Chapter 24: The Cemetery

Without bothering to look at the face of the person who offered her a handkerchief, Eve took it and started wiping her tears with it. After she was done wiping her tears off, she took a deep breath before her eyes fell on the design on the handkerchief.

What the hell? She only knew of one person who had this design on his handkerchiefs. She wasn't sure any other person had possession of it. To confirm her doubt, she raised her head, and good Lord, she wished she never did. She wished she just dropped the handkerchief and left the cemetery. What the fuck was he doing here. Is he stalking her now?”

She stood up after rolling her eyes severally and folded her hands under her chest.

“You're done crying?”

“Forget about my tears. Tell me, what do you want? Are you stalking me?”

She heard him stutter.

“I have a company that awaits my attention every now and then, I have businesses all around the world and you think I'll stoop so low to stalk you?”

“Then what are you doing here, Noah?”

“Where is this place, Eve?”

“A cemetery.”

“You get it now? I'm here to pay my respect to someone.”

Eve’s eyes fell on the flower he had placed on her grandmother’s grave and she frowned. Did he come here for her grandmother?

“Th…thank you for the flowers. I didn't think that you would remember.”

“Same here. I didn't think that you would remember considering how you were when you left my office. I didn't want the old woman to feel lonely. But now that I'm here why don't we pay our respects together? I'm sure she'll be delighted to see not one but two persons.”

Eve immediately shook her head in agreement. Her grandmother would be so happy wherever she was to see that someone else remembered her death anniversary and even cleared their schedule to see her.

They both sat on the grass facing the grave. Her eyes fell on Noah.

This was the first time he was here to see her grandmother after her death. He never accompanied her when they were still married. He never even remembered or sent some flowers but here he was sitting on the grass with her and paying homage to her grandmother.

If he had at least done these things in the past, she wouldn't be this disappointed and angry. No matter how she tried to make him like this in the past, it rendered futile, and that broke her heart again and again. She watched as he closed his eyes and put his hands together before he started mumbling to her grandmother.

She had imagined this before but in her imagination, they were still married. She’d been angry at his actions back in his office previously but now, all her anger melted down. If he continued with his heartwarming actions, she wasn’t sure she would be able to accomplish her revenge plan.

“I believe you didn’t come here to watch me instead of the old woman, did you?” Noah cocked his head to the side to stare at her with his brows arched. “I mean you should pay your respects.”

She gazed at him in suprise, his words and actions too unfamiliar to her ears.

“Genevieve.”

She was immediately snapped back to earth by his words and put her hands together. He did the same. Right there, it was as if they were pleading for the grandmother’s blessings.

After praying, they dropped their hands and continued staring at the grave in silence.

“You know, when I had first met your grandmother, she told me a thing,” he started.

“What?”

“She told me how much she cared about you. She told me how she had been your father, mother, sister, and relatives since you were a little girl. She even made me promise to take care of you and not hurt you but guess what I ended up doing?” He laughed sorrowfully and continued. “I did exactly what she warned me not to. I discarded your efforts and hurt you. I might as well ask for her forgiveness. I'm such a jerk, Eve.”

“Stop saying these things.”

“I should have listened to you when you pleaded. You know what I think, I deserve everything you're dishing out to me. I deserve them.”

Eve wiped her tears before they could fall down her cheek. She wasn't sure what to do with his words. Whether to believe them or discard them. Well, she does know now. He must be saying all of these to get to her. He must be saying this because he wants her forgiveness and she wasn’t going to give him that.

Noah was like a chameleon changing colors like one. One minute, cold, the next, soft and remorseful. She knew deep down that if she gave Noah the forgiveness that he wanted right now, she was going to regret it and no, she wasn’t  weak anymore and that's why she's not retreating from her revenge plans.

“Here.” She handed him his handkerchief. “You can cry, you know. Your handkerchief is back with you.”

“Eve.”

“I'm leaving. I'll come to say hi to my grandmother another day. I don't want to be here for another minute.” That being said, she stood up from the floor after picking up her bag and made her way out of the surroundings to the roadside. She felt Noah chase after her and hold her arm.

“Where you're going? You didn't bring a car. Come, I'll drop you off and no, I didn't say any of those to get you to forgive me.”

“I'll find a cab. I don't need you to drop me off.”

“You won't find a cab here. Stop being stubborn.”

“Just leave me alone,” she dragged her arm away from him and started walking away. This time, he didn't chase after her. Eve stomped her feet angrily and kept walking down the lonely road until her phone rang. Seeing it was Ella, she answered immediately.

“Ella?”

“Genevieve. Another big problem.”

“What is it this time?”

After Ella narrated the ordeal to her, Eve felt her phone slip out of her hand and she stopped walking.

Without thinking twice, she ran back to Noah.