Part 26

They had returned to Claire's house using her car, while Antony's car would later be picked up by his personal driver with the spare key that was at home.

Before going back to the house, they stopped by a fast-food restaurant, and now they were enjoying their takeout meal in Claire's backyard along with a cold glass of cola.

Claire looked refreshed after taking a shower and changing her clothes. She was wearing an oversized t-shirt, which seemed to be her favorite, and cream-colored calf-length leggings.

Among the women Antony knew, Claire was the only one who never cared about her appearance. Did that mean she didn't like him enough to bother with how she looked?

Yes, Antony had heard that women usually put effort into their appearance when meeting a man they liked. But Claire always looked so casual—except for earlier that afternoon. Was she trying to catch the attention of that guy named Yudhis?

For some reason, thinking about her appearance earlier that afternoon suddenly filled him with anger. Did she dress up because she was going to meet Yudhis?

Yes. You could say she dressed up that afternoon, right? She wore a dress and light makeup. Even her work attire was always simple. Antony had never seen her wear her hair down, as she usually hid her beautiful hair in a simple bun. But that afternoon, she let her hair down and even wore a pretty hair clip.

Antony really didn't like his own thoughts. His jealousy made him officially consider Yudhis as one of his rivals.

There wasn't much conversation between them that night. The backyard was mostly filled with the idle chatter of teenagers. At eight o'clock, Antony's personal driver arrived to pick him up, and when Antony asked Flavia to go home with him, she refused, saying she wanted to stay the night at Claire's again.

Sunday morning arrived. This time, they planned to go to the mall because, according to Abigail, there was a movie premiere event today, with the film's actors and actresses attending. Abigail hoped that if they went, she might have the chance to take pictures with the celebrities.

"Hurry up, before the actors leave," Abigail whined as she knocked on her aunt's bedroom door.

"Are you even sure you'll get a picture with them?" Claire emerged, looking unenthusiastic.

"Of course! And even if not, at least I'll be able to see them up close," Abigail replied excitedly. "Come on, you don't need to get all dressed up. You look fine as you are. It's not like any actor is going to be interested in you anyway," Abigail grumbled, causing Claire to raise an eyebrow, wondering if Abigail was teasing her.

Claire was simply wearing a black short-sleeved t-shirt and dark gray knee-length sweatpants. She left the room again after tying her hair into a ponytail.

Grabbing her car keys, the three of them worked together without saying a word. Claire warmed up the car, Abigail locked the front door, and Flavia opened the gate. Claire drove the car out of the garage and waited outside while the two teens finished their tasks. Abigail quickly took the passenger seat, while Flavia sat in the back. "Let's gooo!" they both shouted in unison.

The mall was already pretty crowded. Whether people had come to shop or had the same goal as Abigail and Flavia, Claire couldn't tell. The fan meet was being held on the ground floor, right in the center of the mall.

Before heading to the event, Abigail, Flavia, and Claire had already picked up food from a nearby outlet, and the two teens were now loaded down with snacks and cold drinks.

They managed to find a good spot after weaving through the crowd. Abigail and Flavia focused on watching the dancers on stage, performing to a familiar K-pop song. They swayed and hummed along, and Claire did too. As a fan of K-dramas and K-pop, she couldn't help but join in with the girls.

But suddenly, their fun was interrupted when Flavia's expression changed.

"What's wrong?" Abigail whispered in her friend's ear. Instead of answering, Flavia stood frozen, staring off into the distance. Abigail followed her gaze, and a few meters to the side of the stage, she saw what Flavia was looking at.

"That's... your dad and Anastasia, right?" Abigail asked, trying to confirm what she saw. Flavia gave a small nod, her face still showing sadness.

"Then why are you upset? Are you afraid they're getting closer?" Abigail asked, and Flavia responded with another nod.

"Just let it go. Maybe your dad really prefers that woman. Maybe after talking to Aunty C yesterday, he realized she wasn't right for him and decided to go back to Anastasia," Abigail continued in a flat tone.

"Abby! I've already told you, I don't want that woman to become my stepmom!" Flavia shouted without realizing it.

Claire, who overheard Flavia's outburst, looked back and forth between the two teens with a questioning expression. Abigail grinned while Flavia's face flushed with embarrassment.

"So, I finally know what you two have been planning all along," Claire said coldly.

Flavia just hung her head in shame, while Abigail shrugged her shoulders. Then, to their surprise, Claire burst out laughing.

Flavia looked up, shocked to see Claire laughing like that. She had thought Claire would be furious with them both.

"Abigail. Flavia. Listen to me. Adult relationships aren't as simple as teenagers like you think they are. You can't just match people together like you pair up Barbie and Ken. Our thoughts, as adults, are much more complicated."

"What do you mean?" Abigail asked, confused.

"What I mean is, not everything you want will always become reality. When you were younger, or even at your current age, you could want A, B, or C, and maybe you'd get it—whether by asking adults for help or by working hard for it yourself.

"But when you're an adult, no matter how hard you try to get A, B, or C, you might not end up with it. You could end up with D, E, or even F instead. And that's just regarding your own desires, let alone when it involves someone else's desires.

"Love, trust, affection—those aren't things you can demand from others. Pairing people up isn't like matching Ken and Barbie. Matters of the heart are matters of fate."

"Do you know what acting is?" Claire asked. The two teens nodded. "Most of us adults live our lives acting.

"But our acting isn't based on a script. It's based on the situation and circumstances. Why? Because the situation demands it.

"When we don't like our boss, we have to act sweet, even though inside, we're annoyed. It's the same with our feelings toward the opposite sex.

"Often, we act like A, say A, when deep down, our feelings and what we really want from a partner is B. Do you understand?" she asked again. The two teens shook their heads. "Let me ask you this: why do you want to set me up with Via's dad?"

"Because Flavia likes you," Abigail replied innocently.

Claire looked at Flavia with a gentle gaze, softly stroking her head and face. "Thank you, sweetheart. I like you too," she said sincerely. "So, because you like me, you want me to be your mom?"

Flavia nodded eagerly, thinking Claire's question was a green light, a sign that Claire might be willing to fulfill her innocent wish. But Claire shook her head instead. "But making me your mom isn't as simple as asking your dad for candy, dear.

"Why? First, your dad might not want the same thing as you. Second, maybe he already has another woman in mind to be your mom. And third, does your dad even plan on getting remarried?" Claire asked, genuinely curious.

Flavia looked back and forth between Abigail and Claire before shrugging and shaking her head.

"See, you don't even know what your dad wants or what he has planned. And neither do I.

"Just because your dad has been kind to me doesn't mean he likes me romantically. And just because he's with Anastasia right now doesn't mean he likes her either. As for me, just because I'm not in a relationship doesn't mean I'm ready to become someone's wife.

"Adults like us are good at hiding our true feelings. Like I said, we live our lives acting."

"Has your kindness toward me been just an act?" Flavia asked innocently.

Claire's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you doubting my feelings for you?" she asked in return.

Flavia shook her head. She knew deep down that Claire's care for her had always been genuine. That was what made her feel so comfortable around Claire, and why she wished the woman in front of her could be her stepmother.

"I love you just as much as I love Abigail because I've come to see you as my own niece," Claire said gently.

"So, you just don't want to be my mom, is that it?" Flavia looked at her sadly. Claire smiled warmly.