PHB 78
“Lucas… how’s it going? Does this white dress I’m wearing and chose look good?”
Lucas crossed his arms and observed with great attention. The man then cast a scanning gaze from head to toe, carefully assessing Devina’s appearance as she swayed in front of him.
Currently, the two of them were in one of the renowned designer workshops for wedding dress fittings and all related matters. While Lucas remained comfortably seated, Devina, who had been busy from the beginning, was trying on various dresses presented to her.
Lucas couldn’t deny that Devina looked very beautiful. In almost every dress the woman tried on, it seemed to fit and suit her tall and graceful figure. Lucas was actually getting confused about which one to choose.
“I think the last one seems better than the ones before.”
“Yeah, I agree. I also prefer this one. It feels more comfortable and easy to move in. So, should we go with this one?”
Lucas nodded repeatedly, agreeing with the decision Devina had made.
“Yes, let’s go with that one as long as it feels comfortable and good when worn.”
“Seriously, the fabric feels so comfortable. How about you? Have you tried on the tuxedo?”
Lucas shook his head. He hadn’t chosen any of the tuxedo sets he would wear for the wedding party.
Since earlier, besides waiting for Devina, he had been busy discussing the progress of their wedding preparations, which had already reached 80%, with the wedding organizer.
“I haven’t tried yet. What would be good?”
“I’ll help you pick, okay? Or do you want to find a matching color? So that it looks coordinated.”
Lucas nodded. He didn’t doubt Devina’s choice for a moment.
“Sure, you can choose for me. Besides, you know Papa’s taste. Plus, when he’s ready, he’ll come here for a fitting too.”
Devina nodded.
“I’ll choose for you first. Later, when we find the right one for you, I’ll help pick for Papa Andreas too.”
“Okay, you handle it. I trust you with everything,” Lucas said confidently.
Devina then went around the store. Assisted by the store’s attendant, she selected several premium tuxedo collections designed for wedding parties.
Almost ten minutes later, the beautiful long-haired woman picked out a few suits she deemed good and handed them over to Lucas, who was waiting.
“I think there are four that I consider the best,” Devina said as she stood in front of Lucas. “Try them on one by one. So I can judge which one suits you best.”
Lucas agreed with a nod. He stood up, having been seated earlier, and began trying on the tuxedos one by one, starting with the navy one.
“How does it look?” Lucas asked while trying on the navy tuxedo. “Does it fit well?” Devina appeared scrutinizing, observing Lucas’s appearance from head to toe, trying to assess before giving her opinion.
“It doesn’t seem to fit when worn. Try the white one. I’m curious to see how it looks on you.”
Lucas complied. Returning to the dressing room, he quickly changed out of the navy suit he had been wearing and switched to the bone-white one. Once he was sure, he stepped out, once again asking Devina to evaluate his appearance.
“There, how’s this? Does it look good?”
Devina curled her lips into a smile. There was no doubt that the color she had chosen this time was a perfect match when paired with the dress she had worn earlier.
“Perfect, Luc. This one fits you perfectly. Don’t change it again. It matches my dress perfectly.”
“Alright, I’ll take this one,” Lucas said, looking satisfied.
“But, Luc…” Devina suddenly said, her tone indicating that Lucas’s fiancée wanted to discuss something potentially serious.
“What’s wrong? Is something amiss?”
Devina shook her head. That wasn’t what she meant.
“I mean, are you absolutely sure about this decision, about getting married? Are you sure you won’t regret it?”
Devina’s face looked very serious. Once again, she was confirming to make sure if the man in front of her had made the right decision. Because once it happened, it wouldn’t be easy to back out or separate.
“Don’t worry. I’m completely certain about this decision. So, you don’t need to worry. I won’t regret it, complain, or do anything strange. I’m 100% sure about the decision I’ve made.”This belongs to NôvelDrama.Org.
Devina then looked closely at Lucas’s face. She delved into those jet-black eyes and found an immense conviction in the man she had known for a long time. From this, Devina was confident that Lucas was very serious and committed to the decision he had made.
“If you’re truly 100% sure, then it’s not a problem. I just don’t want to hear regrets down the road. It’s really frustrating.”
Lucas smiled. He understood what Devina meant. He was sure she was worried that in married life, he might end up suffering and ultimately regretting the decision he had made.
“Don’t worry. If I’ve made a decision, it means I’m ready to accept all the consequences.”
Devina smiled in return, feeling somewhat relieved by Lucas’s attempt to reassure her.
“Alright then. Go change into your suit quickly. After this, we’re going to check the venue, right?”
Lucas nodded. He had almost forgotten that today they had a scheduled visit for a final check before the wedding.
“Okay, I’ll change. You can go to the cashier. I’ll pay for everything.”
Devina walked away, while Lucas intended to return to the dressing room. Just as he was turning around, he spotted a familiar woman standing behind the workshop’s glass window. Deasy.
From behind the glass, Lucas could see Deasy initially watching silently, and shortly after, she waved. Perhaps she was signaling that she wanted to meet and talk with him for a moment.
However, Lucas only glanced briefly. He acted as if he didn’t care and, a few seconds later, chose to continue walking. It was as if he didn’t know her or deliberately ignored Deasy, who was clearly standing behind the shop’s window.
Meanwhile, Deasy, watching Lucas deliberately ignoring her, could only gape in astonishment. Veronica, who was with her, immediately pulled her friend’s arm to leave. She wanted to get her out of there before Deasy felt even more hurt by Lucas’s recent behavior.
***
“So, this Deasy is sulking with her face all scrunched up because her ex-boyfriend just ignored her? Her ex-fiancé? Her ex-boyfriend who got her pregnant? Or how should we refer to him to make it sound better?”
At Veronica’s house, Darwin’s laughter echoed loudly. After returning from the mall, Veronica intentionally brought her friend over to her place first.
Veronica had her reasons for bringing Deasy. Knowing that her friend had just been dismissed by Lucas, Veronica was afraid that if she took Deasy straight home, she might do something reckless in her apartment.
That’s why Veronica chose to have Deasy stop by her house first. Her intention was to provide some guidance.
However, because Darwin was there and he heard the entire sequence of events from her mouth, the man who had once been Deasy’s arch-enemy burst into laughter. He seemed quite satisfied with what had happened to Deasy.
“Win, your laughter is so cheerful,” complained Deasy, her face still scrunched up. Veronica’s husband seemed so delighted to mock her. Damn!
“Maybe it’s as crispy as chips. Besides, it’s just funny. Deasy Winterborne, the strongest woman on Earth, who supposedly has no fear, now ‘melting’ like a cracker. Not to mention her tragic fate. You used to say that I was the most ruthless in hurting Veronica. Inhuman. But after hearing your story, it turns out there’s a guy in this world named Lucas. He’s even more ruthless because he left you, who was clearly pregnant with his child.”
Deasy was getting angrier. Instead of showing empathy, Veronica’s husband was competing in commiserating with what had happened to her. He wasn’t acting like a husband, nor was he acting like a wife-both were the same. A couple of bullies. And it seemed like he was so satisfied seeing Deasy suffer. The luck-nut’s friend.
“You’re so rude, you know? Compassion, maybe? Instead, you’re laughing at my situation.”
While still laughing, Darwin stared at Deasy. There was no denying that he seemed to be enjoying seeing Deasy suffering like this.
“This is some kind of karma, Des. You used to enjoy undermining me in front of Veronica. Now, you’re getting your payback from God. How does it feel? Unpleasant, right? Being avoided by the person you love? Sorry, sorry. I’m already an alumni. Back then, you instigated Veronica’s dad to separate me from Veronica. Hahahaha.”
“Darwin, you jerk! Can you shut up?!”
Darwin laughed even harder. He was thrilled to see Deasy so angry with him. When else could he seek revenge? So that Deasy would know what he had experienced in the past.
“But, seriously, Des. Let me tell you.”
Darwin’s expression changed drastically. The mocking look on his face suddenly became more serious.
“If I were you, I’d go to Lucas’s wedding. I’d make calculations, and if necessary, I’d ruin the wedding altogether.”
“Win!” Veronica quickly reprimanded. “You’re teaching her the wrong thing.”
Darwin laughed again. He seemed to really enjoy teasing Deasy.
“Just kidding, Sweetie. Don’t get mad like that,” Darwin said, then turned back to Deasy. “What I mean is, if I were you, I’d go to your ex’s wedding. I’d offer elegant congratulations. No need to get angry. No need for any kind of scene. If necessary, make him regret for throwing away someone as valuable as you. After that, it’s better to go far away. Or if his child is born tomorrow, never let him see the child, even if it’s his own flesh and blood. Who knows, maybe he’ll marry someone else and have children.”
Deasy nodded as if agreeing with Darwin’s suggestion. Upon reflection, it might be a good idea to follow Veronica’s husband’s advice.
“Okay, I’ll go to Lucas’s wedding. I’ll make him regret for discarding me like that.”
“Des, do you mean you’re going to follow Darwin’s second suggestion, right?” Veronica asked, trying to make sure. She was worried that Deasy might impulsively act on the first suggestion and create a scene. “Just be careful not to do anything extreme.”
“It’s okay, Ve. Don’t worry. You’ll see what I’ll do later.”