Five days later"My parents called last night."
Evangeline maintained her practice perfect smile while she watched the handsome man in front of her with a raised brow.
"So you called me in the middle of the night to report that?" She said amused with a "I don"t care" look plastered on her face.
Daniel sighed, brushing his hand through his hair before he continued.
"They… They had found me a fiancée…"
The spoon in Evangeline"s hand that was stirring her tea momentarily paused though her eyes still held no emotions while her face didn"t give anything away.
"Congratulations!" She beamed rather sarcastically, continuing to stir her tea, ending the conversation before it even begun.
They were currently in Snow Café where she was waiting for Eric to finish his night shift when Daniel called asking for her to meet him.
While Daniel looked at the indifferent woman sitting opposite him and didn"t know how to proceed.
Frankly, when his parents called, he thought that it was to remind him to go home for winter break. However, he was surprised— no! Shock to know that they had called to tell him that they had found him a fiancée. Just like that. Out of the blue!
From start to finish, after dropping that news, Daniel"s soul seemed to have left him. He didn"t even know what happened next nor how he had ended the call and found himself lying on his bed. He appeared to be thinking, yet his mind was blank.
After a while, his shock turned to disbelief. Then to unwillingness. Then finally to anger.
All his life, he always did what his family asked of him. He had been an obedient child. He did his best in his studies to make his parents proud. He had been active in the various organizations to foster his leadership and social skills since it was his parents" desires. He had managed and even expound their influence and investments since that was what his parents expected of him.
Everything to pleased and met their expectations, he had done it without questions. Without reservations.
However, at this very moment, he seemed to had reached his bottom-line.
Of course, he had expected that he would have an arranged marriage. But it should not happen yet until he reached the age of thirty. Or if not, at least he hoped that he had the right to choose who his bride to be among the list of candidates.
But no, his parents had already taken the liberty of choice from him without even asking for his opinion. Without his approval!
Am I just a puppet for them to control?
Due to his anger, clouds of dark smog covered his brain and the overwhelming desire to rebel overflowed in his mind.
His parents apparently had hastened the process of this fiancée selection when they had gotten hold that he had been dating a woman of common birth. Else, why the perfect timing? They never even mentioned the list of candidates to him before.
And now, he already had a fiancée?
A fiancée that was supposed to be seriously discussed not until he was thirty years old.
The royal family were alright with him dating women in the past as long as all those women could rival his status. After all, they weren"t that unreasonable to restrain him, a healthy young man, from dating for thirty years. Thus, his parents didn"t mind when he hooked up with influential ladies of important birth. However, when he had gotten together with Sisley, he bet his parents went alarmed as to why he had suddenly dated a commoner"s daughter.
After another moment, he was at a loss on what to do that he unknowingly called for Evangeline.
Frankly, he also had other female friends. But he felt like Evangeline was the most suited to talk to about his current predicament since the woman had a good grasp of things. And mostly because the woman was not affected by his charms unlike most, if not all, of his female friends that were secretly giving him the feeling that they were waiting for him to break up with Sisley so they could take her position.
Males were no good either as he could practically see that the situation would only intensify. His male friends were hot-headed and impulsive. He felt that they would just give half-hearted advice and would urge for a drinking session instead.
And that was how this situation came to be.
Daniel leaned against the backrest of the sofa and ma.s.saged his forehead. "You know that I"m going out with Sisley, right?"
Evangeline chuckled and propped her chin against her palm, elbow resting on the table. "And?"
Daniel controlled his temper and answered in a soft yet forceful voice. "And… I… I don"t know what to do…" He helplessly replied.
Evangeline watched as the man closed his eyes appearing to be in deep trouble like he had just lost his fortune or something.
"I don"t know what the problem is, Daniel. I"m sure you already know the answer yourself."
"If I know, I wouldn"t have called you for advice."
"Surely you jest. From the start, you already expected this outcome." Evangeline smirked. "It"s only a matter of time."
Daniel scoffed and growled. "The problem is… I don"t know how to break up with Sisley without hurting her. I still… I still have feelings for her."
Evangeline rolled her eyes in disdain. "You have feelings, yes. But do you see her in your future, ruling your country with her by your side?"
"….."
Evangeline continued. "Why am I even speaking to you? A man who already knows that he would end up with a fiancée, yet still hooked up with a girl to have fun knowing full well that the girl would end up brokenhearted. While you, on the other hand, would live happily ever after with your wealthy beautiful fiancée."
Daniel helplessly sighed while his face contorted in shame. "Well, it sounded horrible if you put it that way."
Evangeline smiled a smile that sent everyone running for the hills. "Oh~ believe me, it"s a lot worse."
"I… I didn"t mean it… It just... happened…" Daniel wryly sighed once more.
Evangeline giggled disdainfully. "So tell me… did you courted me knowing full well that you"ll have to break up with me sooner or later?"
Daniel silently watched the cold woman"s haughty face before he broke out — laughing.
"Oh come on Evangeline. Both you and I know that what we have will never turn into something serious like marriage."
Evangeline rolled her eyes. "Fair enough."
Daniel sighed, and his face turned solemn once more. "But Sisley is different... I would never have thought that what she felt for me is so deep that I"m beginning to feel scared, to tell you the truth."
He was a human being, first and foremost, and crave that connection. The warmth of the opposite s.e.x. The need of being needed. However, he knew that it was going to be unfair towards the woman at the end of the day. Thus, he only dated women with high self-esteem and self-worth. And most importantly, knew when to call it quits. Evangeline was like that. His other exes were like that.
On the other hand, Sisley, she was very different. He didn"t know when his emotions got the best of him. Usually, this type of girls, the type that would give their all to love without hesitation, he would avoid them at all cost.
Was it because he had suffered some emotional turbulence during his one-year relationship with Evangeline that he unknowingly began to craved so much for warmth from the opposite s.e.x to thaw his frigid heart from the past icy treatments to the extent of disregarding his reasons?
Come to think of it, Evangeline was also at fault here.
Daniel pursed his lips and glanced at the nonchalant woman who was sipping her tear utterly devoid of any worries whatsoever.
He closed his eyes and sighed. This is probably my karma.
Then he opened his eyelids and slowly leaned forward towards Evangeline, his face remorseful.
"Look… I mess up… big time. And I"m asking for advice on what to do… I know I"m probably the last man you wanted to speak to… But you"re the only person that I could think of to ask for advice."
Evangeline peered at the helpless man and decided not to make it difficult for him.
Even if she didn"t like Sisley, she had to take her side on this since it was clearly Daniel"s fault. He knew what would happen, but he still went for it. What an idiot.
Still, she thought that Daniel was still better than most since he was aware that what he was doing was wrong and was willing to take full responsibility from the consequences of his actions. Compared to those men who pretended that they didn"t know that they were just fooling around, completely dismissing everything to the comfort of all kinds of excuses and justifying their wrong doings like it was the most natural thing to do.
And besides, Daniel was repenting and wanted to set things right. Thus she couldn"t exactly be hard on him.
"I don"t know what advice you wanted to hear, but there is no going at it than saying it straight to her face. The earlier it is, the better, don"t you think? The longer you wait, the deeper the pain. On her part of course, since you were the jerk who didn"t think of the consequences before you ask her out."
"….."
Daniel sighed once more. He didn"t know how many times he did that. He was unable to retort all of the woman"s insults towards him. He knew that she was right. This was all his fault and precisely because it was his fault that he was reluctant to hurt the other party.
It was okay if he received all the blunt alone. But in the end, Sisley was still the one who would be hurt the most.
True he likes her, but the depth of his feelings compared to hers were like heaven and earth. He could feel that Sisley"s like for him wasn"t normal anymore. It was like her world revolved solely around him and that was what scares him. That was the reason he was holding himself back from breaking up with her.
But Evangeline was right. The longer it continues, the more hurt both of them would be.
There was no going around it. He could only break up with her — and fast!
Daniel sighed once more, more ma.s.sive than the last as he poured himself with another tea, yet he didn"t drink it. Instead, he played with his teacup, changing the subject since his head and heart could no longer take the heaviness of his thoughts.
"How are you and Eric by the way? You guys going out now? Why is it that I feel the air around you two has gotten cold? Especially Eric, did you do something to offend him?"
Evangeline sipped her tea before answering. "None of your businesses." Her tone was harsher than she let it out to be.
Ever since that night when they had shared a memory, when she had let out some of her feelings to him, Eric had been… cold.
She had to practically restrained herself not to erupt in a fit of anger, even to now, when he canceled their plans to have a da— to buy ingredients every morning so he could make her breakfast and lunch.
Adding insult to her bleeding pride, the man had suddenly treated her coldly with obvious indifference. Even though he no longer worked in the cafeteria, he would disappear every time during lunch. Sometimes she thought that he was avoiding her.
Furthermore, he no longer allowed her to ride his bicy— no longer accompany her to her house after school, nor spend time with her during his free time, nor chat with her if it was not related to school stuff, using the same excuse over and over again — "I have work."
It was like he was a completely different person altogether, pushing her to the edge of her wits more than she had like to acknowledge.
She didn"t know why the man had suddenly changed.
It is because he noticed that I depended on him too much?
Evangeline shook her head.
NO! No!
Depend? Me? On him?
She inwardly sneered.
I just explained myself since he is my servant. Having a servant doubt his master is unacceptable.
Evangeline slightly nodded her head.
That"s right. It"s my responsibility to correct him about some issues regarding me.
I didn"t do anything wrong. Rather, he is the one who had suddenly turned rude and arrogant.
She bit her thumbnail while having internal struggles.
I guess I have to punish him for his att.i.tude. I have become lenient with him lately that he forgot who his master is.
Daniel watched the lengthy play of the woman"s ever changing expressions while he slightly shook his head.
Comforting to know that I"m not the only one who is having troubles.