The two people were frozen in place with each other. Just yesterday they had stressed to each other that they should never see each other again, not get involved with each other, and not meddle in personal matters more than they should. But now the two of them are reunited, without planning, without being taken into account by the two of them."Claire?" the sound of breaking broke the silence between both of them. Claire turned her gaze to the person who called out to her, smiling faintly trying to control herself from her surprise.Ryan invited Claire to sit in the space provided, while Diaz followed the figure of the woman who no longer exchanged glances with him at every step the woman took. Out of the corner of his eye, Diaz found Elise who was also surprised to see him in the same place. The girl followed behind Claire and took a seat beside her boss still with grimacing eyes staring at Diaz. Unexpected encounter, isn't it?The meeting started with the formal introduction of the
As soon as she got in, Claire laid her head against the car seat and found a secure spot for her to let go of whatever she had been holding back for a very long time. Emotion? Awkward? Flustered? Afraid? Worried? For roughly the last two hours, Claire had to struggle with her mind since everything was so dreadfully messed up in her head. Grateful that Claire made it through it today despite having struggled mightily to survive for the past two years since accepting the role she currently holds. Of course, there are days and times when Claire fails and loses, not just once or twice, but tens or even more than hundreds of times. Because of all the bad thoughts that she could not overcome at those times, Claire had to end up imprisoned in the hospital like yesterday. Specific time. Elise, who is seated in front of the steering wheel, has a worried expression on her face, indicating that she is aware of what her boss has been through. She must constantly be aware of her surroundings due t
Diaz gulped down saliva again. Breathe in deeply and slowly let it out. Because he didn't know where to gaze for the remainder of the time, his head was occupied staring down or sideways out the window.Claire was in front of him, and Cheryl was on the other side, occasionally catching her eye on him even though she didn't seem to care. Despite not constantly watching it, Diaz was able to comprehend his ex-actions. Diaz knows Cheryl much better than her present lover, who just happens to be his employer, thanks to the five years spent together in a relationship that was on the verge of leading to the altar.They are currently seated at a huge table in a family restaurant with seven other people. The atmosphere at their table seemed fine in the eyes of the sighted layperson. Everything appeared to be going as usual, especially with Edwin and Liana making the most noise out of all of them. Elise would occasionally join in when Liana forced her into the discussion. Due to their shared j
A Sunday would be silent after the hundredth shout. Who's to blame? It's even expected that uninvited guests will show up. Claire did her best to pretend to be deaf, to keep her emotions in check so they wouldn't explode, or even to be strong enough to rudely eject her guest in the event of a severe occurrence. Even while her actions did not suggest that they had the right to accept that, Claire was, sadly, nevertheless able to maintain control and realize that she was dealing with elderly people, who were deserving of respect."You have no idea who or what you are, Clare!"Claire closed her eyes at the incoming loud noise that felt like it would burst her eardrums, which made her mood worse even after the arrival of these uninvited guests.All right, take a breath in and a breath out. It was accurate to say that since Claire's parents passed away, her uncle and aunt had been looking after her. But it should be noted that the incident happened when Claire was in her teens, just before
When stillness engulfed them once more, Diaz was still standing close to the door. The awkwardness isn't the reason for the atmosphere; rather, it's due to the pauses taken to listen to and understand each other's views. Diaz's previous remarks, as well as those he made the previous day at the hospital, were unmistakably heard in Claire's head."What is it then? If I'm honest and tell you everything, what will you do? So who are you? Why do I need to justify myself to you?"Even after only a few phrases, it was clear that Claire was drained and not feeling comfortable. Claire is not interested in or willing to talk about her issues with anyone. Claire constantly reminds herself that she is under no responsibility to say anything to anyone or to defend herself in any manner. It is not Claire's responsibility that other people are having issues with it; rather, it is their fault for choosing to care even though Claire never asked for it. Claire is the only exception; everyone else shoul
"Who?"While Claire was already breathing out and closing her eyes, Diaz was swallowing a lot of saliva in response to that query.It won't ever be simple again."You claimed to be Claire's buddy previously. So why did Marge claim that you would be her husband? Which one is correct?""Grandpa..." Claire began speaking "Auntie simply misunderstood at the moment, and despite explanations, it appears that Aunt has forgotten. Grandpa, don't push Diaz like that. There is no relationship between us. How can he be my future husband? It's just a misunderstanding."Basically, Claire didn't want to speak on something that she didn't consider to be crucial. When Elise told Claire about the miscommunication with Diaz's appearance in front of her uncle and aunt the previous day, Claire assumed that all was resolved and that nothing else needed to be spoken or addressed in front of Grandma and Grandpa. Everything felt purposeful, and the entry of her maternal aunt added to the sense that things wer
Monday means it's time to get back to the grind to support yourself. Do a ton of month-end reports in the office. At first, Diaz didn't want to think back on anything from the situation from yesterday since he wanted to first unwind. Although he did not know what caused him to appear so queasy.However, Edwin was waiting for him at his desk, still in a foul mood after the previous day's incident. Even when Diaz repeatedly tried to change the subject, the man gave no response to his welcome and just showed Diaz his blank face. In the end, Diaz chose to ignore him because Edwin wasn't a girl who needed to be persuaded to feel better and because he would return to chat extensively if his mood significantly improved."Don't forget that today there is a meeting after lunch" Edwin from the next table reminded Diaz just as he was beginning to concentrate on some work in front of his laptop screen. I was reminded when Mr. Ryan and I met at the pantry."Right. There will be a follow-up meeting
After seeing Claire again later that day, Diaz finally got a clear picture of the most obstinate person he had ever seen. It was the first time Diaz saw Claire let down her guard after finding her in her darkest state in two meetings and two unscheduled meetings that also allowed her to see the other side of the woman. No matter how many personas Claire wore to hide her actual personality, or how many layers of defense Claire had put on herself, that day left Diaz feeling both relieved and concerned.Diaz felt both relieved that the woman had at least taken off one layer of her mask and defense and terrified that her body might be considerably more damaged than he dared to think.Diaz noticed the wound on her face, the intense, unresolved anguish that could be seen in her eyes, and the terror that appeared to be eroding the thin physique below her admonishment-seeking attitude.It seemed as though the woman's chest was being squeezed by a huge weight that made it impossible for her to