Best Defense

Lost on history

"You okay, sister-in-law?"

I sighed softly as I grabbed the bag from the top of my desk at WE Fashion's Style, then put the phone in it. "This is the fifth time you've asked me that." I said as I glanced at Dean sitting opposite me.

"That's because you're denying it."

I shook my head, felt careless with her exaggerated demeanor, then stood up and tidied up my dress skirt. Then I stepped out of my room, while Dean followed me walking down the hallway towards the exit of the building.

The warm sunlight immediately greeted me as I set foot in the courtyard. The air is quite fresh, and the environment here is amazing. For a moment I remembered the moments of living in a peaceful and quiet forest house. It was a wonderful time with the best place I've ever been in my whole life.

I intend to head straight to La Femme, then work until nightfall. I need that as a diversion. If I don't do anything, or leave myself alone, I can't prevent myself from thinking about...

"Come on, Franda, just admit that I'm right about Sean. You shouldn't have let him go. He never called you, and his phone hasn't been available since he left."

"Sean must be busy solving her problems there." I said sharply, my tone of voice clearly saying that I was not happy with our conversation.

"Yes, sure. I'm sure that's the reason, because it's impossible that her ex-boyfriend has taken over all her attention."

I groaned inwardly as I accelerated towards the parking area, but Dean tenaciously continued to follow me.

My steps stopped when we were at the side of the car. No one else was there, only Ameer got out of the car and opened the door for me. Before I got into the car, Dean's voice sounded again.

"Frand,"

I threw the bag into the car and quickly turned to face it while raising both my hands, a sign of surrender. "Well, I'm sorry and miserable, are you satisfied?"

He frowned. "That's not what I meant..."

"Dean, he is facing a very serious problem and I feel useless because there is nothing I can do to help him." I murmured in frustration.

I've been holding all this in my head for two days since Sean came to see me just before he left for Malaysia. At that moment I wanted to stop him, a part of me wished he hadn't left me. But I know he has to finish it all.

I was worried half dead, and at the same time I wanted to believe it. I've never felt anything this painful when loving someone, it feels so horrible as if it could crush me.

The heat was so intense in both of my eyes when my tears started to pool. I closed in and took a deep breath, trying to drive him away, but the opposite happened. Those fucking tears are flowing more and more.

"Oh, Franda..." Dean pulled me closer, then hugged me tightly. Now, I can no longer stem everything. I cried like a child in his arms.

"I haven't heard anything from him since he left." I said intermittently on the sidelines. "I'm worried about it and I don't know how to handle it, Dean."

"Everything's gonna be okay." He rubbed my back to calm me down before taking off his embrace.

Dean moved his hand to my arm while throwing a smile at me. "Tomorrow your birthday, right? He couldn't have missed it. When he calls you, tell him if he doesn't show up in two days, you'll leave him." I laughed softly at his words.

Then my eyebrows clutched as I realized something in his sentence. "Wait, how do you know about my birthday? Did you deliberately find out about me?" Dean laughed, as if I was saying something funny.

After a while, slowly his laughter stopped and he looked at me while shaking his head. "You are a fool, brother-in-law. What the hell am I doing that for? Sean told me. The night before he left, he came to my apartment because you were sulking and didn't want to see him."

"My brother's crazy about you, Franda. I can see it. I'm sure he'll run away in a pinch once you ask him to come home. Just wait."

I smiled, raised my head and wiped the tears with the back of my hand. "Yes, he is." I muttered later.

I glanced at Ameer at a glance, he was standing next to the car, waiting for me. "Can you explain everything to me? About Dave and. Sean didn't say anything to me about the purpose of his departure." I said after my gaze returned to Dean.

He was silent for a moment, weighing my request before he finally spoke. "I don't know if he likes this or not, but I think you deserve to know" he said, then looked around us. "Can we go back inside?" he continued when his gaze was fixed on me.

I immediately nodded, then turned around to grab my bag from inside the car. Before following Dean who had gone first, I spoke to Ameer. "Go back in two hours." He nodded, and I stepped back into the building.

***

"So, Sean went to Malaysia to see Dave?" I asked Dean after he told Sean his purpose to Malaysia, and he nodded.

I'm speechless. Thinking of all the things Dean had just explained. I didn't think Sean would face such a problem. It starts with a fake contract Dave makes, and ends up getting involved with gangsters and interpol. All this time I thought the problem was only about the cooperation contract, which somehow, he had to pay compensation for the contract.

One thing that makes me feel bad is, without me realizing I did something without thinking it through. I mean, I was in too much of a hurry to accuse him of lying and deceiving me when in fact Sean was trying to fix things without involving me. I can't imagine how she felt when I slapped her that day. Oh my God, he must be disappointed in me.

Now, I don't know what to do. I wanted to call her to apologize, but I couldn't because her phone hasn't been active since she left. And it makes me anxious. I'm afraid something happened to her.

"Franda, are you okay?" dean's voice pulled my mind back.

I looked at him and nodded weakly. And I know, I'm not okay. "Yes." I said quietly as I leaned back against the back of the chair. "Why did Dave do that to her, Dean? Why is he that hard?" I asked, really don't understand why Dave has to drag Sean into his sister's problems.

Dean shook his head, when his eyes collided with mine, I knew he was confused as well. The highlight clearly shows ignorance. "I'm sure Dave didn't mean to involve Sean in this, and I can understand why. It's just that he acted too boldly by making trouble about the contract. Just imagine, because of his actions we are all threatened to become homeless."

"Did Julie know about this?"

Dean squinted at me. "You know Julie?"

I'm nodding. "Sean told me about Julie when we were in Queensland" I explained. "Some things about his relationship with Jason, if you know him."

"Ah, yes, Jason. I know him, I think they've split up." he sounded like a question, made me want to reply.

"Indeed, and now Jason was approaching my brother." I laughed softly as I shook my head. "That's funny, isn't it?"

Dean laughed. "Yes, it's worth a laugh. I can't imagine Julie coming back to meet Jason one day. Which side will you support? Mia or Julie?"

"Oh, come on! That's none of my business. After all, they're not little kids fighting over toys."

"Definitely. But, who knows?"

"No one, actually."

We laughed too. Our talks continued until the next two hours, discussing a lighter theme. Dean told me all about their family, allowing me to take my mind off Sean for a moment.