Flash Marriage: Shrewd Wife, Devious Husband
Chapter 77: Promise to Watch Over

Chapter 77: Promise to Watch Over

What hurt him the most at that time was that she was not there. No one knew where she went, even her father. He looked for her all over the city. She didn’t go to any of her friends. None of her father’s friends heard of her.

She just disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Searching for her was his passion those days. He knew she was smart. That was the first time she proved to everyone how smart she can be by eluding the search party conducted by Don. Even her father was surprised as he couldn’t catch her. Granted, he was trying to keep it under wraps as he didn’t want to put unnecessary danger on her; he had enemies who wanted to eradicate his bloodline.

Don stopped being mad at her. Her mother was worried but Don assured her that his daughter wouldn’t have fallen prey to danger so lightly. If something had happened to her, it would have been broadcast in the evening news for all to know, he said.

Donna didn’t find that very reassuring, he was told. But even she had to agree that she would have been safe.

He didn’t have access to Don’s house as before. His grandmother was angry at him for doing inappropriate things with their boss’ daughter. He was mad at himself.

He forgave himself for that night. He could blame it on his feelings. But he couldn’t forgive himself for not talking to her after that. He knew the way to sneak into her bedroom and yet he didn’t.

He didn’t even know whether she was mad at him. She was under the impression it was another guy. But what if she remembered? What if she left her house because she didn’t want to get married to him? That thought kept him awake at night.

He decided to find her at all costs to ask her the reason she left.

She attended her sister’s wedding. And like a little songbird, disappeared again, amidst all the security her father had put forth to stop her from leaving.

She is impressive!

He prided himself on knowing her inside out. And he was right. He found her going through homeless shelters in different areas and after that, she found her place in a nursing house being a volunteer. She loved old people and listening to their stories and she had a good time there.

A couple of years had passed by then. He could retain his sanity by watching her from a distance. Again, seeing her was enough for him, and he couldn’t bring himself to talk to her.

Maybe he prided himself in his ability to find her no matter where she goes, he didn’t find the urgency to tell her what he feels. And the shame he tried to lock away reared his ugly head stopping him from talking to her.

He "visited" her often; she never knew he was "visiting" her. In legal terms, it would be called stalking. But he didn’t care. Looking at her was enough.

And then he saw it... She was walking hand in hand with Aiden.

His heart broke seeing it.

He thought he had her. She spoke as if she loved only him. But...

He was pitying himself for being cheated on by her. He was angry at her. But when he thought about it, he realized that he was only mad at himself for not being proactive.

She’s a beautiful flower. He shouldn’t have expected that no other bees would circle around her. She was in her prime and her beauty had blossomed like a flavorful flower at twenty years old. It was his carelessness and foolishness that allowed Aiden near her.

Also, it was not even a surprise. She did admire Aiden and his arousing speeches in the past.

He went to meet Don as he wanted to end her relationship. Yeah, he took the cowardly way.

He wonders now how she would have reacted if he just dashed in front of her and pulled her by her hand asking her to choose him over Aiden. Would she have left Aiden and come to him?

Don was not at his home. Donna welcomed him and he told her that he found Marcella. He felt like he was losing something by revealing where she was hiding. Till then he had her for himself. But he knew that thinking was wrong. He was bordering on madness.

He can never take possession of her. She is not a thing for him to keep for himself. She is a person with her own agency. He decided not to be stupid anymore.

He still remembers the relief on Donna’s face. She held his hand and thanked him for the information.

He thought that would be it and Don would bring her back home. But that didn’t happen.

Don did something unexpected. He announced her dead to him. Her "engagement’ he kept hidden till then surfaced and Don spread the reason he disowned his daughter was that she didn’t want to marry the guy he pointed at and ran away from home.

His name was kept hidden.

When Don talked to him, he sounded so troubled. He’s never seen Don so afraid of anything.

’I hear she is with another guy. You gave up on her, Tony... Why?’

Don asked. It broke his heart hearing Don say that.

He did give up on her. He didn’t try his best.

Or did he?

’I’m used to looking up on her, Don,’ he said, tears rolling down his cheeks.

The one time he got closer to her, he hurt her. Maybe that was the real reason he kept his distance from her. He feared he might hurt her again.

’Then promise me that you will keep on watching over her,’ Don asked him that day.

He was mystified by that request. She is the one he loved. How can he watch over her when she was with another guy?

’Should I steal her back, Don?’ he asked.

Don said nothing and offered him a cigarette. Tony remembered that day he sat on Don’s seat with the cigar. He proclaimed something that he didn’t follow up on. Was Don reminding him of that?

’I’m sorry, Antony,’ he said placing his hand on his chest. He gave no further explanation.

Tony still didn’t know why he apologized.

---

Gloria placed her cup on the table with a slight clank to pull Tony out of his reverie. He was staring at his cup for a long time.

Tony rubbed his hands together. "I request you to not tell her~"

"Oh, I know she should know it from you," Gloria said.

She still couldn’t believe how stupid her dear friend was. She made complications out of nothing.

"She’d be more than delighted to know the truth. If anything, she would be relieved. But, Mr. Crawford, you will have to explain why you didn’t tell her the truth for all these years. She’s..." Gloria rubbed the handle of the cup.

"Has she talked to you about her ex?" Tony asked.

He wanted to know how their relationship was.