[104] c
“Chloe doesn’t want to discuss the past or blame Leonel again. Chloe wants to be honest with Mama and Papa that when it comes to getting married, Chloe needs to think about it over and over again.” Chloe wanted to be completely honest with Agatha and Robby, but she couldn’t bear to see the two people looking sad because of her honesty. She still thought about the feelings of her former in-laws, whom she considered her parents.
“Mama and Papa, please don’t be like this. Chloe feels guilty.” Chloe felt regretful for being so honest.
Like a paper that had been burned and turned into ashes, her heart would never return to its previous state, no matter what. The wounds that Leonel had inflicted on her would probably stay with her until her death, even though, if asked, she had forgiven him.
Forgiving didn’t mean forgetting.
Agatha and Robby experienced great sadness, seeing how deeply wounded Chloe was because of their child’s past actions. They hoped the beautiful and kind-hearted woman would reunite with their child and start anew. However, that was just their selfish desire. After witnessing how well Chloe could live without Leonel and the wounds hadn’t healed yet, Agatha and her husband finally realized that their hope of seeing Chloe and Leonel together again was like hoping to pluck the moon.
Impossible.
Engulfed in their respective sadness, Chloe and the two people she considered her parents were silent after that. To lighten the mood, Chloe began to change the topic of the conversation. She didn’t want their visit to Beverly Hills to end with tears and dredging up the past.
“Mama and Papa, how long are you staying in Beverly Hills?” she asked, her voice slightly hoarse. She felt sad and wanted to cry, but she held back. However, her voice couldn’t hide the truth. She tried her best to make the atmosphere as normal as possible.This content © 2024 NôvelDrama.Org.
“Maybe we’ll go back to New York City tomorrow morning. Why should we stay here for long? It’s just making you, Sa.” Robby answered in a low tone. The older man also looked sad; he felt like he had failed in raising a child because he had caused such deep pain in a kind-hearted woman like Chloe.
Agatha remained silent. She wanted to stay longer in Beverly Hills, to go here and there with Chloe. However, realizing that Chloe still couldn’t forget the pain caused by Leonel and Ester’s affair, she remained silent. They would go back to New York City, as Robby had said. She wouldn’t force Chloe to return to Leonel, and now she only wished the best for Chloe.
“Tomorrow morning? Why only a short time here?” Chloe looked reluctant because her meeting with Agatha and Robby was so brief.
“We’ll come here again next time, dear. At least until you feel better than you do now.” A year was not enough time for Chloe to heal her wounded heart.
Chloe looked at Agatha and Robby alternately with a sad gaze. She remained silent for a moment while contemplating what she would do.
“What if we go out tonight together? There are many tourist attractions here that we can visit at night. The evening culinary scene in Beverly Hills is also famous and delicious, Mom. Or places with beautiful backgrounds for photos. At least, let’s create a beautiful evening because Chloe made Mama and Papa sad just now.” Chloe invited Leonel’s parents to go out with her.
Agatha nodded in agreement, which was vital to show how much she also wanted to do it. Not just that night, she wanted to spend more nights with the beautiful woman she hoped would become her son’s wife again. Remembering the fact that there was no chance for Leonel in Chloe’s heart, Agatha assured herself that no matter how small their togetherness was, it was something very precious.
“Sure. Where do you want to go?” Agatha seemed confused, as she didn’t know the places in Beverly Hills and had no goal other than meeting Chloe. Finally, Robby spoke up.
“This wife of mine can’t be in the cold right now. You know how cold it is in Beverly Hills, especially at night. If you want to go out, going to a mall is better. Or go to indoor places, not open places with cold winds.” Robby suggested not going to cold places because he cared so much about his wife.
After that, Chloe quickly got ready. She fixed her makeup in the restroom before leaving with Agatha and Robby. When Chloe walked out of the bathroom, Chloe widened her eyes as she saw Darren. Yes, she had momentarily forgotten about him. She should have told him that Agatha and Robby were at his café and also informed him that she would be going with them. But now, Darren appeared suddenly, making the atmosphere awkward.
Chloe felt uncomfortable about inviting Darren, Agatha, and Robby, her former husband’s parents. However, she felt even more uncomfortable about not asking him. After all, she knew how much Darren had done for her.
“It seems there will be an additional member. Mom, Dad, how about it? Can Chloe bring Darren along with you?” Chloe asked, appearing stiff and torn.
Darren remained silent after being surprised by the presence of his ex-lover’s parents. As a normal human being, it was understandable for him to feel jealous and think of outrageous things. However, he patiently chose to remain silent and not show his displeasure. Instead, he politely greeted the two individuals.
Agatha and Robby couldn’t reject Chloe’s request, especially when Darren was already there. It would be strange if they refused, even though their faces showed reluctance to see Chloe getting close to Darren. But Leonel’s parents finally agreed out of respect for Chloe and to protect her feelings. “Okay.”
To lighten the atmosphere and prevent it from becoming too awkward later, Chloe intended to invite her friend. “I also want to bring Adrianna. Is that okay? So it will be more lively.”
Agatha and Robby had no problem with Chloe’s idea. The presence of Adrianna would make the atmosphere more lively and less awkward.
“Just invite her, dear. The more, the merrier, right, Pa?” Agatha forced a smile, hiding her reluctance to see Chloe with Darren.
According to Chloe’s wishes, she and Leonel’s parents went to the mall closest to his café. Accompanied by Darren and Adrianna, the evening turned out to be a delightful event.
Chloe bought several clothes. She bought them for Agatha and Robby, as well as for Darren.
Agatha initially refused and even wanted to buy many clothes for Chloe, but Chloe insisted that she would be the one to spend money that night. “Mom and Dad have to experience the money that Chloe has worked hard for all this time. Don’t refuse because if you refuse, Chloe will be angry.” The beautiful widow said it with a playful tone, and Agatha finally complied. She accepted Chloe’s gift, and they even took a photo to capture the happy moment together.
Darren remained primarily silent while Chloe was talking with Agatha and Robby. It wasn’t because he was jealous; he just wanted to give Chloe a chance to get closer to the two people who seemed to care for her. On the one hand, Darren did feel jealous about their closeness. However, on the other hand, he was glad that his ex-lover’s parents still cared and showed affection for her. Although Darren feared that Chloe would return to Leonel, Darren surrendered to Chloe’s decision. He believed that whatever decision Chloe made would be the best for both of them.
Agatha herself still hoped that Chloe would return to her son, especially when she saw Darren for herself. She felt that Leonel was much more deserving of Chloe, wanting to make her son proud by being with a man who held more power than the doctor. However, again, she was reminded that Leonel’s actions still wounded Chloe, and Agatha tried to convince herself that Chloe would be happy with her choice. “Whatever makes you happy, Mama will also be happy for you, Chloe,” she said in her heart.
When Agatha updated her social media, Leonel, who had just finished a meeting with a client, saw the update. His eyes widened sharply, unaware that his parents had met his ex-wife. His heart boiled, a sudden heat coursed through him, and sweat trickled down. His eyes continued to stare, his finger touching the name tag of his former wife, which instantly took him to Chloe’s profile on the social media page.
Please don’t ask why he was now playing on social media. Initially awkward, he needed those accounts to monitor how Chloe was doing. Most photos uploaded on his ex-wife’s social media page were only related to the café. Rarely were there personal photos. Leonel had to be content with observing Chloe only through her social media. It was the first time he was genuinely surprised by what met his eyes.
In the photo that Agatha uploaded, Darren was not there. However, Chloe posted a picture of her closeness with Darren on her social media account.
The photo that made Leonel heartbroken was where Chloe stood with her sweet smile while Darren stood behind her with his hand resting on Chloe’s waist. The intimate display made Leonel grab his hair and scream in his office. He felt immense pain in seeing that the woman who had once been his wife was now the lover of another man.
“Damn it!”