Chapter 4 The Final Choice

CHAPTER FOUR

"Break what? Do you mean our rule of eating at home all the time?" she giggled, stuffing food into her mouth.

"I'm also tired of it," she finally said.

"Yeah, actually..." he stammered, "I meant that, you know, eating at home all day makes me sick. Let's sit out on Saturday."

"Nice idea," she muttered, her cheeks glittering.

"That isn't what I said. I meant... let's break up. Let's divorce. I'm retiring soon to pursue my dream," he murmured under his breath.

****

"So now that you've informed the beauty goddess about your retirement, what's next?" asked Charlie.

"I didn't inform her," he said, breathing furiously while signaling the waitress to come. Trying to keep himself busy, he kept staring at the menu, pretending to look for what to order so as to avoid Charlie's question.

Charlie snatched the menu from him.

"Bring two bottles of soju," she said to the waitress, her face turning red, veins bulging like snakes.

"What did you say happened? She wasn't looking alright and it's not good to mount pressure on the sick," he said, tapping his screen intensely.

Charlie just sneered and sipped her drink.

"I've been thinking about my last client. Her relationship with her daughter isn't good. She's not a good mother, I would say, and it makes me angry when I think about it."

"I can't believe that woman was my last client. It's really embarrassing," he said, his face scrunching up, disgust twisting his features.

"So sorry she was your last client. She sure is a crazy one, making you play the role of a father," Charlie said, caressing his hair.

"Look at me. Do I look like a parent?" he asked, his face radiating with joy as he beamed with pride.

"You are handsome, but you don't look that young," she said hesitantly, trying to avoid his intense eye contact.

He became stunned hearing that, his eyes flaring, fiery sparks flying from his gaze, and he spoke calmly.

"Charlie, do you think I do this job because of my looks?" he said, his face grumbling.

"You slay with your looks sometimes," she said, looking paranoid. "You even slayed at the reunion."

"Oh, that day," he said, his smile racing. He reminisced about how he went with a bullied client to a school gathering, and his outfit won the contest.

"So which university did you attend?" her classmate asked, making fun of him.

Still calm, he responded with a faint smile.

"It's a bit far," he said, sipping his wine.

"Then is it in the countryside?" said one of them, laughter flying through the air.

"Does it even have a proper name?" another added, their voices arousing chaos in the restaurant.

"Cornell University," he said, caressing his beard, staring at their faces as disappointment hit them and they pulled back like snakes.

"Although our schools are different, business is our major, so we connected very, very well," he said, his voice filled with enthusiastic hope, making him eager.

"Cornell Business School? Isn't it only for Chaebol?" a voice whispered to another.

"You don't look it," a female voice snapped, feeling delighted.

"I have a friend that schools there. Name your friends," she said, her words hitting the goalpost.

When his client saw that it was heading elsewhere, she muttered under her breath, "Let's focus on today's gathering."

"I wonder if your friend would know the people I know," he said boldly, staring at the crowd and smiling majestically.

When it looked as if he was scoring the goals, Amara, a once-popular student, broke the silence by speaking fluently.

"Name one of the professors. I know people there. Do you even understand what I'm saying?" she said, laughing alongside the others.

His client's eyes dropped, making her look away and sip her drink hesitantly.

When he noticed her fearful state, he held her hand unapologetically, staring into her vision, and her eyes sparkled, hope making them shine.

"I thought my wife was perfect, but her tacky friends are her flaw. I don't think Professor Gabriel allowed me to graduate early to mention his name in a place like this," he said, his voice calm.

Immediately he said this, his wife became stable, her face radiating joy as she beamed with pride, sipping her wine effortlessly.

He turned eloquently and faced Amara, speaking fluently, his eyes sparkling like diamonds and his smile as wide as an ocean.

"Excuse me, you gotta practice your accent. I almost didn't get you," he said, pride beaming in his eyes.

This went down her throat as she looked down, her eyes welling up with embarrassment.

The proud wife stared profusely at her friends' faces, knowing their plan had been abolished, her face glittering with gratitude, making her radiant.

"So Mr. Gabriel and Cornell University that you always talk about is real?" Charlie asked, smirking.

"I don't lie about things like that," said Charles, his forehead beaming with pride.

"You don't like school reunions. Why did you do it?" Charlie asked, staring intensely at Charles.

"She was a victim of bullying. She got the courage after fifteen years to go to the school reunion," Charles said, exhaling slowly, relief making him grateful.

"Aren't you a hero?" she said, touching his cheek, making him feel like a superhero.

"Tell Madam Jenny to stop scavenging money from you," Charlie said, slamming her fist and making the table shake.

"She said she doesn't need the money anymore. Thinking about it makes me angry," he said, raising his fist with anger.

****

"Put on your hoodie. We are in public," said Amelia's manager, trying to put the hoodie on her.

"Leave it. It's not as if I'm with a guy," she said, observing the place to be sure there were no stalkers or reporters around.

"Have you gotten them all?" she asked, gritting her teeth.

"We got a call from cybercrime, but they are students," she said, frowning.

"Students? I'm not letting them off. They can't get away with wiring my car and breaking in," she said unapologetically, staring at his screen.

"Stalking is a different case. This is for the hate comments," she said, giving a pitiful gesture.

"She will grow to become a stalker," he said, giving a meaningless look.

****

"Let's order a cap," Charlie said, staring furiously at her account balance. Knowing it wasn't enough to do so, she decided to put up a game.

"Charles, let's walk to the P. Park. I want to watch the water run," she said, exhausted.

"When did you start loving water?" he asked unnaturally but keyed into the idea.

Charles knew what the problem was; he saw when she checked her bank app but remained muted and complied.

"You don't look good, Charlie," Charles said suddenly.

"Yeah, actually, I'm fine," she said, smiling, avoiding eye contact.

"Come on, you don't look it. What is it? Tell me," he snorted.

"It's my eldest sister. Her daughter is in ninth grade and she somehow dated a girl. She called me and shouted in tears. She is blaming me," she said, trying to hold her tears.

"No, it's not true and scientifically not valid. She always has a way of hurting people like that, even to a person who forcefully married a man," he said, hugging and caressing her hair.

"I'm at my limit, and that's why you are supposed to retire so that we can stop living like weak grasses and fulfill our dream," she said, squeezing his hand with excitement, which made her jump.

"My dream is to meet someone in a new country and not just someone, but one who doesn't know me and fall in love with the person."

"Meeting someone that will not judge my past. And when I told Charlie, she took it as hers too; now she refers to it as 'our dream,'" he thought, his face glowing with warmth as he smiled softly.

"One more thing," she said, raising a finger, "break up with Mrs Goddess."

Immediately she said that, he took off and she followed hesitantly, calling out for him to stop.

****

Charles was woken up by the sound of an alarm, his eyes widening as if he were in a chaotic state.

"What is this?" he screamed while turning it off furiously.

He glanced at a written note and a piece of paper written by Charlie. It read:

"Finale gift for Charles's proud life. I have never done this for my girlfriend and it's exactly a month later. End things with Mrs Goddess."

"Don't forget that I choked in tears and bought a business card. See you soon."

"She doesn't have money; why did she do it? She booked a business session without my knowledge," he said, confusion making his face drop.

****

Casser's apartment was one that would resurrect a dying soul. The smell of it hit so hard when he stepped in that he couldn't help but compliment it.

Her white linen silk curtains welcomed him by waving, and this calmed his nerves. He had planned to call off the contract, and with the warm welcome, he was certain.

He walked down to her and gave her a heartfelt kiss, one in which he expected her to be surprised or maybe push him away, but the case was different. They lingered as she kissed as if she had been waiting for it.