his chosen son-in-law.
Darwin, who didn’t sense anything unusual, moved closer. He chose a seat on the couch, not far from where his father-in-law was sitting.
Little did he know that if he had known what was about to happen, he might not have remained so calm.
“Have you been here long, Pa?” Darwin initiated the conversation.
“Not too long. Maybe about 15 minutes.”
Darwin nodded in understanding. He thought that perhaps Damian had stopped by their home to visit Veronica, who had recently recovered from an illness.
“Have you seen Veronica, Pa?”
This time, Damian nodded. Not only had they met, but they had also engaged in a heated argument before.
“Yes. Right now, I’m even waiting for her to pack her things.”
“W-what? Packing?” Darwin repeated, as if confirming what he had just heard. He even felt that his hearing was functioning perfectly this time.
“Yes,” nodded Damian. “I’m waiting for Veronica, who is currently packing upstairs.”
“Where is she packing to, Pa?” Darwin wondered, growing more confused. Veronica had never mentioned anything about going somewhere to him before.
“Veronica has decided to come back and live with me,” Damian replied calmly. He didn’t care in the slightest that his son-in-law was now bewildered and full of questions about what was really happening.
“Pa, what’s going on here? Is there something Darwin doesn’t know?”
Damian shook his head, wearing a faint smile.
“It’s not you, Win. In fact, it seems like I’m the one who doesn’t know anything here.”
“Huh? What do you mean, Pa?”
Darwin’s confusion and concern grew. It could be guessed that Damian was deliberately dragging out the explanation, as if wasting time.
“Pa…” Darwin called out again. “What’s really going on?”
Damian didn’t answer. Instead, he reached into his jacket pocket and handed a piece of paper to Darwin to read immediately.
“What’s this, Pa?”
“You can check it yourself.”
Darwin complied. With his eyes, he slowly read the piece of paper Damian had given him. It turned out that the paper contained an agreement that he and Veronica had once agreed upon.
“Pa… ” Darwin quickly called out. “This isn’t what I expected. Besides, this agreement is no longer valid. Darwin and Veronica canceled everything when we truly fell in love with each other.”
“Love?”
Instead of believing his son-in-law’s words, Damian smiled cynically. He regarded Darwin’s recent words as nothing more than unproven tales.
“In that case, what about this one? Can you explain what all of this means?”
Damian said this while handing Darwin several photos that he had also kept in his jacket pocket. He asked Darwin to clarify and explain the meaning of the collection of intimate photos taken during his relationship with a woman named Vivian.
“Pa, for God’s sake, this is far from what you think. Moreover, this agreement is no longer in effect. Darwin and Veronica have canceled everything, and we genuinely love each other.”
Damian chuckled cynically. He wanted to express his anger, but at the same time, he tried to listen to what his son-in-law would say.
“Furthermore, you continue this illicit relationship while Veronica tries to sincerely fulfill her role as a wife? You engage in a relationship and deliberately hurt Veronica? You’ve gone too far, Darwin!”
“Pa, Darwin is sorry,” Darwin pleaded softly. There was nothing else he could do now but apologize as much as possible. “Darwin has made a big mistake. But, Pa, you also need to know what Darwin is doing now. Pa-”
“Enough, Darwin!” Damian interrupted loudly. His emotions were gradually getting the better of him. “Do you know? I’ve worked hard to raise Veronica. I’ve tried to give her the best of everything. I even found a prospective husband for her, someone I thought was better than any other man out there. But…” Damian paused, looking cynically, and he appeared much different from usual. The aura of hostility mixed with disappointment was evident. “Turns out, you’re nothing more than a scoundrel! How dare you act violently? How dare you deliberately hurt Veronica!”
Damian seemed to unleash all of his anger. There seemed to be no room left for Darwin to apologize. Furthermore, he didn’t give his son-in-law a chance to speak or defend himself.
“Do you not know how to be grateful for all the help Papa has given to the Salim family?” Damian demanded. “Do you even know that I, Veronica’s parent, have never once harmed or committed any violence against her? And you, you dare to treat her roughly? Unbelievable! Only a cowardly man would resort to violence against a woman, especially his own wife!”
Darwin was running out of words. He was cornered with all the accusations that Damian had just made. But, no matter what, almost all the accusations leveled at him were true. Darwin didn’t deny how despicable he had been in the past.
“Pa… Darwin apologizes. Darwin knows that the mistakes in the past were too great and perhaps unforgivable. But, for God’s sake, Darwin has changed and is now trying to slowly become a better person.”
“Better, you say?”
Damian sneered. For some reason, he felt intrigued by what Darwin had just said. None of his son-in-law’s words piqued his interest or made him instantly believe. None, and it never would!
“Papa can ask Veronica,” Darwin replied, adding, “Papa can make sure with her how Darwin’s efforts to change are going.”
Just a few seconds after Darwin said that, Veronica was seen coming down the stairs. She walked slowly, intending to approach her father with a suitcase in her hand.
“Veronica…” Darwin called out. “Please explain to Papa what happened between us. Papa needs to know if —-”
“Enough, Win,” Veronica interrupted, shaking her head. “There’s nothing that needs to be explained to Papa.”
Darwin began to feel uneasy. Furthermore, Veronica’s attitude appeared very cold, and there was no desire to provide an explanation to her father-in-law.
“Ve, what’s wrong with you? You know best what has been happening between us all this time, right? And why are you carrying a suitcase? Where do you intend to go?” Darwin questioned persistently.
Veronica sighed repeatedly. In the same position, she was actually confused about where to start.
“I want to go with Papa.”
Darwin was taken aback. It turns out what Damian had said earlier about Veronica staying at her father’s house was not just an empty statement.
“Go with Papa? What do you mean by ‘go with Papa’? You can’t leave. Your home is here, with me.”
Veronica shook her head. Even when Darwin tried to reach for her hand, Veronica quickly deliberately pushed it away.
“No, Win. I can’t stay with someone I can’t trust like you.”
As if the problems that had arisen were not enough, Darwin was once again shocked by another issue. He didn’t really understand the meaning of Veronica’s recent statement.
“What do you mean by ‘can’t trust’? Veronica?”
Veronica stared at Darwin intently, closely examining the distressed face of the man who was her husband.
“I’m sure you haven’t forgotten the warning I gave you about Vivian. But why did you disappoint me, Win? Why did you meet her without my knowledge?”
“I can explain, Ve. Yesterday, I tried to —-”
“Stop!” Veronica brought her index finger to her lips, signaling Darwin to stop talking. “I gave you one chance to meet and resolve all your problems. You heard for yourself that I warned you not to meet her again in the future, no matter what the reason or purpose was. But you broke your promise, didn’t you? Even my father saw how you were hugging Vivian out there. You’ve gone too far, Win!”
“Veronica….” Darwin sighed heavily. His face was pale, and his despair was evident. “I beg you. This isn’t what you imagine.”
Veronica didn’t care. She then turned to her father, who was still sitting and observing. She signaled him to leave Darwin’s residence immediately.
“Veronica, please. Don’t do this. Don’t leave like this. We can discuss everything calmly. Whatever you want, I’ll do it. But please, don’t leave like this.”
Veronica paused for a moment. Turning around, she nodded repeatedly.
“If only you hadn’t broken your promise by meeting Vivian without my knowledge, maybe I would have fought for you as I did before in front of Papa. But you’ve made a big mistake, Win. I can’t do anything now.”
“What about our relationship, Veronica? What about this marriage?”
“End it,” Damian said firmly, taking over the conversation. “If necessary, everything that has been given to Infinix Group, I will withdraw it all.”
Veronica remained silent. Seeing Damian, who had already walked out, she followed suit. Meanwhile, Darwin seemed frozen in his position. He didn’t know what efforts he should make to fix all the problems that were currently happening.