Unpredictable Betrayal : A Sweet of Revenge

“Feels like I wanna eat someone!!!”

Regina grumbled. Her face scowled, holding back frustration from the events that had unfolded throughout the day.

With no one else to confide in, Regina contacted Nicole. She invited her friend to meet at a cafe for dinner.

“I’ve been sitting here for over 10 minutes. Seriously, what’s got you grumbling like that? It’s so unclear.”

Nicole, already seated and waiting, looked puzzled. Since she arrived at the cafe, Regina hadn’t explained what had actually happened. She’d only heard grumbling and occasional muttering.

“I might as well leave if you’re going to stay silent like this.”

Nicole was getting ready to leave. She couldn’t understand why she came all the way just to be told nothing but unclear complaints.

“Hey, wait!” Regina stopped her. She looked at Nicole as if signaling her friend to sit back down and not move anywhere.

“If I sit back down and you keep grumbling unclearly, I’m seriously leaving.”

Regina sighed. She knew Nicole must be annoyed. What else could she do? Her mood had plummeted all day, and she felt like venting her frustrations on everyone.

“I’m just so annoyed right now.”

Nicole leaned back in her chair. She adjusted her seating position for comfort, considering she was pregnant.

“Why are you annoyed? Tell me properly. It’s been so unclear.”

“It’s because of Aurora!”

As soon as Aurora’s name was mentioned, Nicole reacted. It had been a while since she had any encounter with her cousin who had ruined her life.

“Aurora? What about her?”

“It’s a long story,” Regina explained. She took a sip of her cold lemon tea. “I’m embarrassed, Non. Seriously, I’m so embarrassed by everyone at the hospital today.”

“Why are you embarrassed? Can’t you just get to the point? I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

Regina recounted what had made her angry and embarrassed. She explained everything from start to finish so Nicole could understand what was happening to her.

“So, Dr. Alden contradicted what you said in front of the nurses and midwives who were having lunch with you?”

Regina nodded.

“The problem is, Alden said it in the cafeteria during lunchtime. So, almost everyone in the cafeteria heard his rant. Seriously, I’m embarrassed, Non. I feel so humiliated. What’s so special about Aurora that he defends her so much?”

Instead of feeling sympathy, Nicole laughed. She found something amusing in the story she had just heard, which only infuriated Regina even more.

“Help me, please. And you’re laughing.”

“It’s not that I’m not sympathetic. But from the start, I’ve been saying that Aurora is annoying and brings nothing but bad luck. You know yourself that I lost my job, got divorced, and ended up like this because of her. That’s why I really want to get back at her. I really want to see her in a low position, as low as possible. If necessary, no one should be able to help her.”

Regina nodded in agreement. As if receiving support from a sympathetic friend, she agreed with Nicole’s last statement.

“Just so you know, all the way home, I’ve been thinking about how to prevent Alden from even getting together, let alone marrying, Aurora. No way! I can’t accept it. Anyway, Alden is mine.”

“But…” Nicole interrupted for a moment. “Do you really have a crush on Dr. Alden?”

“Well, of course!” Regina emphasized. Making sure her feelings were genuine all this time and not just because she wanted to help Nicole. “Whether Aurora is his first love, first girlfriend, or the first woman he admired, I don’t care. After all, before Aurora came into Alden’s life, I was the one who knew him first and filled his days.”

Regina spoke passionately. Her emotions were evident as she poured out her heart. It seemed like a deep hurt to find the man she liked defending another woman.

“I,” Regina pointed to herself. “I’ve always been there for Alden in his teenage years. We’ve known each other for almost years. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. We even slept at each other’s houses back and forth. I should be the one who deserves to be his companion, not Aurora.”

Nicole nodded in agreement.

“Besides, I heard from Mas Alex that Aurora used to leave her old boyfriend and marry Mas Alex. I’m sure the old boyfriend he mentioned must be Dr. Alden. And if that’s true, why would Dr. Alden want to get back with a woman like Aurora who has no sense of decency? She’s been left once. Now she’s being picked up again.”

“That’s why I’ve decided no matter what, I’m going to take Alden back from Aurora. I don’t care if Alden’s love is now with Aurora. Feelings can change anytime as time goes by. It’s not difficult for someone to fall in love with us.”

Nicole nodded again. She fully supported all of Regina’s arguments.

“I agree. Besides, you’re more classy. You’re prettier, younger, and more suitable for Dr. Alden, who is still single. It’s so mismatched if Dr. Alden ends up with a widow like Aurora. Like there’s only one woman in the world.”

Provoked in such a way, Regina’s anger flared up even more. Thinking hard, she tried to find a way to snatch Alden and make him turn away from Aurora.

“What do you think I should do? Should I just grab him like that?”

“What do you mean grab?” Nicole asked, a bit confused.

“Well, using insider connections. My mom and Alden’s mom are close friends. Plus, during dinner last night, when talking about matchmaking, Alden’s mom didn’t seem to object at all. I could ask my mom to pressure Alden’s mom to agree to our engagement. Besides, I heard from my mom that Alden’s mom has recently been in ‘trouble’ with her business partners because it’s believed she intentionally matched Alden with Aurora to make her business smoother.”

“Oh, really?”

Regina nodded repeatedly.

“Yes. Normally, if the accusation isn’t true, Alden’s mom would take action to refute the rumors. That’s why I want to use this opportunity to approach Alden’s mom and offer myself as Alden’s future wife. Because by marrying me to Alden, Alden’s mom can prove to everyone that the accusations are false.”

Nicole agreed wholeheartedly. If this plan succeeded, she was sure Aurora would be heartbroken. Besides, this was exactly what she wanted to see.

“Then go ahead and try it. Actually, if you want to know, there are two ways you can do to get Alden.”

“What is it?” Regina asked curiously. Usually, Nicole was the one with brilliant ideas. There had been many suggestions from her friend that Regina had tried and the results had met expectations.

“First, try to win back Alden’s heart. Since you two are having issues, I suggest you apologize. After that, try to slowly give attention to Alden until he accepts and eventually feels comfortable.”

“Oh, that’s easy.”

Regina dismissed it lightly. If it was just apologizing and then slowly giving attention, she didn’t think it would be difficult to do. She could practice this anytime and anywhere.

“And what’s the second way?”

Nicole smiled. Her facial expression was hard to read.

“According to me, the second way is instant and I’m sure it’ll make you marry Alden right away.”

Regina’s eyes widened suddenly. She became even more curious, especially with the promise of marrying the man she liked.

“What is it?”

Nicole waved her finger. She motioned for Regina to come closer to her.

“You have to get pregnant with Alden’s child, no matter how.”

“Crazy!”

Regina reflexively exclaimed. Of all the ideas dancing in her mind, she never thought of the idea Nicole just suggested.

“Don’t be crazy,” she shook her head incredulously. “How am I supposed to get pregnant with Alden’s child?”

“Oh, easy,” Nicole replied casually. “There are many ways to Rome. Besides, almost all men are the same. They won’t refuse if they’re offered paradise. Believe me. If the first way doesn’t work, you can try the second way right away.”

“But, Non—”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“No need for buts. Are you willing for Alden to marry Aurora?”

“No way!”

“If not, then hurry up. Don’t let Aurora outmaneuver you. Just think about the ways I’ve suggested.”

Regina shook her head. She thought hard about which method she would eventually practice.

***

As an apology for the misunderstanding that had occurred, after work, Alden deliberately invited Aurora to dinner. He chose the best restaurant they used to visit in the early days of their relationship.

“Are you still angry?”

Alden asked cautiously. Seeing Aurora quiet throughout the journey, he knew she must be thinking about something.

“No.”

Aurora shook her head. Now, she focused her gaze on Alden who sat directly in front of her.

“But, I can’t deny it. I’m still thinking about Aunt Zendaya asking you to keep your distance from me.”

Alden took a deep breath. He actually felt conflicted. He wanted not to tell Aurora about this so she wouldn’t worry. However, Alden was afraid Aurora would find out about this problem from someone else, which would only make her more disappointed. And now, when he was honest, Aurora looked sad.

“It doesn’t need to be thought about, Aurora. Anyway, I’ve already made it clear that no matter what, I won’t leave you. I just ask you to be patient and give me a chance to solve this problem.”

Aurora looked into Alden’s eyes for a long time. She knew very well that he was now trying to convince her.

“If in the end Aunt Zendaya still doesn’t approve of our relationship, what will happen?”

Alden smiled. He responded casually.

“That won’t happen. Believe me. Now, just pray that this problem can be resolved quickly.”

Aurora nodded in agreement. Trying to dispel her anxiety, she hurriedly ate all the food that had been served.

While enjoying the night view, Aurora savored every moment together with Alden. There was a feeling of gratitude planted in her mind and heart for being connected with an extraordinary man like Alden.

“Finish all the food. Later, before we go home, I’ll treat you to ice cream too.”

Aurora smiled broadly again. Happy for all the attention Alden always gave her.

However, the happiness didn’t last long. Just after finishing dinner, unexpectedly, Aurora and Alden ran into Zendaya, who had just finished attending a meeting with some of her business associates.