Suddenly
CHAPTER 55
SUDDENLY
After their meeting with their new business partners, Anton hurried home early.
While driving, he saw Cindy waiting at the waiting shed. He didn't want to stop the car but his hand stopped the car on its own.
He took a deep breath before lowering the window.
He saw her with her head lowered.
He cleared his throat to get him noticed, and that was it.
"Oh, Anton," she said.
"What are you doing there?" he directly asked.
"Uhmm waiting, obviously," she said.
He nodded.
"And you? Why are you here?” she asked.
"I just saw you, so I stopped the car for a moment to ask," he replied.
"Uhmm are you with your wife, Ariella?"
"No, she's at home."
"Uhmm is it okay if I ride in your car?"
Anton didn't think about it for a long time. He immediately agreed.
She sat in the back seat but she left and moved next to Anton, next to the driver's seat.
"Where are you going? Why aren't you with your fiance?" he asked.
"He's busy, you know. I was waiting for him but he told me to go get my driver," she replied.
"Where are you going? I can drop you off before I go home."
"Uhmm…."
He drove off while waiting for Cindy's answer.
"I'm going to the grocery store, then will go to the mall, will have lunch at La Villa Restaurant, will go to Cinemax, and will go home," she said.
“Ohh….you have so many places to go. I can't take you there. I will just take you to the grocery store and then after that, just wait for your driver to pick you up. Take him with you to be safe," he said while driving.
Cindy just smiled.
After 15 minutes, he parked the car.
They are at the grocery store.
"Uhmm, will you come with me and help me? I can't shop alone and carry those things,” she said.
He wouldn't have agreed because he was going home. He knew that even though he told Ariella not to wait for him, he knew that she was still waiting for him to come home.
He helped her choose foods and put them in the cart until the counter.
He was also the one who carried the things she bought.
"Did you call your driver?" he asked. His hands are a little sore from carrying them.
"Oh, he's on leave by the way," he said.
"Oh, so….you're just going to wait for a taxi?"
"Uhmm...maybe...but I'm scared. You know, I was traumatized the last time I took a taxi, so I was scared."
Anton just let out a deep sigh.
"Okay, I'll bring you home," he said. Cindy immediately agreed. Anton had no other choice but to stand by what he said. He is expecting that Cindy will not agree, but he is wrong.
"Where is your house? I forgot," he asked while driving.
"Uhmm..can we go to the mall first? As I said earlier, I'm going to the mall.”
"What? Uhmm...I'm sorry but I have to go home now."
Cindy didn't say a word anymore. He looked like a child who sulked suddenly.
"Okay, after going to the mall, you will go home, okay?"
"I don't want to," he said.
"But why?"
"I don't have anyone at home. I feel like a fool alone there.”
"Ariella was like that too when we didn't have a maid."
"I am not Ariella, I hope I am."
Anton heard that so he didn't speak anymore because their conversation would only get longer and might end up on something else.
They finally arrived at the mall.
"I'll wait for you here. I'm just inside,” he said.
"Uhmm...will you come with me?"
"No need. Ariella might see me. Maybe he'll be here and see us together," he answered.
"Uhmm okay. It's just quick, okay? I'll be back.”
She left, so he went back to the car and waited there. After a few minutes of waiting, Cindy returned.
She got into the car again.
"I just bought a necklace and bags," she said. "Here," she said and handed over the paper bag with the luxury bag inside.
He wondered why she was giving him the women's bag?
“What's this for?” he asked.
"Give it to Ariella, peace offering," she said.
He got even more confused at what she said. "Peace offering? Why?”
"Oh, didn't she tell you?"
"What is it?"
"Oh, well... we had arguments last time so I just want to apologize."
"Ahh...just keep that. I don't want her to overthink when I give that to her. She will have a lot of questions, for sure."
"Please, Anton. If you want, say that your friend gave it to you. Don't say it's from me so she won't overthink.”
He hesitated to take it because of the possibilities, but because Cindy was naughty, he accepted anyway.
He drove and dropped Cindy at their house before he went home.
It's around 2:00 PM when he got home. He found Ariella in the room so he went straight there.
At first, Ariella was a little surprised to see him because he came home early, which should have been earlier.
"It's too early," she commented.
He kissed her first before he put the things down. He placed the Gucci paper bag on the bed before changing his clothes.
Ariella noticed that and knew who it was for. Of course, at first, she thought it was from him, which is why she smiled.
"How's your day here, my wife?" he asked.
"I'm fine," she said.
“Oh, that's yours, my wife. Take a look at it," he said.
She took it and was really amazed because that Gucci bag was so beautiful.
“It's so beautiful. Why did you think of buying me this?”
"Huh? Uhmm...nothing. I just want to surprise you with that," he answered.
"Did you go to the mall?" she asked.
He stopped and remembered it. He acts normal. "Yeah just to buy that for you."
She smiled so sweetly and said, "How sweet of you, honey."
She didn't know that Anton was starting to lie to her again.
Days passed that Anton still couldn't talk about his meeting with Cindy. It seems like he really has no intention of saying that.
Ariella also didn't know that Anton and Cindy's fiance were business partners, so sometimes they were together more often.
Every day they were together because of work, Anton's heart felt better for her. He no longer pushes Cindy away or avoids her. They often even eat together at La Villa Restaurant while Ariella waits for him to come home every day because she is comfortable with him.
He spent more time with Cindy than he did with Ariella.
It didn't even occur to Ariella that what she was hearing from Anton was all lies. No doubt.
One morning, Anton left early again but now he doesn't leave notes to inform her which Ariella was very surprised by.
He doesn't text or call her either, and if she doesn't call him, she won't know why he went to work early.
Ariella noticed the changes in Anton but she did not give meaning to it, and just thought that maybe because he was stressed and busy at work, he was forgetting things. She just understood Anton.
