Forty

Forty


Ethan's POV

FALSE ALARM

As I woke up to get ready for work, I paused in the mirror, and when I saw myself, my eyes were puffed, my face deprived of happiness, and in my heart was this huge guilt I couldn't lift off.

I just couldn't stop thinking about the fact that I have been moody lately.

I was supposed to continue my walk to the bathroom, but the warmth I felt on my waist was enough to alert me that someone was holding me back, and I also couldn't ignore the feeling of the boobs on my back.

"Good morning, love." She said as I turned to meet her face and hair messed up.

"Morning, how was your night ?!" I asked her masking the feelings I have for her right now.

"My night was lovely, and I had a dream of us getting married, and it was so lovely." She said with an excited voice.

"Oh, wow!!" I replied with my face indifferent and I think she noticed.

"What's wrong dear?! " She asked with a very concerned face,e and even though her face looked like she was concerned, I didn't care much.

"Nothing," I said making my reply short while shrugging my shoulders.

I can't believe she is asking if anything is wrong after everything that happened.

"Hey, what's going on with you?" She asked her voice firm but laced with a hint of hurt. "You've been giving me attitude for days, and I want to know why."

I was taken aback by her confrontation. I hadn't realized my behavior had been affecting her so much. I shrugged, trying to play it off, but her intense gaze made me feel like I couldn't avoid the question.

"I...I don't know what you're talking about," I stammered, trying to come up with a plausible explanation. But Veronica's expression told me she wasn't buying it.

"Don't play dumb with me, Ethan," Veronica said, her voice rising. "I know something's bothering you. Is it something I did? Did I do something to upset you?"

I sighed, feeling a mix of emotions: guilt, frustration, and uncertainty. I didn't know how to respond, how to articulate the feelings that had been simmering inside me. I looked away, avoiding Veronica's piercing gaze, and mumbled a vague apology.

But she was not satisfied with my response. She stood her ground, waiting for a more genuine explanation.

The tension between us was palpable, and I knew I needed to find a way to address the issue before things escalated further.

As the confrontation between Veronica and I continued, Veronica's frustration and hurt boiled over, and she burst into tears.

Her body shook with sobs as she cried out, "You don't love me anymore, do you? You've been distant and cold, and it's like you're not even interested in me anymore."

My expression softened as l saw her tears, and I felt a pang of guilt and regret. I took a step closer to her, trying to comfort her, but Veronica pushed me away.

"No, don't touch me!" she sobbed. "You've been pushing me away for weeks, and now I feel like I'm just a burden to you. You don't care about my feelings or my needs. All you care about is yourself."

I looked at Veronica, feeling a mix of sadness and helplessness. I didn't know how to respond to her accusations, or how to make her understand that I still loved and cared for her deeply. I felt like I was losing her, and it was tearing me apart.

My eyes filled with regret as I looked at Veronica, her tears and anguish piercing my heart. I felt a deep sense of guilt and remorse, knowing that my actions had caused her so much pain.

"I'm sorry, Veronica," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I'm so sorry for hurting you. I know I've been distant and preoccupied lately, and I shouldn't have taken it out on you. You deserve better than that."

Veronica's sobs slowed, and she looked up at me, her eyes red and puffy. She searched my face, looking for any sign of sincerity, and my genuine remorse seemed to touch her heart.

I took a step closer, my arms open, and Veronica hesitated for a moment before allowing me to envelop her in a gentle hug. They stood there for a moment, holding each other, as my apology hung in the air.

As we pulled back, I glanced at my watch, realizing I was running late for work. "I'm so sorry, but I have to go," I said, my voice filled with regret. "We'll talk more about this tonight, okay?"

Veronica nodded, still looking vulnerable, and I leaned in to kiss her forehead before turning to leave for work, feeling a sense of hope that we could work through our issues.

The moment I arrived at work, Fleur approached me with a look of urgency. "Good morning sir, I've made some discoveries that change everything," he said,

My curiosity was piqued, and Fleur and I went to my office. He began to explain his findings, and my eyes widened in surprise.

"What do you mean all your previous findings were wrong?" I asked, trying to process the implications.

Fleur nodded. "I know it sounds crazy, but I've re-run the data and re-examined the evidence. It's clear that our initial assumptions were incorrect."

My mind was reeling. I had thought about all the things I said to Raymond about her. Only to discover that we had been on the wrong track.

"What does this mean?" I asked, trying to think about the next thing to do.

Fleur hesitated. "It means I need to start over. I need to reinvestigate and then submit my new findings, sir. He said,

I took a deep breath, trying to absorb the news. I knew that Fleur was right – he had to start over if he wanted to get it right. But I couldn't shake off the feeling that he had wasted so much time.

As I stood there, trying to process the new information, my phone buzzed with a text from Veronica.

I smiled, remembering our earlier conversation and the apology I had made. I felt a sense of hope and renewal, knowing that I had a chance to make things right, both personally and professionally.

As I sat on my chair, trying to process the new information Fleur had shared, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. I had just received a text from Veronica, and everything seemed fine, but I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.

After some moment, I heard a knock on my door, and the door was opened calmly to reveal Fleur.

Fleur approached me with a concerned expression. "Sir, I need to talk to you about Veronica," he said, his voice low and serious.

I looked up from what I was working on, slightly distracted. "What about her?"

Fleur hesitated. "I have a feeling that something bad had happened during the time she was away."

I raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "What are you talking about, Fleur? You are supposed to be worried about the information you brought that almost ruined everything."

Fleur shook his head. "I know, boss; I am just trying to keep an eye out for you."

I brushed off Fleur's concerns. "You're just being paranoid, Fleur. Veronica's fine. I don't have to know what happened then."

Fleur looked at me, his eyes filled with concern. "I hope you're right, boss. But I've got a bad feeling about this."

I sighed, dismissing Fleur's worries. "Don't worry about it, Fleur. I'll take care of Veronica."

Fleur's expression turned cold, and he nodded curtly before turning and walking away. I watched him go, feeling a twinge of guilt for brushing off his concerns.

But I pushed the feeling aside, telling himself that Fleur was just being overly dramatic. Little did I know, Fleur's concerns were only the beginning of a much larger problem.

I convinced myself that Fleur was just being overly cautious and that Veronica was still the same loving and pure-hearted person I had fallen in love with. I pushed aside the doubts that had begun to creep into my mind, telling myself that he was just being paranoid.

"Veronica is still the same person," I told himself. "She's just going through a tough time, that's all. She's still got that beautiful smile, that infectious laugh, and that heart of gold. She's still the same person I fell in love with."

My mind was filled with memories of her kindness, her compassion, and her generosity.

I remembered the way she always put others before herself, the way she always listened with a sympathetic ear and the way she always made me feel like I was the only person in the world.

I remembered all the memories we shared before she left. And I smiled.

As I thought about these things, I felt my doubts begin to fade away.

I convinced myself that Veronica was still the same person and that our love was still strong.