PHB 77
“Des, why are you spaced out? Thinking about the national debt or something? You’ve been quiet since I started talking.”
Veronica sounded a bit annoyed. After all, this weekend, she had deliberately invited Deasy to go shopping at the mall, just to stroll around, have some food, and look at baby supplies, so her friend wouldn’t continue to feel stuck.
Veronica understood.
She understood very well what Deasy was going through and probably thinking about right now. Without needing an explanation, Veronica could sense the frustration, sadness, anxiety, and confusion that seemed to be mixed up inside Deasy.
Moreover, anyone would react the same way. Just imagine, when you’ve just fallen in love again. You were about to weave a beautiful and happy life together. And even when you were just one step away from getting married officially, everything suddenly fell apart due to an unexpected event.
During the initial disaster, Veronica was also a witness. She saw clearly how Lucas and Deasy argued and eventually ended in separation.
Before this, Veronica had never seen Deasy behave like this. Afraid that it would cause more stress, which could affect the baby’s health, Veronica tried her best to console her.
“Deasy Winterborne Wolf. The stormy hurricane. Can you hear me?”
Once again, Veronica addressed her. This time, she even took Deasy’s hand and gently shook her shoulder to snap her out of her thoughts.
“Des!”
“What, Veronica? Can’t you see I’m busy daydreaming? Geez!” Deasy retorted, inviting a sigh of exasperation from the already impatient Veronica. She had been talking at length all this time, only to find out that Deasy hadn’t been listening at all.
“You, you know, just daydreaming when I’m talking to you. Who knows what you’re thinking about? You’re spaced out every day. You might get possessed, you know.”
Deasy sighed lazily. Couldn’t Veronica just let her enjoy herself?
“I have a headache, Ve. Don’t ask too many questions right now. You’re like a cop, interrogating all the time.”Material © NôvelDrama.Org.
Veronica immediately pouted. She should be the one getting mad for being ignored. But why was it Deasy who was grumbling? Did pregnant women generally act like this? Irritable and often angry for no reason? As far as she could remember, her friend never acted strangely when she was pregnant before.
“Okay, we’ll talk about it later. Just finish your food for now. It’s a shame to leave it like that. Plus, it’s your favorite-black pepper beef and stir-fried vegetables. I ordered it specifically for you. You reserved it but didn’t finish it.”
Deasy just nodded and stared at the food that Veronica had previously ordered for her. If Lucas were here right now, he would definitely hurry to feed her. Lucas wouldn’t even stop offering her food until Deasy had finished the meal he had ordered.
“Luc, why do you bother to feed me all the time? I’m not a baby, let alone an elderly person who can’t eat on their own!”
Deasy vividly remembered saying this. Almost every time Lucas fed her, she would protest.
Anyway, at that time, Deasy felt that Lucas’s attitude was too much.
Too much!
Yes, according to Deasy, Lucas’s behavior was cheesy. Like a fickle teenager seeking attention from the opposite sex just to get noticed.
But, to be honest, from the beginning, Deasy thought Lucas’s attention and care were over the top.
As far as Deasy could remember, in her serious relationships with various men, none of them ever bothered to feed her or anything like that. Besides, Deasy didn’t like it. Only Lucas, who wasn’t even someone special, had the audacity to act all caring by always feeding her during breakfast and dinner.
“You don’t have to be a child or an elderly person to need to be fed,” Lucas responded at the time. “Moreover, I deliberately feed you, Ms. Deasy, for various reasons and considerations.”
Deasy’s naturally thick eyebrows, which she had never plucked, immediately furrowed. Of course, she wondered what reasons or considerations could make Lucas act so overly.
“Huh? You’re really overdoing it, Luc. What reasons do you have for behaving like this?”
Lucas smiled faintly. He enjoyed seeing Deasy’s expression, full of questions, annoyance, and frustration. Honestly, her beauty had doubled.
“Many, Mrs. One reason I feed Ms. Deasy is to ensure that she feels full after eating the food I prepared. If I let her eat on her own, she might not eat the healthy food I bought and finish it. Remember! Ms. Deasy needs extra nutritional intake because there’s a baby on the way.”
Lucas’s words had some truth to them. Deasy had rarely paid attention to her food before. Because she was pregnant now, she really should be mindful of what she ate.
“But I don’t like being fed like this.”
“Just at first, Mrs. You won’t dislike it later. I guarantee you’ll get used to it. I dare say you’ll miss it if I stop.”
And like magic, Lucas’s words came true. Just a few weeks of extra attention and when Lucas suddenly disappeared, Deasy already felt the longing. The one who used to bring her favorite food, feed her, and help tidy up, suddenly went absent for a few days due to work. Deasy remembered how bored and annoyed she felt at that time. Maybe she missed it too, but she was reluctant to admit it.
For some reason, it cannot be denied that every bite Lucas offers can whet her appetite. Whatever food Lucas brings, Deasy always finishes it. According to Veronica, perhaps it’s a baby’s doing. It could also be the unborn baby in Deasy’s belly creating comfort when the father takes care of all her needs.
However, all those sweet habits can’t be felt by Deasy now. Lucas is no longer hers. There’s a sense of regret because she used to often ignore and even act high and mighty towards the actually good-looking guy.
“Done eating?” Veronica asks when she sees that the food she ordered specifically for Deasy has been consumed.
“Yes,” Deasy nods repeatedly.
“Well, don’t look so down. You seem heartbroken that Lucas broke up with you. Before, you insulted him in various ways and even boasted that falling in love was impossible, and now? You look like you want to die. Just like someone who has lost the will to live.”
See? Veronica truly lacks empathy. She seems delighted to mock and bring up Deasy’s past.
“I’m not heartbroken, Ve. It’s just that I find it hard to believe that Lucas is getting married. Where a few days later, it’s like a sudden event. It feels rushed, like there’s something urgent. Yet, just recently, we broke up. He used to say he loved me, that he cared. We break up, and he’s marrying someone else.”
Veronica sighed, then playfully pinched Deasy’s arm.
“Why are you getting upset? Don’t you have any self-awareness?”
“Self-awareness? What do you mean?” Deasy retorted, clearly not accepting Veronica’s words. “Is there something wrong with what I said?”
“Well, obviously, Des. In case you forgot, before you, Lucas was already engaged and had planned to get married. In my opinion, you were the third party, Des. A troublemaker.” After saying this, Veronica burst into laughter and received a glare from Deasy in response.
“I’m not a troublemaker. Lucas was the one chasing after me from the beginning.”
“He was chasing you because of an accident. If you hadn’t seduced him and then got pregnant, maybe Lucas’ life wouldn’t be as complicated and messy as it is now.”
Deasy rolled her eyes again. Veronica was really insensitive. How could she be turned into the scapegoat and target of ridicule for the embarrassing incident that happened earlier?
“Veronica! Your mouth needs to be taped shut. You’re so rude. I bet Darwin taught you this!”
Veronica laughed again, not taking Deasy’s words seriously.
“I’m serious, Des. If you hadn’t entered Lucas’s life, he probably would have still married his fiancée eventually. Since you suddenly appeared in his life, maybe the wedding plans that were already well-organized got disrupted or were even in danger of failing. But, once again, because your relationship ultimately fell apart, Lucas might return to the original plan his parents had arranged for him to marry the woman they had prepared. So, stop feeling sorry for yourself. Maybe this was destined to happen. Accept your fate.”
Deasy sighed deeply. When she thought about it, her situation was indeed quite something. Why did her love stories always end in failure? What was she lacking? She was beautiful, financially stable, attractive, and educated. But why did she often get played and dumped?
“Well, don’t dwell on it,” Veronica said again. “Let’s go for a walk now. I’ll take you shopping, and I’ll pay. How about that?”
Deasy nodded lazily but still got up from her seat. She walked out of the restaurant, intending to wander around.
Trying to console herself, Deasy spent her time following Veronica as they entered one clothing store after another, buying a few items. Eventually, as they passed by one store, she stopped in her tracks.
Through the store window, Deasy saw a man whom she had been wanting to meet for some time now. He looked so handsome, trying on a suit, which might be for the wedding.
“Lucas?”