Chapter 157 I imagined Myself As His Favorite One

"Shh... Be quiet... or he'll hear you!" Maranda whispered to Jean. She couldn't understand why Jean had suddenly burst out in laughter. And so she asked, "Why are you so happy? You sounded like you won the lottery when John sneezed." Maranda looked around to see if anyone was watching them before she leaned forward and whispered, "Were you cursing John?"

Jean pursed her lips at Maranda's question. She didn't know if Maranda would be happy or annoyed if Jean shared what she had been thinking when John sneezed. However, when Jean saw the sly look on Maranda's face, she knew her friend would not be upset.

Equally, Maranda knew Jean well enough to be able to guess what her friend had been thinking.

"Yes." Jean nodded and placed a hand on her mouth to stop herself from giggling loudly. "He deserves it for rejecting such a charming lady. So don't feel any pity for him! And, don't be upset with me if I curse him secretly, okay?"

Maranda suddenly felt embarrassed and shifted in her seat, "This matter is between you and him. Don't drag me in the middle of it!"

Jean's eyebrows shot up at Maranda's statement. She asked, "You've decided to forgive him since you pushed the blame on me?" Jean blinked rapidly in disbelief as she asked.

Maranda sighed in defeat. "This is all very complicated, " she said still looking around to make sure no one was listening. Her shoulders sagged as she confessed, "How could I stay mad at him? I feel like this is all my fault. I imagined myself as his favorite one." Maranda lowered her eyes hopelessly.

Gone was the huge smile that had graced Maranda's face just a moment ago. Somehow, every time they spoke of John, Maranda seemed to look sadder and sadder.

Jean sighed. She didn't like the situation Maranda had found herself in. She wished there was something she could do to make Maranda feel better. When Jean got no brilliant ideas, she looked out the window in silence.

Their destination was about two hours away. The journey was long and mostly quiet. Once they reached the bus stop, Jean and her friends hailed a taxi and piled their luggage into the trunk before climbing in.

Once at the hotel, they grabbed their luggage and made their way to the lobby. Two rooms had been booked for them. Since Maranda and Jean were girls, they shared one room, while John got the second room.

Since the rooms were nearby, John could ensure the girls' safety.

After checking in, Jean took a quick shower. As soon as she had dressed herself, she heard the doorbell to the suite.

Jean opened the door and found that John was standing outside the door. His face was expressionless and so she couldn't tell what he was thinking. As soon as John saw Jean, the corners of his mouth lifted into a demure smile. He said, "Let's go grab s

"You're my wife in name only, on paper only. My heart and love will never be yours."

Edward made it clear to Daisy that she was nothing to him. They were both victims of family greed -- the marriage was arranged for them.

Six years passed. She remained quiet, gaining a reputation in the army as a tough-as-nails colonel. When she walked into his life again, Edward fell in love with this woman...

er colleague was equally bewildered. The expression on her face would have been comical had the situation not been so tense.

Maranda was shocked indeed.

She had never expected that John would care enough about her to make this effort. And yet, he did.

Did he care about her? Did he not care about her? He had made his feelings quite clear when she professed her love for him earlier. But now, he was behaving in a manner that showed that he was concerned.

Maranda frowned when John looked away. She realized that when she had told him about her feelings, he had looked away then too. Why did he refuse to look at her?

Jean was thrilled! She assumed that John's attitude toward Maranda had changed. She couldn't help smiling when she thought that this gesture by John would warm Maranda's heart and give her something to be happy about.

If not, Jean would be even more embarrassed. She had, after all, been the mediator.

Jean opened the bag and saw that John had bought some medicine for diarrhea and a bottle of water.

When Jean smiled at John, she saw that he was being very indifferent toward Maranda. She frowned.

Despite this confusing behavior, Jean was happy as John had been thoughtful and considerate.

Jean handed the pills and water to Maranda. She smiled gratefully as she took the medicines from Jean.

John was still looking elsewhere. He never once glanced at either Jean or Maranda. After a few moments, he prompted the women, "Are you ready? Shall we go?"

Then he took a few steps forward and grabbed the equipment.

Jean was ready to follow John but stopped when she noticed that he wasn't walking. Instead, he was looking ahead with a confused expression.

Jean frowned at John's abruptness and turned to see what John had been looking at. As soon as she saw what had surprised John, Jean's expression changed.