Chapter 9 - The Beloved Girlfriend

With happy steps, Lucas entered the luxury apartment complex where his girlfriend lived. It felt like only yesterday when Lucas came here alone, picked a unit that he thought was suitable, and finally bought it for his beautiful girlfriend. And that was about five years ago.

How fast time passed, but that wouldn't affect the love he had for her. They were still like a new couple in love. At least for him.

With a beautiful flower bouquet in his hand, Lucas pressed his girlfriend's apartment bell. He could have gone straight in because he knew the password, but he was a true gentleman. He wouldn't just enter a woman's place like that, even if the woman was his own girlfriend. He had both respect and great love for that woman.

While waiting, Lucas looked at the hallway where he stood now. It was really quiet, the main reason he chose this apartment. It was in line with his desire to hide his girlfriend from her family. Speaking of her family, he really hoped that none of them knew he was here.

He refocused on the door in front of him when he heard a sound from inside, a sign that the door would soon open for him.

"Hi, Honey," Lucas greeted her and intended to bring her into his embrace, but the woman refused. She stepped back and walked away from his reach, making it impossible for him to touch her as he wanted. Lucas looked puzzled, apparently not understanding the behavior shown towards him.

Lucas saw Sophia take a seat on the sofa. Her hand hugged a sofa cushion, accompanied by a grim expression on her face. Sure that the door was closed perfectly, Lucas walked slowly towards her. He didn't immediately take a seat beside her.

Lucas knelt in front of her and took one of her hands to hold, lucky enough that it was not pushed away. "Sophia, what's wrong?"

"You can still ask what's wrong?! Where have you been for the past month? You never visited me again."

Now Lucas knew the source of the problem. And actually, he had suspected it since before coming here. If not, he wouldn't have brought the flowers hoping to persuade Sophia.

"I thought I explained everything to you on the phone that time."

"Do you expect me to understand with just a phone call?"

"Okay, sorry. I was wrong. I should have visited you." Lucas placed the flowers he brought casually on the floor. Then he took both of Sophia's hands and kissed them alternately.

Lucas had heard from Willy how he looked more like a slave than Sophia's boyfriend because he kept apologizing every time there was a debate or argument in their relationship. Lucas wanted to refute all those opinions, but looking at her condition now, he seemed unable to do so.

Even if he wanted to defend himself, he would only say that he didn't want to make small problems become big. That he didn't want any problems in their relationship, which was already burdened by too many obstacles from her family from the start. Even if he remembered Sophia's character, dealing with the woman in a verbal dispute would only lead to bigger problems.

So, it was best for him, who had an excessive stock of patience, to give in.

"I was afraid someone was secretly watching me, so I couldn't visit you for a month. Forgive me."

Sophia shook her head then. "I'm sorry, Lucas. I was just scared." Sophia looked down as she said it. And the sadness couldn't be rejected when he saw all of that.

He held Sophia in his arms, as he had wanted since she arrived earlier. This time, the woman did not resist. She let her body be held tightly, with her head comfortably resting on Lucas's shoulder.

"I'm trying to find a solution, Sophia. You have to trust me," Lucas said as he gently stroked Sophia's hair, feeling her head move on his shoulder. Sophia nodded in agreement.

Lucas then remembered how Jane had also been in his arms a few days ago, but the difference was that Jane had cried and poured out her sadness to him. Everything still felt so fresh, as if it had just happened in front of his eyes.

Then guilt began to gnaw at him. He was with his girlfriend, but why was he thinking about another woman who didn't even have any important position in his life?

Sophia released their embrace first and looked at him. "Have you found a solution?"

Lucas nodded and he smiled seeing how his girlfriend's lips formed her trademark beautiful smile, the smile that always made Lucas fall in love with her over and over again whenever he saw it. 

Unfortunately, that smile disappeared and was replaced by some angrier expression than what he saw earlier when he finished telling everything.

"You're going to marry another woman? Did I just hear that wrong?" Sophia's tone was so cold. She knew that this was a sign that she was really very angry.

"Sophia, this is only temporary," Lucas tried to explain.

"What if you fall in love with her?" Sophia asked, slightly hysterical.

Lucas rolled his eyes. "I won't, Sophia. Stop thinking the worst." He held Sophia's shoulders tightly. "This is why I don't want you to spend too much time reading romance novels."

Sophia was really crazy if she thought he would betray her. He loved Sophia so much that he dared to do all of this. He had never thought of replacing Sophia with someone else.

"Lucas, isn't there another way?" Sophia asked with a hopeful tone, praying that there was another way they could be together, but Lucas shook his head.

"I'm just asking you to trust me. Can you do that?"

Sophia nodded, but Lucas could see the great doubt in her eyes. "Maybe I won't be able to see you often after we get married."

A gentle stroke on his cheek made Lucas close his eyes. He missed the touch of hands that caressed him with such care. Thousands of words of longing would not be able to convey what he felt.

"Good luck, Lucas," Sophia said and Lucas opened his eyes. He found Sophia smiling at him.

Lucas followed his heart's command by bringing Sophia into his kiss. There was only a small peck, and he quickly released himself from the kiss to hug Sophia tightly, so tight as if there would be no other day to allow him to do it to her.

Lucas echoed Sophia's words in his heart, praying that everything would go according to his plan.

He prayed that God would help him and Jane, rather than give them strange and difficult obstacles in their lives, as had often happened before.