Trouble in Paradise

Copyright by Nôv/elDrama.Org.

Under Pete's expectant gaze, I nodded and said, "If that day really comes, I'm willing to give it a try with you."

As I watched him leave, satisfied and hopeful, I slumped back into the chair, feeling drained. The table full of food didn't appeal to me at all due to my lack of appetite.

Pete was oversimplifying things. While I didn't think poorly of myself, the truth was that I had been married, had a miscarriage, and was Nicholas' ex-wife. That was a chasm too wide to cross. I couldn't imagine what it would take for Pete to make his family accept me without prejudice.

At that moment, I felt selfish. If I truly loved him, I should stand by his side, face the world's judgments, and battle rumors together with him. But now, I realized I had no strength left to give to any relationship.

Shaking my head, I decided to call Pete to tell him that maybe it wasn't fair to him. However, an icy voice informed me that his phone was turned off. I remembered then that his phone had been confiscated.

Even with my eyes closed, his smiling face filled my mind. Yet, for some reason, I couldn't shake the feeling that he might never come back.

When I got home, a shadowy figure leaning against the wall startled me. Nicholas was drenched, and there was water pooling at his feet and trailing down the hallway.

I had been caught in a bit of rain on my way in, but I hadn't thought it was that heavy. Seeing him like this, though, it suddenly seemed as if the rain outside had intensified.

His vacant and silent gaze locked onto mine. Even upon seeing me, those once sharp black eyes only blinked slowly. They were now devoid of their usual intensity.

Letting go of all his hostility, he leaned against the wall and slid down until he finally sat on the ground, looking like a homeless man with nowhere to go.

Calmly, I pulled out my phone and called the building management. "A stranger is loitering at my door. Could you send someone to remove him?"

Nicholas' mouth opened in surprise, disappointment flooding his eyes as his voice came out raspy. "Do you detest seeing me so much?"

He added, "Ariana, was the person you wrote about in your Facebook me?"

He pulled out his phone and played a video. It looked like he had copied the footage from the TV station. Inside, Jasmine's voice echoed from the phone.

"Wow, Ms. Jones was so cute when she was young. Let's see what she wrote about her feelings here!"

That was the only post where I ever uploaded a selfie. At the time, I used a month's worth of allowance to bribe a boy from Nicholas' school.

He helped me find Nicholas' classroom, and I sneaked in over the weekend. In the photo, I was sitting at his desk, flashing a peace sign and grinning brightly.

"He's so amazing to have got into the top class! I want to be just as great as him someday!"

Nicholas smiled and said, "Once, I found a random piece of cotton candy on my desk. Did you leave that for me? I never eat any sweet food, so it couldn't have been mine."

I pressed my lips together and stayed silent. I had done so many things like that over the years that I could hardly remember them all.

His fist hit the ground with such force that even I felt its impact some distance away at my feet. My heart trembled along with it.

"I was such an idiot. My deskmate snatched it away, and I thought it was another girl trying to get my attention," he continued.

He wasn't wrong. To him, I was just another girl who admired him, though I had never expressed it so openly before, and my presence had never been strong enough to stand out.

To me, he wasn't just a boy I liked. He was more like a guiding star, someone who drove me to strive forward. Without him, I wouldn't have become who I am today.

I wouldn't have had the opportunity to be invited on TV to educate people about the law or pursue the career love. I wanted to walk proudly beside him, not just be someone arranged for him in a marriage of convenience. Back then, my thoughts were simple. I believed that with my family background, my talents, and most importantly, my love for him, who else could possibly be his bride but me?

I had tried my best, and now I had no regrets.

The security guard arrived quickly, and Nicholas rose gracefully. There was no way he'd let himself be escorted out.

As he passed by me, he asked quietly, "So, did you manage to get into the top class a few years later?"

Not only did I get in the class, but I also chose the very seat he used to sit in. As we brushed past each other, I felt his gaze on me. I knew I would never answer that question.

My past didn't need his involvement, and my future wouldn't include him either.