[91]
Darren laughed. “Me? Disappointed? Not at all.” He tightened his grip on her hand. “You’re right.”
“So… there’s no point in coming here, right?” Chloe asked, her voice trailing off.
Once again, Darren burst into laughter. “You’re right. There’s no point.” He looked around. “But it wouldn’t hurt to spend some time together, would it?”
Chloe fell silent.
“Do you… mind?” Darren suddenly panicked as he noticed a change in Chloe’s demeanor.
“Why would I mind?” Chloe asked, confused. “I just don’t particularly enjoy malls. I’d rather sit back and relax, enjoying the view of a flower garden or even watching a TV series.”
Darren furrowed his brow.
“Going around the mall can be exhausting, Darren.”
“You’ve been quiet this whole time, Darren. Is something bothering you? Or is it because of my conversation with Ester? I can’t control myself when it comes to Ester.” Chloe spoke, causing Darren to blink slowly. Since Ester’s return a while ago, they chose to sit in the backyard of Chloe’s house. But there wasn’t a single word that Darren spoke.
Just like now. It was a strong suspicion that Darren was surprised by Chloe’s ability to speak loudly and be emotional toward someone else. But… it was Ester. He couldn’t hold himself back at all.
“Forgive me,” Chloe whispered. Even yesterday, they did many things together that made Chloe much more relaxed and enjoyable. They also had many fun stories between them. Despite the distance between Chloe’s house and Darren’s apartment in downtown New York City, their communication was intense in the evening.
And now?
Ah! It’s all Ester’s fault!
“Why apologize?” Darren asked, confused. “You’re not at fault, Chloe.”
Chloe still didn’t want to lift her face.
“I stayed silent to give you some space. I know there were some things I shouldn’t have heard, but I couldn’t help it. Maybe I shouldn’t have come to visit you.”
“Who said that?” Chloe interjected quickly. “You can visit whenever you want. I never asked you to stay away!”
Darren chuckled. “So why should you apologize? You’re not at fault. Everything you said was just pent-up emotions, right?”
Chloe fell silent.
“I understand.” Darren approached, reaching for Chloe’s shoulder, urging her to look at him. “Being angry once in a while is okay. Especially when I know the history between the three of you. There’s a pain that can’t just disappear. I understand.”
Chloe gazed at Darren intently.
“I’m not jealous anymore because you were talking about Leonel earlier. Your divorce with him certainly involves your ex-husband, especially Ester being the third person. What surprised me was the accident you experienced.”
“Not just you. I was also stunned.” Chloe loosened her grip on Darren’s hand, still resting on his shoulder. Although she received a disapproving frown from him, Chloe compensated by shifting her position. Moving closer to Darren and slowly realizing it.
Darren responded to it with a meaningful smile. As Chloe rested her head on his shoulder, her perfume and the fragrance of the shampoo she used filled his senses.
It smelled so good. Darren wanted to stroke her hair gently. Would Chloe get angry?
“When I found out the truth, I was so angry. How could Ester do something so insane to smooth things over in their relationship? Stupid of me; I knew about the affair for years but couldn’t find the strength to break free,” Chloe said softly. Her voice was full of sorrow. “I felt like scratching, pulling Ester’s hair until she felt the pain.”
“You’ve already done that, right?” Darren chuckled.
“Just a hard slap, Darren. That’s nothing compared to the pain Ester caused in my life.”
“Is your heart still torn because you still love Leonel?” Darren carefully posed this question. He didn’t want to misspeak and push them apart again.
Darren’s words left Chloe speechless. She also slightly distanced herself, where the sadness and regret were evident in Darren’s eyes.
“I… didn’t mean to bring up your past, Sa,” Darren said with a panicked expression. He was afraid that what he had just thought might come true.
Chloe became even more distant.
“I don’t mind you asking like this, Darren.”
The man, who was wearing a black polo shirt and dark blue jeans today, let out a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness. I was afraid you’d be bothered, Sa.”
Chloe quickly shook her head.
“Then… why did you pull away? Come here, lean on me again.”
The woman chuckled softly. “There’s one thing you should know, Darren. Maybe it sounds trivial, but if you ask about my love for Leonel, it’s no longer there. All that remains is heartache and resentment. Why do I have to feel all of this? And it turns out, and Ester planned everything I’ve felt. How can I forgive that snake of a woman?”
Darren nodded in understanding.
“It’s ridiculous. After all the news, accusations, evidence, and everything I knew about their long-standing affair that was exposed to the media, Ester never admitted it. She admitted to the affair; that’s undeniable. But the accident?” Chloe clenched her fists in frustration. “Did Ester lose her mind by denying the accident she planned?”
The man chose to pull Chloe into his embrace. There, Darren could feel that the anger still consumed Chloe. Her breaths were still ragged. Her chest was pounding heavily.
Since getting to know Chloe from the beginning when she was in the hospital, partially blind, he had a small idea of her marital relationship. He never expected that this woman had been hurt by her husband for so long. He had been cheating on her, from secrecy to being blatantly open.
It was ferocious.
That could also be what kept Chloe at a distance from other men. There was a deep fear that one day she might experience heartbreak again. But not with Darren. He vowed not to hurt this woman. What was lacking in Chloe? In Darren’s eyes, the woman in his embrace was perfect.
Only a fool would waste her.
“I don’t believe a word Ester said earlier.”Property © NôvelDrama.Org.
“Yeah, Chloe.”
“Do you believe her?” Chloe asked, sounding probing.
“I don’t know. Ester didn’t resist the insults you threw at her,” Darren replied.
She deserved it,” Chloe interjected, making Darren smile faintly.
She received that slap earlier too.”
“Good thing I didn’t hit her harder. If I could lift that sofa, I would have lifted it and thrown it at Ester.”
“Thankfully, you couldn’t. I’m afraid you’d get tired lifting that sofa.”
Chloe pouted.
“She was stubborn about denying the accident accusations, right?”
“What thief would admit to their actions? Or are you becoming Ester’s defender now? Seriously, Darren.”
Darren immediately shook his head. “No, Sa. But from what I heard, you were also talking about Josh earlier, right? Aren’t you suspicious? Who knows maybe Josh is behind all of this?”