The forgiveness

As soon as Beatrix woke up, the first thing she does is think.

Beatrix couldn't get Charis out of her mind. She had been overthinking about her friend's life for days. What could have happened to make Charis run away from the pack of men like that? And why did she choose to disappear into the night instead of seeking help from the people she knew would always have her back?

Beatrix had always known Charis to be a strong, independent woman, but lately, she had noticed that her friend had been struggling. Charis seemed to be carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, and Beatrix couldn't help but feel guilty for not noticing sooner.

As Beatrix walked along the shore, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the crashing waves. She looked out into the vast ocean and felt a sense of peace wash over her. But even the calming waves couldn't ease her mind.

She thought about all the times she and Charis had spent together, laughing, dancing, and having a great time. They had been through so much together, and Beatrix couldn't bear the thought of losing her friend.

But now, she was scared for Charis. She didn't know what was going on in her friend's life, but she knew that it was something serious. She couldn't just sit back and do nothing while her friend was suffering.

Beatrix took a deep breath and decided to take action. She would talk to Apollo and ask him to help her find Charis. She knew that he would do anything for her, and together, they would figure out what was going on with their friend.

As she turned around to head back to her hut, Beatrix made a promise to herself that she would be there for Charis, no matter what. She would be the friend that Charis needed, and she wouldn't let her go through this alone.

—

Beatrix and Apollo were in the kitchen, about to start preparing breakfast when suddenly, they heard a knock on the door. Wondering who it could be, Beatrix walked towards the door and opened it, only to be surprised by Mr. Cartier, the owner of the local jewelry store, standing right in front of her.

"Good morning, Beatrix," he said, his voice shaking. "I have come to ask for your forgiveness and beg for your help."

Beatrix was taken aback by Mr. Cartier's sudden appearance and his unusual demeanor. She had known him for years, and he had always been a composed and confident man, never once showing any sign of weakness or vulnerability.

"Forgiveness? Help with what?" Beatrix asked, trying to make sense of Mr. Cartier's words.

"I am in deep trouble, Beatrix," he said, his voice trembling. "I have made a terrible mistake, and now, I fear for my life. Please, you have to help me."

Beatrix exchanged a worried look with Apollo before turning back to Mr. Cartier.

"Okay, Mr. Cartier. Please, calm down and tell me what's going on," she said, trying to reassure him.

Mr. Cartier took a deep breath and then began to explain his situation. He revealed that he had recently borrowed a large sum of money from a local loan shark to invest in a new business venture, but unfortunately, his investment had gone bad, and he was now unable to repay the loan.

"I have tried to negotiate with the loan shark, but he is not interested in anything I have to offer. He has threatened to hurt me and my family if I don't pay up soon," Mr. Cartier said, his voice trembling with fear.

Beatrix listened intently, feeling sympathetic towards Mr. Cartier's plight. She knew how dangerous loan sharks could be, and she didn't want him or his family to be harmed.

"What can I do to help?" she asked.

Mr. Cartier then explained that he had heard rumors that Beatrix had connections to a wealthy businessman who might be willing to help him repay the loan in exchange for a percentage of his jewelry store's profits.

"I know this might be a lot to ask, Beatrix, but I am desperate. If you could introduce me to this businessman, it might be my only chance to save my life and my business," he said, his eyes pleading.

Beatrix hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do. She didn't want to get involved in any illegal activities or put herself or Apollo in danger.

"Let me think about it, Mr. Cartier," she finally said. "I will see if I can find a way to help you without putting myself or anyone else in harm's way."

Mr. Cartier nodded, looking relieved, and then stood up to leave. As he walked out the door, Beatrix couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. She knew that Mr. Cartier's problems were not something she could solve easily, and she didn't want to get caught up in any dangerous situations.

"Are you okay?" Apollo asked, noticing the worried look on Beatrix's face.

"I don't know, Apollo," Beatrix said, shaking her head. "Something about this doesn't feel right. I don't want to get involved in anything that could put us in danger."

Apollo took her hand and pulled her into a warm embrace, kissing her gently on the forehead.

"Don't worry, Beatrix. We'll figure something out. We always do," he said, his voice soothing her nerves.

Beatrix leaned into his embrace, feeling safe and protected. She knew that whatever came their way, as long as they were together, no one could ruin their relationship.

—

Just like how Beatrix anticipated their married life could become, Mr. Cartier is now the one who was being for her forgiveness because if Beatrix couldn't find forgiveness in her heart toward his father-in-law, then Apollo wouldn't decide to go back to the company.

Although she gave Apollo the right to decide whatever he wants in life, Apollo couldn't do whatever he wants because he was dependent on Beatrix

Especially because he doesn't want to hurt Beatrix again or feel like she was disrespected by Apollo’s decision.

After weeks of being a married couple, they already had experienced what it's like to be in the marriage.

Entering a married life is too difficult. The easiest part of being married is having a ceremony whether it is in the garden or at the church.

Because after that, there's a lot that could happen between the wedded couple.

Even the most nonsense things, you will find yourself fighting over that. Just like what happened between Apollo and Beatrix this morning after Mr. Cartier visited the two.

It was when Beatrix and Apollo were sitting at the breakfast table, eating their food in silence. They had just finished an argument about their plans for the day and Beatrix was still feeling a little frustrated.

"I just don't understand why you can't see things my way, Apollo," Beatrix said, taking a sip of her coffee. "We need to focus on getting the community center up and running, not spending our time on other things."

Apollo frowned, setting his fork down on his plate. "I understand that, but we also need to focus on the people in our community. If someone needs our help, we can't just ignore them."

"I'm not saying we should ignore them," Beatrix replied, her voice rising a little. "But we need to prioritize our own projects first. We can't keep putting everything else before them."

"I get that," Apollo said, his own voice growing a little louder. "But we need to be flexible. We can't just stick to a rigid schedule all the time."

Beatrix rolled her eyes. "I'm not being rigid, Apollo. I'm being realistic. We have a limited amount of time and resources, and we need to use them wisely."

Apollo sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know, I know. But we can't just turn our backs on people in need. That's not who we are."

Beatrix took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "I'm not saying we should turn our backs on anyone. But we need to prioritize. That's all I'm saying."

The two of them sat in silence for a moment, both of them clearly frustrated. Finally, Apollo spoke up again.

"I understand where you're coming from, Beatrix. And I agree that we need to focus on our own projects. But we also need to be there for our community when they need us."

Beatrix nodded, feeling a little better. "I understand that too, Apollo. We just need to find a balance."

Apollo smiled, reaching across the table to take her hand. "Exactly. We'll find a balance. We always do."

—

Beatrix and Charis were sitting by the beach, watching the waves crashing against the shore. Beatrix noticed that Charis seemed to be lost in thought, so she decided to try and cheer her up.

"Hey Charis, what's your favorite color?" Beatrix asked, breaking the silence.

Charis looked at her, surprised by the sudden question. "Uh, I don't know, maybe blue?" she answered hesitantly.

"Blue? That's cool. What about your favorite food?" Beatrix continued.

Charis smiled a little, feeling grateful for the distraction. "I love sushi," she said. "It's one of the things I miss the most about living in the city."

"Me too!" Beatrix exclaimed. "I could eat sushi every day if I could. Have you ever tried uni? It's my favorite."

Charis shook her head. "No, I don't think so. What's it like?"

"It's sea urchin, and it's a bit of an acquired taste, but I love it. You should try it next time we go to the city," Beatrix suggested.

Charis nodded, feeling a little more relaxed. "That sounds good. Thanks for distracting me, Beatrix."

"Of course, anytime," Beatrix replied with a smile. "What else do you want to talk about?"

As they continued their conversation, Charis couldn't help but feel grateful for Beatrix's company. Even though she was going through a tough time, Beatrix was always there for her, ready to lend a listening ear or offer a distraction. She knew that she was lucky to have such a caring friend in her life.

—

Beatrix was in the middle of preparing dinner when she heard a knock at the door. She wondered who it could be, but when she opened it, she was surprised to see Harold standing there.

"Can we talk, Beatrix?" Harold asked, his voice sounding desperate.

Beatrix hesitated for a moment, but then she nodded and stepped aside, allowing Harold to come in. She led him to the living room where Apollo was sitting, reading a book.

"Hey, what's going on?" Apollo asked, looking up from his book.

"I need to talk to Beatrix," Harold said, his eyes never leaving Beatrix's face.

"I'm here, Harold. You can talk to me," Beatrix said softly.

Harold took a deep breath before he began to speak. "I know things didn't end well between us, but I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I know I hurt you, and I regret it every day. I just want us to be able to talk and maybe try to be friends again."

Beatrix listened quietly, but she couldn't help feeling a twinge of anger and sadness at Harold's words. She knew she couldn't forgive him for what he did to her, but she also knew that she had to be civil.

"I appreciate your apology, Harold. But I'm not sure if we can be friends again," Beatrix said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Harold nodded, looking down at his feet. "I understand. But there's one more thing I need to talk to you about. It's about Charis."

Beatrix's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Charis. "What about her?"

"I've been hearing some rumors that she's in trouble. That she's gotten mixed up with some bad people. I just wanted to warn you and make sure she's okay," Harold said, his voice pleading.

Beatrix's mind was racing with thoughts of Charis. She couldn't believe that her friend could be in trouble, but at the same time, she knew that Charis had been through a lot in her life.

"Thank you for letting me know, Harold. I'll make sure to check on Charis and see if she needs any help," Beatrix said, her voice steady.

Harold nodded, standing up from the couch. "Thank you for listening, Beatrix. I'll be on my way now."

Beatrix and Apollo watched as Harold walked out the door, leaving them alone in the living room. Beatrix couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as she thought about Charis and the possibility of her being in trouble. She knew she had to check on her friend as soon as possible.

As Apollo close the door, he looked at Beatrix who was now having doubts about herself.

Apollo knew that Beatrix wouldn't be at ease after knowing that her friends could be in danger anytime now.

"What do you think should I do right now?” asked Beatrix.

Apollo, who was still in shock, froze and doesn't know how to respond to Beatrix.

He just responded the way he would know something that he didn't yet.

"What do you mean, ‘you should do something’? You have been stressed out about Charis for days now, but it seems like she doesn't care about her welfare so why are you still wondering what you should do?” asked Apollo.

Beatrix sat at the sink as she was looking far away.

"Of course, she wouldn't care! It was her life! If a person wants to die, do you think a person still thinks about her welfare? I’m sure you understand that. And right now, I want to save her from the misery,” Beatrix exclaimed.

Apollo sighed and hugged Beatrix.

As he was letting Beatrix soak into his embrace, he thought something useful to do.

"Do you want to put a tracker on Charis’ body?” asked Apollo.

Right there and then, Beatrix nodded. In an instant, Apollo went inside Charis’ room and planted a tracker on her phone and earrings.

Although Beatrix was still having thoughts and doubts about what could be the next move of Charis, all she does, in the end, is trust the tracker.

Then there's a thought that suddenly pops up in her mind.

She had to ask this Apollo so she would assess if she was right.

"Am I being obsessive to protect my friend? I feel like this is so much to take,” she asked.

Apollo caressed my arms. "You don't have to feel like that if the only purpose of your actions is a protect her. It doesn’t matter if it seems like you're being obsessed, and too much. The only people that could judge you is yourself.”

I tightened my embrace on him.

I can't believe I just got wholesome pieces of advice from my own boyfriend— oops what I mean is my own husband.

—

Beatrix woke up early in the morning to prepare the fishes that she was planning to import. She went to the market and bought some fresh fish, then headed back to her hut to start the process of drying them. She had called for Harley and Apollo's help since it was going to take a lot of effort and time to finish everything.

The three of them worked hard, but Apollo kept teasing and complimenting Beatrix. She couldn't help but feel a little flattered, but she also didn't want Harley to feel left out. Harley, on the other hand, was getting annoyed at Apollo's actions.

"Hey, can you stop being so sweet to Beatrix? I'm right here, you know," Harley said, frowning at Apollo.

Apollo was taken aback by Harley's comment. "I'm just trying to be helpful and friendly, man. What's wrong with that?"

"It's just that you're being too sweet to her, and it's making me feel uncomfortable," Harley replied, still frowning.

Beatrix noticed the tension between the two men and decided to step in. "Harley, there's nothing wrong with Apollo being nice to me. We're just friends, and we're working together to get this done," she said, trying to calm Harley down.

Harley sighed and nodded. "I know, I'm sorry. It's just that I don't want to lose you, Beatrix. You're the most important thing in my life, and I can't bear the thought of someone else taking you away from me," he said, looking at Beatrix with a longing gaze.

Beatrix smiled at Harley and walked over to him. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek. "You don't have to worry about that, Harley. You're the only one for me, and I love you," she said, giving him a reassuring smile.

Harley's expression softened, and he pulled Beatrix in for a tight hug. Apollo looked on, feeling a little envious of their relationship. He knew that he could never have Beatrix, but he couldn't help the way he felt about her.

The rest of the day went by smoothly, and the three of them managed to finish drying all the fish that Beatrix needed for her business. Harley and Apollo both helped Beatrix carry the baskets of dried fish to her store, and they all sat down for a meal together.

As they ate, Beatrix couldn't help but notice the awkwardness between Apollo and Harley. She knew that Apollo had feelings for her, but she also knew that he would never act on them out of respect for her and Harley's relationship. She just hoped that they could find a way to get along and be friends, at least for her sake.