34

“Guests for you, Mr White.”

Mrs Joy still calls him Mr White. No problem for him, Aaron smiled, turns out the name was not a problem for Laurel.

“I heard you came back from your honeymoon, so I brought Sean here.” Mike stepped inside, as usual, without permission, and sat down on the large sofa in the room.

A slender man, dressed in all black, followed in. His gaze scanned the entire room intently, until he met Aaron’s.

Sean Bramasta, Aaron thought. This is their second meeting after a brief meeting at a party that time. He chose to come alone to Sean's party that time, and made Mike busy booing Aaaron. Mike briefly introduced him to Sean, but they could not talk more, because Aaron had left in a hurry for other business.

“Sean just got back from his honeymoon too,” Mike mumbled as Aaron and Sean just stared at each other stiffly, watching each other.

“Honeymoon? Aren't you married a long time, Sean?” he walked over to the sofa and sat there, motioning for Sean to sit down.

“Second honeymoon,” Sean replied in his deep voice.

Somehow, the word honeymoon made the cold and cruel expression on his face soften. Maybe Mike is right, that this man really loves his wife. In that case, this man is not as evil as people say. A man, who can love a woman with all his heart, is a good man, deep in his heart. Aaron felt his prejudice against Sean fade away.

“How was your honeymoon?” Mike muttered again, looking at Aaron with a smile. “Everything went according to plan?”

“As planned.” Aaron's smile widened, forgetting that in front of him was Sean Bramasta, a figure he did not recognize, who was not as familiar as Mike. “She said she loved me.”

Mike chuckled. “You lucky bastard!” he glanced at Sean. “Aaron is luckier than us. He can quickly get his wife's love, while we have to head over heels trying everything possible.”

Sean also smiled at Mike's words and the tense atmosphere between them melted. They then talked about their work and collaborative projects, and the conversation flowed smoothly as if they had gathered and conversed intimately before.

“I must go home.” Sean glanced at his watch. “I promised to take Renee to the doctor.”

“Was she sick?” Mike, who had been busy reading the project submission notes they were discussing, raised his head.

Sean shook his head, his smile wide, unbearable. “No, she was not. She was nauseous and vomited in the morning. Looks like we brought gifts from our second honeymoon.”

“Wow, you're after me apparently!” Mike's eyes softened as he remembered his little angel and the mother whom he loved so much. “Say my regards to her. I will study this file first, and then I will discuss the results with you.”

“Okay.” Sean stood up and Aaron followed him. The man smiled and held out his hand to Aaron who was immediately greeted him. They shook hands. “Hopefully our cooperation will be good in the future.”

After that, Sean said goodbye and left the room.

“He's good, right? Not as cruel as people say. Do you still not like him?” Mike muttered, his eyes not leaving the files in his hands.

Aaron looked in the direction Sean had left and shrugged. “Well, I'm not wrong if I didn't like him in the past. Rumors circulated so thick that he was very cruel and angry. Everyone was afraid of him, but he changed after marriage, didn't he?”

“Well, he changed after finding Renee, his wife. His cruelty is incomparable, to the point that my wife Lia is worried about Renee. You know they are friends. However, the man really fought for his love, and when he got it, he appreciated it.” Mike smiled at Aaron and put down the files. “And from what you said earlier, I think your marriage is also going well. You can get your wife pregnant as soon as possible, and then start a happy little family, like me and Sean.”

Aaron sighed. The image of Laurel's bulging belly containing their child, or the image of him holding his love child with Laurel, made his chest warm.

The fear, however, remains; the fear that made him has nightmares lately, the fear of a secret being exposed that would hurt Laurel.

“I've never told you about my wife and why I love her so much.”

“I thought you wanted to keep it to yourself.” Mike smiled. “You look tired, Aaron. Isn't this marriage supposed to make you happy?”

“I'm happy,” Aaron mumbled quietly. “But I'm tired of keeping secrets.”

“What secret?”

“The secret of my past that is related to my wife Laurel.” Aaron sighed as he reminisced about his past. “And Laurel didn't realize I was the same person. She loves me now, but if she knew who I really am….”

Mike rested his hand on his chin. “What do you mean, Aaron? Please tell me so I can understand.”

And the story flows; about Aaron's past, about the accident and Laurel's angry expulsion, which awakens him afterward; about all of his attempts to atone for his sins. Everything he did to make Laurel's life easy, only to realize that he really, really loves her and wants to have her.

In the end Aaron takes the risk of possessing Laurel, marrying her… while keeping the past a secret. Aaron told Mike his fears, his recent nightmares that had been very disturbing.

His friend just stared at him intently for a while, and then took a deep breath.

“Well,” he mumbled later. “I used to think that my love story is the most complicated story among all couples. In fact, yours is more complicated and full of secrets.”

Mike leaned back on the sofa. “But a marriage must be based on the complete honesty of both partners, Aaron; otherwise the marriage has no foundation.”

Mike looked at Aaron who was just silent. “I married Lia at that time, after we both confessed our love, after there were no obstacles and secrets between the two of us. Because of that, we were able to go through everything well until now, supporting and loving each other.”

Mike shrugged. “Take the example of Sean's marriage; it's almost the same as what you did. He and his partner are both stubborn and do not want to admit that they love each other. The beginning of their marriage was filled with turmoil and misunderstandings, but it eventually prompted them to express their feelings for each other and eventually admit that they loved each other.”

“Laurel and I have confessed our love for each other,” Aaron mumbled, “but my heart remains unsettled.”

“Because it's like you're walking on a bomb that will explode at any moment. It keeps you alert and having nightmares.” Mike looked at Aaron seriously. “You have to tell Laurel everything.”

Aaron's face was filled with pain. “I cannot. What if she leaves me?”

“You said she loved you. She may be dissapointed and furious with you, but I am sure she will appreciate your honesty. In the end she will come back to you.” Mike took a deep breath. “You have to do it, my friend. We do not know what will happen later, a secret can never be kept forever. Can you imagine how bad it would be if Laurel found out from someone else?”

Aaron fell silent, realizing the truth of Mike's words.

Mike is right. He must not keep this secret from Laurel for too long. He had to explain everything. Laurel loved him and Aaron was sure that no matter how angry she was, she would forgive him in the end. She would appreciate his honesty.

Aaron was determined to reveal everything to Laurel.