Chapter 17

when Stephen woke up and regained consciousness it took him almost two and a half years. Whereupon he realized that no one was left there beside him, except for me.

"Can you see me? can you hear me?" nothing can describe the joy I feel in those moments. I breathed a sigh of relief and felt like a thorn had been pulled out of my chest.

I consider him a brother and because he was the only one I often leaned on and told my problems to. That's why even though I knew it would be difficult for him to start again at first, I still took care of him and guided him.

"Bea." The first word that came out of his lips. Yes, he would remember Bea and I just lied to them all that he wasn't worried. Because I feel sorry for Sofia. I feel so sorry about her, because until her second life, Bea was still the first thing she thought of.

Six months passed. Stephen's body is getting back to normal and he can walk properly again. I told him what happened after the accident and when he was in a coma.

I thought that he would get mad at Bea and forget about it, but I was wrong. Because his love for that babe prevailed even more and he continued to heal just to find Bea.

Two months later he decided to leave the hospital. His condition is also fine and he can now be alone.

"Are you really going to find Bea?" I asked him while he was packing his things inside the patient room.

"What do you mean?" he replied.

"Don't find her." When I said that, he suddenly stopped and turned to me.

"What's wrong with you bro?"

"Forget Bea. She's happy with Aldrin now." That's all I said to him when he came closer to me and held me by the collar.

"All this time, you know where he is?" he said emphatically and he was looking at me angrily.

"Leave him to Aldrin." And his grip on my collar tightened even more.

"And who are you for me to follow?"

"Because, he is my son. Aldrin is my son." At that moment, I could clearly see in his eyes how shocked he was by what I said. He just gave up and backed away from me.

"You panic, Robin! you're a traitor!" I expected him to react like that and punch me hard in the face. So instead of moving away, I accepted his angry fist and quickly sat down on the floor.

"All this time, both of you have been fooling me!" he shouted at the same time I just grinned and wiped the side of my bleeding lip.

"Why, you? Didn't you fool yourself too? You and Sofia are legally married, but Bea is still the first thing that comes to your mind and not your wife. Did you just ask me once where Sofia is? or did you even wonder why he wasn't by your side the moment you woke up? nothing. I haven't heard a word from you about him. Because you don't care. You only think about yourself, Stephen." While I was telling him that, he was still packing his things and he didn't seem to want to listen to every word I had to say.

He was about to go out the door but I immediately stopped him from what he was planning.

"Sofia is gone. She's dead, before you even know it." After I said that, he quickly turned to me. He suddenly let go of the black bag he was holding and suddenly came closer.

"What are you saying? do you really have to make up an ugly story to stop me?" he said with tears in his eyes.

"I'm thinking too. I wish it wasn't all true. I wish it was all just a dream. Do you know how hard it is for me to see her like that? You have no idea, Stephen, how much you he loved until his last breath." There I explained to him everything that Sofia went through with her brain cancer.

He wants to visit Stephen almost every day but his life count is decreasing every day.

I feel like he is giving time or increasing the life of the person who never loved him.

"If I ever disappear from this world and Stephen finds me.. please just tell him that I went to a far place where I won't be able to see him." As I heard those words from him, it was as if my heart was gradually breaking and a knife was stabbing me again and again.

"And if possible don't let him know about my illness." I almost cried when I heard what he said. Until the last moment, he was still worried about Stephen.

After he was buried, I suddenly received a package from him. After opening the box, I saw his diary. I was reading it while I was on the bus and traveling home.

I think it's because I can't drive because my whole body is still soft from losing him. It was also there that I found out from his diary that Aldrin is my son and he kept it a secret from me for a long time.

I wasn't even halfway there but I immediately got off the bus and passed out on one side. My chest is tight and it's hard to breathe. I was shocked by what I found out and I couldn't accept his death even more. I didn't even do anything for him. What a useless father I am! and I know I don't deserve to be her father, because I just let them both down.

I have been without food and sleep for almost four days. I just lock myself in my dark room and cry constantly in a corner.

Abby caught me in such a situation. He stopped me from trying to commit suicide and took me to the hospital.

I went through a difficult time and every day that passes I feel like I just want to disappear from this world.

For where else? there is no point in my life to continue.

But then, Abby made me realize that there are others waiting for me. That I also have value and that I have someone to turn to. The first thing that came to my mind was Stephen, but later I also realized that that person was Ara.

I almost forgot about him. It was too late when I realized my true feelings for him.

He has someone else. He is happy and he doesn't need me anymore in his life. But Abby just taught me again not to give up. If he was really important to me, I would have found a way. In a clean way so that he can come back to me again.

"Congratulations, she's pregnant." I had more courage so that I could correct all my mistakes with him and claim him again.

But after I heard what she and her boyfriend talked about and when I heard the weight she was feeling, I suddenly felt discouraged.

I quietly left and returned home. I thought it would be better if he just forgot about me forever. It would be even better if she just married that man and started a family of her own. It's better if I can't see the child or he won't know that I'm his real father.

Because I have no right and I don't deserve to be happy. So I talked to Abby to pretend to be my girlfriend. To make Ara realize that I don't need a man and I don't need him in my life so that she can forget about the two of us more easily and just hate me.

That way he wouldn't be confused. He won't think twice about their marriage plan and so he can also think that he won't be happy if he chooses me. That's why even though it's difficult and painful for me, I have to endure it. I also have to accept that this is all I've got. That I'll be like this forever. Because, I have no right to be happy.

So that night too. I know that Abby and Ara are the two girls I met. And I also know that Abby is the girl I'm kissing right now in front of her. If I don't do that, the process will only slow down and maybe instead of forgetting me, we might just fall for each other more.

I expected him to hit me, push me, curse me or say hurtful words. But he just left suddenly and I didn't hear a word from him.

they were all currently outside eating at the long table when Pearl noticed that something seemed to be missing from them.

"Where's pogi?" at the same time he looked at Bea who was next to Stephen and what he was referring to was Aldrin.

The girl also seemed to think and looked around them.

"He left early this morning. He said he wasn't feeling well." Leo replied to him. Bea also knows about Stephen and Pearl's impersonation, because the gentleman told her about it as well as about Sofia.

They are almost equally lethargic and deep in thought. It's just that Bea and Stephen are awake and have come to an agreement.

After they ate, they immediately put away their belongings. That time it was Stephen who volunteered to drive the van because he also noticed that Robin was not in the mood. Bea sat next to him and seemed to be worried about Ara who had been lethargic and had no appetite.

They were quiet inside the car and had their own thoughts.

"Guys, do you want to go around first? I mean, before we go home, let's go for a walk." Bea said to her friends but no one seems to be interested in what she wants to do.

"Sorry Bea, but I'm tired. I want to rest first." Ara promised him.

"Me too, Bea. Maybe next time." Leo said that even Robin was not interested in what he offered.

"Leave them alone. Maybe they just want to rest." Stephen said to the girl so she just took a deep breath and looked out the window.

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After they delivered Ara and Leo, Bea, Abby, Stephen and Robin were left inside the car.

"Wake up there. We know you're just sleeping." Stephen said to Robin as he glanced at the front mirror.

"I'm tired. Don't!" this annoyed response to him, the gentleman just grinned at him.

"Tired? What did you do last night? And why isn't Abby in the mood?" he said and suddenly Abby hit Robin on the head.

"This is the instigator! You'll make up your own nonsense and then it's like you're the one affected!" said the girl to him as he turned around.

"Pretend you are! Well, you enjoyed my kiss and-"

"Wait a minute! did you kiss?" Bea suddenly entered them, surprising both of them.

"Are you still here? I thought you went with Ara earlier?" Robin was shocked and pointed at the girl.

"Don't worry, he already knows everything." Stephen promised them with a smile.

"Huh? What? You two got back together again? When? And why aren't you telling us?" Abby asked the two one after the other.

"Don't worry. We made up just last night." Bea responded and Abby and Robin covered their mouths at the same time.

"Omg! You two made up just last night? Did you suddenly disappear last night? Don't tell me na-" Robin didn't continue what he was saying and he looked at Stephen.

"Yes, yes! something has happened to us, are you happy?" the gentleman promised him when he noticed the strange look in his eyes.

The young man laughed loudly and Bea just covered her face in embarrassment.

"You're wild, fafa Stephen!" he jokingly said to his friend while hitting him on the shoulder.

"Stop now. If you don't want me to bring you down here." He said that he stopped immediately but still had a mischievous smile on his lips.

"By the way, don't change the topic. So, is it true? You and Abby kissed last night? Is that why Ara was complaining like that this morning?" Stephen asked them again. The two looked at each other for a moment but they immediately looked away.

"I understand your purpose, Robin. And I thank you as her friend for thinking more about her welfare. But do you think she will be happy with your decision? Are you sure about this plan? ?" Bea was curious about him but he didn't say a word and just turned to the window.

"Ara's wedding is next week. So think carefully about your decision, Robin." The girl said to him. After a while, Robin and Abby also got out of the car, while the two stayed inside the van.

"So, where are we now?" Stephen asked him.

"What? Of course, take me to my house." He said.

"Your house or my house?" the gentleman again hissed at the girl.

"Just wait, Mr. Stephen Ulysses. What are you really thinking, huh? Just tell me if you don't want to take me, I'll just take the bus."

"Just kidding. That's it, I'll take you to your house." He said at the same time Bea simply winced on her lips.

"By the way, there's something I haven't told you yet." Stephen said in a serious voice as the girl turned to him.

"Aldrin. He's Robin's son with Sofia."

"What?!" he said out loud and surprised. Stephen stopped the car for a moment and looked at him.

"Is what you say true? Aldrin is Robin's son? but, how and why?" he asked her one after the other.

"It's a long story Bea. But it's from Sofia that Aldrin is her daughter." He replied.

"So, if it turns out that we are the two of us staying together- does that mean Robin is my father in law?" He said he was shocked as he looked at his boyfriend who suddenly frowned and started the car.

"After Sofia will be my mother in law, then you? What about you?" he said and he turned to Stephen with two eyebrows meeting.

"What do you mean to me? of course I will be your soon to be husband! and what you are thinking will never happen! because I will make sure that he will not take you away from me!" he said loudly and angrily to the girl, which surprised her.

The two of them were silent for a moment and Bea smirked.

"I'm sorry. Are you mad at me?" the girl said to him while holding his hand.

"No." This is a short answer to him.

"Well, aren't you? You're angry."

"No way." But there was a hint of annoyance in the tone of his voice.

"You're really angry! I'm sorry. I won't do it again." He said more and for a moment Stephen caught a glimpse of his girlfriend.

"I'm also sorry, because I yelled at you." He softly promised as he kissed her on the lips and the wrinkle on her forehead disappeared immediately.

"Do you want to stay at my house first?" the gentleman smiled as Bea pinched his arm.

"Just drive, Mr. Stephen Ulysses." He said firmly and they both just laughed.

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(Aldrin's POV)

When I realized that Stephen wasn't there either, I felt bad. I have a feeling that the two of them are together now but I'm trying to convince myself that I'm wrong about the two of them.

So when I entered the villa my knees were almost shaking and I was sweating profusely.

I just walk there slowly and observe each room. I'm not sure if that's one of the doors Bea is in or if they're both together?

I don't want to think. I'm not ready. And I don't want to know. So I thought of just leaving the villa but I was immediately stunned.

I hear voices talking. I followed those voices and was led to a door there.

I put my ear to the opposite door for a moment and I was surprised by what I heard.

I covered my mouth and my eyes widened in shock. I immediately stepped away but my feet didn't seem to want to move forward where I was now.

I heard Bea and Stephen talking. It was confirmed that they both shared the same room. But despite that I discovered something that surprised me even more.

Sofia is dead. My mother is gone.

My flesh and whole body was almost shaking. All of a sudden, tears flowed from my eyes unconsciously. I grope against the wall and try to walk with my feet. My chest is very tight and I seem to have difficulty breathing.

After I left the villa, I fell to my knees and cried. My mind is a mess. There are many questions trying to squeeze in but I don't want to know.

"Aldrin!" Fortunately, Pearl saw me right away. He helped me to stand and put me on his shoulder.

"What's wrong with you? Are you okay?" he worries.

"Can I ask you a favor?"

"Alright, what's that?"

"I want to leave here. I want to go home. Please, take me away."