Chapter 571 - MEMORIES I

John went back to the apartment he rented in City D. His heart was heavy and the moment he closed the door to his apartment room, his tears fell. His cried in anguish, in regret and in so much pain. He waited for her but she was also waiting for him. But while she did, he actually played around with another woman while she remained single for him.

And when she had the courage, he ignored her. He didn't say anything. 'If only I greeted her. If only I spoke to her. If only I chased after her seconds earlier. Why didn't I?' John asked himself over and over again. His body was curled on the floor as he hugged himself from pain. "Why didn't I?" he questioned once again. He asked this question to himself several times more but he couldn't find any answer to it.

He remembered Stefan's words. 'She didn't want money from you. She only wanted your time but you gave your time to someone else.' These words resonated in his head again and again. 

He remembered the first time they met in the university after several years. She was walking silently towards her room when their eyes met. He clearly remembered her smile when she saw him but he looked away and called his girlfriend that time. He watched her turn around and left but he didn't say anything. He saw her several times wearing the necklace with his ring but he felt so embarrassed to acknowledge the cheap item so, he didn't say anything.

He remembered that her smile started to vanish. He remembered that she was starting to not appear in front of him. He remembered the time she was stranded at the waiting shed, sheltering herself from the rain while waiting for her driver. He clearly remembered he's got an umbrella that time but he didn't lend it to her. He also remembered that he didn't show up to school three days after that. He remembered the time she wanted to buy a sandwich but she didn't have enough cash and there was no available ATM near their school. He's got extra money that time but he only watched her leave the cafeteria with nothing. He remembered so many things and he regretted all those things.

John fell asleep on the floor and by the time he woke up, it was past seven in the evening.

On the other hand, Cayenne and Stefan was still on their way back to City A. Cayenne was sleeping beside her husband after crying so much. She didn't say anything but Stefan knew why his wife was crying when she got inside the car. If he's in her position, he'd probably do the same thing.

When they arrived to their house, it was almost nine in the evening. Since it was Friday, most people were awake and were staying in the living room. They saw Stefan carrying Cayenne upstairs and they even caught sight of her swollen eyes.

"She cried last night and now she's crying again. Just what exactly is happening to her?" Luiz questioned to no one in particular. He was really worried for his sister.

"I'm just making assumptions but people say when a woman gets pregnant, she'd be having unstable emotions." Kyle stated which made everyone's eyes widened in surprise.

"Wait. Wait. Wait." Erwin raised his hand to stop everyone from going too deep on that conclusion. "I'd love to think the same thing but I just want to tell you, not long ago, Stefan brought an electric heat pad as well as ginger tea in the company. You know what that means?"

"Yen had her period." Luiz muttered.

"Exactly! So, she's not pregnant and she's not having unstable emotions. Something probably happens specially that they didn't leave the city to go somewhere with just the two of them." Erwin added which was better conclusion than Cayenne being pregnant. "You ask your sister tomorrow. It's worrying to see her crying again."

"Do you think they're fighting?" Jonas asked them while looking at the second floor of the house.

"No. That's the last thing I'd conclude." Luiz answered his father almost instantly. "After Yen left the divorce papers to brother-in-law's house last time, I'm sure he'd never argue with her. He's most afraid of Yen running away or Yen throwing him out of their bedroom."

"You have a point." Jonas agreed with his son. "I don't want to play anymore. Let's just go to bed. Luiz, make sure to check on your sister tomorrow."

"Yes, I will." Luiz replied as he stood up from the couch. "I'll go to bed, too. I lost interest in the game now."

"Me, too." Erwin also added.

"Let's all rest the night away." Kyle stated and kept the chess board under the coffee table where the scrabble board was hidden, too. One after another, they went back to their rooms to rest.

Luiz checked his social media account and found that Tristan was still online. "Big bro, did my brother-in-law or my sister asked you to investigate on someone?"

"Why are you asking?"

"Is it related to mom?"

"Nope. It's about your sister's best friend."

"Which best friend?"

"Marian Wyatt. Are you familiar with her?"

"Yes, I am. Thank you."

"Sure. Sure."

Luiz put down his phone for a while and thought of Marian. He remembered her clearly because in the past, she was the one who often visited their home aside from Arthur. But when Cayenne stopped going to school, he didn't see her anymore. He didn't expect that his sister would be asking Tristan about this woman again.

"Did something happen to her?" Luiz asked himself while looking at the ceiling in front of him. "Well, it's not really my problem but I better keep an eye on this matter for my sister." He picked up his phone once again and looked for Chris' number. He dialed the number and it didn't take long for the other side to answer the phone.

"Luiz! How are you?"

Luiz looked at the phone and found that it was the correct number but he clearly heard the voice of a woman on the other end o the line. And it was even similar to his teacher's voice.

"Luiz? – Nah! Look at you scaring him. – I didn't scare him but why isn't he saying anything. – Give me the phone first." Luiz heard Chris and his teacher talking on the other end of the line. His heart was beating so fast with the idea circling in his mind. He was still unable to say anything when Chris spoke again. "Sorry for scaring you."

"Uncle Chris, was that really my teacher? Did she just speak to me?"

"Yup. – Give me the phone already. I want to talk to him, too. – Just a sec. – Hmp! You promised I'd be the one talking to him this time. – Alright. I'm giving the phone to your teacher or I'll be clawed to death here."

Luiz chuckled hearing them from the other line but while he laughed, his tears fell on his face.. He was so happy that his teacher was getting better now.