Regret
In the silence, Kaivan couldn’t help but gaze at Anne’s face with admiration in his eyes. For some reason, this morning he felt perfectly content spending time just staring at the beautiful woman’s face nestled in his embrace.
Slowly, Kaivan extended his hand, gently stroking Anne’s lovely face, which elicited a soft sigh from her lips. He repeatedly brought his hand to softly caress her hair and the cheek of his wife, which seemed to make Anne even more comfortable.
The woman appeared to be sound asleep, perhaps due to drowsiness or maybe exhaustion after their intimate affection the previous night. When recalling the events of last night, a smile once again appeared on Kaivan’s face. After all, who wouldn’t feel proud to be the first person to touch their own wife’s body?
Kaivan wasn’t exaggerating. After the events of the previous night, he was determined not to let Anne leave his side. He contemplated having that woman wholly, maybe even forever. But for now, Kaivan wanted Anne to always be by his side.
“Morning…”
The raspy voice immediately brought Kaivan back to awareness. Blinking once, he then placed a short yet affectionate peck on the top of Anne’s head.
“Morning, sleeping beauty,” Kaivan replied. “How did you sleep last night?”
Before answering, Anne tightened her embrace. She nuzzled her nose against Kaivan’s chest and inhaled deeply, taking in the citrusy and woody scent that lingered on her husband’s skin. For some reason, she felt addicted to the aroma.
“Much more soundly than the nights before.”
Kaivan lowered his head. His hand reached out again to lift Anne’s chin, asking her to meet his gaze.
“Your sleep was so sound. Was it because I held you all through the night?”
Anne responded with the sweetest smile she could muster.
“Yes, it might have been because of your embrace. Honestly, I feel safe and comfortable when I’m beside you,” Anne answered shyly. For heaven’s sake, she had never been this affectionate before.
Kaivan once again brought his hand to tuck away strands of hair that had fallen over Anne’s smooth cheek. Smiling, he responded to Anne’s earlier statement.
“If you don’t mind, for the next nights, or maybe forever, I’ll keep holding you while we sleep,” Kaivan replied.
Of course, the man’s words slightly startled Anne. Especially when she heard the word ‘forever’ escape Kaivan’s lips. Were they truly sure they would continue living together forever after this? Who knows. Only time could answer that.
“You smooth talker!” Anne exclaimed playfully.
“I’m dead serious about what I said,” Kaivan replied when Anne seemed unsure of his words.
“Yeah, I believe you.” Anne then pushed aside the blanket that covered her naked body. Without hesitation, she slid down from the bed and walked towards the bathroom.
“I’ll take a shower first. I need to quickly prepare your breakfast.”
From the bed, Kaivan responded, “Don’t you want to invite me to shower together?”
“No!” Anne refused. “You can shower by yourself. If I invite you, we’ll end up doing something other than showering.”
Kaivan clearly burst into laughter. How could Anne read his mind?
“But someday you’ll have to be willing to shower with me.”
“We’ll see,” the woman shouted from the bathroom.
After freshening up, Anne didn’t find Kaivan on the bed. She wondered where her husband had gone. After dressing and applying a light layer of makeup to her face, she strolled casually towards the kitchen.
However, just a few steps out, the scent of cooking wafted strongly, piercing her sense of smell. Anne hastened her steps toward the kitchen, and upon arriving, she found Kaivan busy cooking.
“What are you doing?” Confusion was clearly written on Anne’s face.
“Obviously, I’m cooking,” the man replied, quickly transferring what he had cooked onto a plate and placing it on the table.
Seeing Anne standing there looking bewildered, Kaivan approached her. He took her wrist and guided her to sit down on a chair.
“Fried rice?” Anne asked. “You can cook fried rice?”
With utmost confidence, Kaivan nodded. He immediately handed her a spoon and fork, encouraging her to taste it.
“You have to try it.”
Hesitantly, Anne took the spoon that Kaivan offered. Slowly but surely, she began to scoop the food into her mouth, chewing slowly, trying to savor the flavors.
“I’m not exaggerating, but this fried rice is really delicious. And you…” Anne looked up. “Can cook? A Kaivan can cook?” she asked to confirm.
Anne acted as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. How could a skilled warrior like Kaivan also be skilled in cooking?Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
“Of course I can,” the man replied. “From childhood, Kenzi and I were taught by Mama to prepare and cook the foods we like.”
“Oh my goodness…” Anne exclaimed. “I can’t believe you can do this.”
“If you like it, I’ll cook for you often.”
Anne smiled.
“That sounds interesting. We can take turns doing it.”
Kaivan nodded. He then rose from his seat.
“I’ll shower first. Please continue with your breakfast.” He leaned down to give Anne’s head a quick kiss. Then he walked away toward the bedroom.
After completing his morning routine, Kaivan walked lightly to his workspace. Upon arriving, he was greeted by the presence of a guest who seemed to have been waiting for a while.
“What brings you here so early in the morning?” Kaivan asked. His facial expression clearly showed his displeasure.
“Why so curt?” his interlocutor asked. “Usually, you even seem happy when you see me visiting you.”
“Oh, come on, Veronica…” The man sighed lazily. “It’s still early, and you’re already here bothering me.”
Veronica retorted. She then chose to stand up from the sofa and gracefully walked toward Kaivan, who was seated at his desk.
“It seems my suspicions were correct. You’ve changed. I’m sure Anne has influenced you.”
“Influenced how?” Kaivan asked.
“That slut surely seduced you, didn’t she? To the point that you’ve changed like this. I swear, I can’t stand seeing you so close to that woman. Why don’t you just divorce her right away!” Veronica then circled around Kaivan’s work desk, approaching him, trying to narrow the distance between them.
“For God’s sake, Veronica. Stop calling Anne those names. I don’t like you using those words.”
“Why?” the woman asked. “Isn’t Anne truly a slut? That woman clearly snatched you away from me —”
“Don’t forget yourself. Our relationship is only casual dating. You don’t have the right to dictate my life.”
Veronica glared sharply. Her emotions were stirred by the words of the man she had been tirelessly pursuing.
“Don’t forget either, you promised to divorce that woman, Kai. You yourself promised to come back to me,” she said fervently.
Seated, Kaivan immediately shook his head.
“No, Veronica. I can’t do that. I’ve made my choice to stand by Anne.”
“Why did you suddenly change?”
Kaivan then stood up. He reached out to hold Veronica’s arms.
“I’m sorry. But you also need to know that I seem to be developing feelings for Anne.”
Veronica shook her head vigorously. Her facial expression revealed her disbelief at what Kaivan had just revealed. After all her efforts to catch Kaivan’s attention, he had fallen for a woman who had only recently entered his life. How could he turn away from her so easily?
“No… that’s impossible.” Veronica continued to protest. “You’re mine, Kai. You can’t possibly like that woman. You must be bluffing right now. Anne isn’t worthy of being with you.”
“Why does it matter if Kaivan likes me?”
From the direction of the door, a sudden presence entered the room, none other than Anna Maria. For whatever reason, she had come to Kaivan’s room.
“What’s wrong with a husband loving his wife?” Anne asked as she stood firmly by her husband’s side. Without hesitation, she pushed Kaivan’s hands away from Veronica’s arms.
“But you’re not worthy of Kaivan. Your marriage is nothing but a sham. And I’m certain you faked your pregnancy just to trap Kaivan.”
Instead of being offended, Anne smiled widely.
“Whether it’s a sham or not, our marriage is legally and religiously recognized. Like it or not, I am Kaivan’s lawful wife.” There was emphasis in Anne’s words as she calmly responded to Veronica’s remarks. “And as for your accusation that I trapped Kaivan, I admit your statement is correct. But what business is it of yours? You’re not even a part of my husband’s life. Why should you be involved in our affairs?”
Veronica became even more furious. Suppressing her anger, she shifted her gaze to Kaivan.
“You heard it yourself, this woman clearly admitted to trapping you.”
Kaivan nodded immediately.
“I’m well aware of everything.”
“And you? You’ve fallen in love with her?” Veronica shook her head in disbelief. “My God, Kaivan! Tell me it’s not true. Are you still sane?”
“Of course I’m still sane. It’s because of my sanity that I’ve decided to continue being with her.”
“You —-”
“Enough, Veronica,” Kaivan interrupted. “Everything is clear as you’ve heard. From now on, I ask that you don’t seek me out anymore. We can still maintain a relationship as friends or work partners. But beyond that, I affirm that I cannot.”
Suppressing all the emotions that were welling up within her, Veronica clenched her jaw tightly. She maintained her piercing gaze. Then, not long after, she spoke softly.
“Both of you will regret playing me.”
****