Divorce Never! Love Again?

Episode 5

As the meeting time approached, I walked into the room with a smile so wide it was impossible to hide. I carried two trays of iced coffees, having made sure to get a special milky one for Lucian.

And let me share a little secret—yes, you guessed it right—the milk was definitely not lactose-free.

When I entered the room, I saw Lucian already seated at the head of the table. His smug posture made him look like a king awaiting his servants. How had he become CEO at such a young age?

Of course, his family had made him CEO. He sat on a throne that was handed to him. "Hah! Child king!" my inner voice mocked.

As I took a seat next to him, his expensive, wonderful cologne wafted over. What brand was this darn cologne? How could something smell so good?

I hated myself for liking Lucian’s cologne. I wanted to shove tissues up my nose just to avoid the scent. I wished I had a cold; at least then my nose would be too blocked to smell it.

“Did you get coffee for everyone?” he asked, looking up from the document in front of him.

“Yes, I thought it’d be a good idea before the meeting. It’s really hot today.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you. Your teammates will be very upset to hear you’re looking for another job. Maybe you shouldn’t look for another job?” he suggested, taking the milky iced coffee.

His words left me so stunned that I just opened and closed my mouth a few times. What was he trying to say now? Was he trying to convince his soon-to-be ex-wife to stay at the company?

I wonder if your tabloid-famous girlfriend shares your opinion, Lucian? I doubt she’d be thrilled with this offer. What if she starts working here too? No thanks, I’ll pass.

My drama and chaos quota is already full.

As I struggled to respond, thankfully, my teammates and the head of the marketing department entered the room.

For the first time, my mind was bombarded with questions. I was desperately curious. Who was Lucian’s girlfriend? They had made the tabloids, but the woman’s face wasn’t fully visible. Her blonde hair and height gave them away. Even from the back, she looked like a Barbie doll. For the first time, I wondered who she was and what she was like.

As my teammates filled the room, another question crossed my mind. Did Lucian really love her? What did he love about her?

I shook my head, trying to shake off my thoughts. What a ridiculous heap of questions swirling in my mind.

“What does it matter who his girlfriend is, Addy!” my inner voice shouted.

After the meeting started, the team leader began the presentation. I found it impossible to focus on the slides. I kept sneaking glances at Lucian. Everyone thought I had married him because my father wanted me to.

Of course, that was true, at least for the most part. I stole another glance at Lucian. As he took notes during the meeting, a few strands of his light brown hair fell onto his forehead. When he suddenly turned his head towards me, our eyes met. Those deep green eyes reminded me of the day we first met, our arranged meeting.

After handing my car keys to the valet, I stood for a while, staring at the imposing hotel in front of me. Since he wanted to meet at the hotel he owned, I thought he must be quite pompous and arrogant. It was my first time going to an arranged meeting.

I adjusted my dress uncomfortably. I was annoyed with myself for wearing the dress my mother chose for me. It was so tight at the waist that I could barely breathe. Clearly, the dress had been meant for Elisabeth. After all, this meeting was arranged by our families. I knew Lucian Wilson had already agreed to marry me, yet I felt deeply uneasy.

I was afraid of failing. I feared he wouldn’t want to marry me, and I would become another huge disappointment to my family. For a long time, I had been a disappointment to them; I couldn’t be anything more.

Trying to breathe steadily, I walked towards the hotel lobby. My high heels clicked on the gleaming marble floor, leaving an echo behind.

As soon as I was spotted in the lobby, a staff member approached me and led me to an elegant area of the hotel. It was one of the most beautiful hotels I had ever seen.

There was no one else around. Lucian Wilson stood up from his seat when he saw me approaching. As he extended his hand towards me, our eyes met. His gaze was identical to someone whose memory had started to fade from my mind. The same deep green eyes, the same profound look...

He resembled my first love, Aiden. My first and probably last. We hadn’t had a real relationship, but despite the years passing and not hearing from him, I could never forget him. His face and voice were fading from my mind, but I would never forget those deep green eyes.

Lucian, of course, hadn’t noticed, but as I shook his hand, my eyes filled with tears for a moment. The strange longing that overflowed from my soul was because I remembered Aiden.

My feelings for him were strange, very strong. Maybe they remained perfect in my mind because they never faced reality. Aiden and his green eyes would probably hold a place in my heart forever.

After that moment I wanted to marry Lucian because he resembled Aiden. During the meeting, I sat across from him stiffly, giving short answers, yet he never broke his composure. He was like an ice sculpture, with no expression on his face. He was very different from Aiden. Other than the green eyes, there was no similarity between them.

The last time I saw Aiden, he was a teenager, during our high school years. He radiated joy, was funny, and helpful. Compared to Lucian, how can I put it? He was full of life... He never missed out on fun, running off to play soccer during breaks. He was a bit of an adrenaline junkie, never afraid to run and jump from ridiculous heights... Aiden was everything Lucian wasn’t. He had disappeared, taking the key to my heart with him. No one knew what he was doing or how he was living.

A few times, I thought I had seen him. I had chased a man who looked like him through the streets for minutes. But I probably wouldn’t recognize him; he must have changed. He was no longer a young boy but a grown man.

Wherever and however he was, I always wished Aiden well. He was the one who taught me how beautiful and powerful love could be. Even though it hurt, I was happy to have learned what this feeling was because of him.

I experienced that true love could be so powerful that it inspired me to write a song for someone. Aiden had taken me to a point of no return; he remained a perfect memory in my mind. After my feelings for him, no one who entered my life, even briefly, could compare.

I never looked at anyone with the same admiration. My heart never beat out of my chest for anyone else, and most importantly, I never loved anyone the way I loved him. It was as if the people I wanted in my life were just fleeting interests. They were puzzle pieces I tried to fit while searching for him. Only Aiden could fill that void.

I secretly hoped to meet him one day. This time, I would tell him the truth, that I had loved him so much that I never forgot him over the years. I could never replace him with anyone else...

"Adeline?"

The marketing director's stern voice abruptly yanked me out of my daydream. Oh no! I’m in trouble! The director was already a perpetually angry man.

He frowned so hard that there was practically a permanent groove between his eyebrows.

"Can you step out of your dream world and finish the presentation, please?" he said in an even harsher tone.

"Da*n it! I was so wrapped up in family drama that I hadn’t even looked at the presentation," my inner voice screamed.

The room fell into a deep silence as I searched for an excuse with a forced smile.

Lucian suddenly slammed his laptop shut with a loud bang.

Everyone turned to him immediately.

"A sh*tstorm is coming," my inner voice laughed hysterically. I was desperately trying to suppress my devilish grin.

"Let’s call it a day; something urgent just came up," he said, getting up hastily from his chair. The director opened and closed his mouth a few times but couldn’t get a word out before Lucian left the meeting room.

"I know what that urgent thing is," my inner voice said.

I had gotten what I wanted, but for some reason, I didn’t feel like I was getting my revenge. I thought torturing Lucian a bit would make me feel better. Even though I didn’t want to admit it, I knew the truth: my anger wasn’t really directed at Lucian. I was mad at myself. This feeling of regret was the source of my sorrow.

I wished I had seen my own worth years ago. I wished I had been brave enough to stand up against everyone and everything. What had I expected from a sham of a corporate marriage, really?

For the first time, I admitted it to myself at that moment. Deep down, I had wished Lucian would truly love me. I had wanted to fill the endless void Aiden left behind with Lucian. If we had genuinely started to love each other, maybe part of me wouldn’t feel so regretful about entering this ridiculous marriage.