#THREE

**previous episode**

"I learned from you! I'm shocked at you, how can you keep that feeling all this time? It sucks."

Correct. Twenty years is not a short time. I've been through a lot with Richie, but he doesn't know it, he's insensitive to my feelings for him.

Even worse, he instead chose to love a man. What the hell! What exactly happened to him? Is there something that he's hiding from me? Whether it's hurt or revenge?

There is a lot I don't know about him.

==

My cell phone is ringing. A foreign number was disturbing my bad day. I immediately picked it up and immediately knew who was calling me just from his voice.

This is the voice of the strange man. The man who captured the heart of my first love.

"Hi, is this Sarah?" Alex asked at the other end of the phone.

Keyla asked who it was. I spoke carefully, answering Keyla's curiosity with sign language.

"Yes. What's up?"

"Can we meet? Come to the xxx jewelery shop. I'm waiting for you."

Without waiting for my answer, he immediately decided his call. I cursed in his impoliteness.

"What the heck is that!"

"Why?"

"Alex asked me to come to the jewelry store. Without another word he hung up on me."

Keyla shrugged nonchalantly. She thought maybe he was busy or didn't want to talk much on the phone.

"So you will go see him?" Keyla asked packing her bag. Not to forget she will tidy up his face before leaving.

"You don't want to accompany me?"

"No. I have to go somewhere again."

"Are you dating?" I asked inquired.

"Think of it. Let me know when your wedding date has been set—"

"I'm even still thinking again. What if I refuse this stupid marriage," I complained.

Keyla who got up to go stepped out of my room, sat back down to hear my complaint. This time she said seriously while looking into my eyes deeply.

"Follow your heart. Don't be influenced by what other people say. Including me. You have to be happy, Sarah."

#

Along the way I kept asking myself, why didn't Richie tell me to come? Not Alex!

Is this related to marriage preparation? Wouldn't Dalton's aunt prepare everything?

I arrived at the shop on time. I saw a man in a neat suit sitting alone by the window enjoying a cup of coffee that spreads the smell even from the entrance.

I'm surprised. Is this really a jewelry store? Why does it look like a coffee shop instead?

A shopkeeper welcomed my arrival. The blonde haired girl looks so sexy in her work suit. Some other shopkeepers are the same. They smiled kindly at the guests who came — who for some reason I noticed only a few people— entered this elite shop.

Alex smiled slightly at me and then gestured for me to sit facing him. A cup of coffee came a few minutes later without me asking. There was no conversation between us when coffee came to my table. And as soon as the blonde girl left, Alex started talking while handing me two boxes of jewelry.

"Choose which one you like? If not both, you can see the others."

"Where is Richie? Why didn't he choose it for me? "

"Apparently… you expect more too, miss."

I was astonished. What does that mean, "You mean?"

"Richie didn't expect this to happen, did he? He just had to. I think you should be aware of your current position," He said sarcastically.

My heart feels hot. Alex spoke too far. Does he think this is my wish? If he really didn't want this marriage to happen, why didn't he run away with Richie? He didn't need to be duplicity to say in front of Richie that he accepted everything.

Damn it!

"I don't like your attitude, apparently you're far more infuriating than I imagined, "I snapped.

Alex smiled again, "I hate you but that doesn't mean I don't like you."

What? What does it mean? He strange man! I increasingly dislike it. He was annoying even from the beginning meet with him yesterday.

Richie ... how can you date someone like him? Tsk.

==

Our debate will not end. As my mood got worse, I left the shop and told him that I was just going with Richie to buy a wedding ring. This is not an offer, this is a threat.

My impression of that man is very bad. I don't like how he acts cute in front of Richie but it gets annoying behind him. Especially in front of me. How can I be in the same house with someone like that?

"Eh ... Aunt Dalton?"

I saw Aunt Dalton just come out of my house. With the mother escorted to the front of the car, I approached to say hello.

Aunt Dalton was so happy when she saw me coming over to her. She hugged me tight even before I greeted her.

"How are you, Sarah?"

"Fine. Hmm, what's up?"

"Your future mother-in-law sent a lot of things for your marriage." My mother said happily.

Then I remembered the ring ...

"Richie contacted you?"

"No. What do you need?"

"Of course for wedding dress fittings. Does that mean Richie hasn't picked a ring for you either?" asked Dalton aunty, worried.

Just now I wanted to answer all their questions, the sound of a car horn interrupting our chat. A black metalic sports car parked smoothly across the street.  Then revealed the owner of the car which turned out to be Richie.

Richie jogged over to us. With a worried expression, he pulled me away from Dalton's mother and aunt.

"I heard, Alex met you."

I release my hand from his grasp. I looked at him cynically as a form of protest.

"I am disappointed in you."

"I'm sorry. But that's not my idea."

"Do you know what he said to me?" I said frustrated.

Richie was increasingly wary, "He said I was hoping for this marriage."

"I am sorry. He really does say anything he wants. "

"Now the decision is yours. I don't want him to be like that to me anymore. The idea of living together is a bad idea!"

"Why are you whispering like that? Did Richie do bad things to you, Sarah?" asked Dalton's aunt who was suddenly in front of us.

"No ... nothing. We only talked about ehmm .."

"About the wedding dress. Well ... I will take Sarah today to choose a wedding dress," Richie said, whether he was honest or just an excuse.

The plan went well because aunt Dalton believed in what her son said. I myself had to stop complying with Richie's request to explain everything.

.

.

.

CONTINUED