Days After You's

Chapter 22 - Don't Misunderstand

Stella's cousin's wedding wasn't due to start until later in the afternoon, so Stella and I had plenty of free time until then.

"Luiz what do you want to eat?" Ask Stella. Now he and I are queuing between the queues to grab food at the hotel restaurant that uses this buffet or buffet system. I was wondering where these people were coming from, but I remembered that all the rooms in this hotel were filled last night, plus some people who might be from outside, this is not too surprising.

"Let's see what's there first."

Without me knowing, Stella was intending to get my food, so she asked. He was immediately waiting for me to speak after taking the rice and I could feel the gazes of the people around us right then and there.

I cleared my throat and told Stella to come forward so I could get my own plate, "I took it myself, Stella."

"Eh, no Luiz, I as a wife have to serve the husband first. What do you want to side dishes?"

I closed my eyes. His gaze towards us grew as a result of his words.

"Stella, let me take it myself. And you're hampering the queue from here."

The sentence managed to make Stella aware and step forward. He immediately flirted himself and—thank goodness for me—ludap forgot about the conversation earlier.

"Oh my God, I'm not conscious" murmured Stella.

I let out a sigh of relief. I was almost seen as a husband who was treated like a child by the people around us. I have to talk to Stella to stop this 'must serve husband as a good wife' attitude while I'm outside, when eating at home maybe I'll let her get me some food, but not in public. That's shameful.

A soft clap from someone next to me then made me turn my head. It was an elderly woman who laughed to the point of showing her two toothless teeth in front. He must have overheard my conversation with Stella earlier.

"Ohaha, you have a good wife, son. Another honeymoon, huh? Or a wedding anniversary vacation?"

I immediately shook my head, "No, we're just going to attend a relative's wedding."

The woman's smile did not fade in the slightest even though she nodded in understanding. She patted me on the shoulder while whispering, "Good with your wife then. Don't be shy. Modeling is so hard to find, don't be sorry."

"...Okay." Okay."

I didn't want to prolong this conversation so I immediately agreed with the woman's words. Perhaps his words about a woman like Stella will be very rarely met there is a point especially if considering my usual environment to hang out, but our marriage is not based on feelings.

As harmonious as I and Stella can be, in less than two years' time when this marriage contract has reached its deadline, she and I know it means separation. I won't regret anything, because of everything we've been through up to this moment, I've always treated him well. I even believe I can remain friends with Stella without any of the heavy-hearted feelings that often happen to other couples who are divorced. I can still ask her how she is or invite her to meet occasionally as a caring friend and vice versa. So there are no regrets to worry about.

I was looking at Stella picking up a piece of a fuyunghai egg when suddenly someone called my name. The voice of a woman who was loud and completely opposite from Stella who was soft-spoken. Following the call was also an arm that was embracing my neck, but I was lucky to still be able to maintain balance and not drop anything from my plate.

"Luiz! Long time no see!"

Without even turning around, from the way I greeted him I could guess who it was. Who else if not Caryna, one of the children of my mother's friend who has been warned more than once that I do not like the way that too much involves body contact when greeting. He's always done this to anyone so he thinks it's normal.

I frowned and let go of the embrace that made me uncomfortable, "Caryna."

Caryna who now dyed her hair blue revealed a big smile, "Who would have thought to meet here. The world must be so small."

"What are you doing here?" I asked, because to be honest the possibility to meet someone like him in this simple hotel is so small.

Caryna is a busy woman. He has a big fashion business that is famous in various parts of the world so he is more often abroad to take care of his boutique branches. And though she greeted me with such familiarity, me and her were never close apart from occasionally passing by or being forced by mom to meet.

"Oh I'm waiting for one of my managers. I hadn't stopped by my boutique in town for a long time so I asked him to accompany me there. He said to go have breakfast here, I don't know what's so special about this place that he insisted on sending me here, but that's it. You yourself what are you doing here?"

"I want to attend the wedding of one of the relatives later in the afternoon. This is my wife—" I turned and fell silent as soon as I realized Stella was no longer next to me.

I raised my hand towards Caryna and circulated the gaze throughout the room filled with various heads. Where did Stella go? Why did he just leave without saying anything first?

"Where is she, her name is Stella, right?"

I nodded, as I began to walk, "So he was still next to me."

Caryna folded her arms and laughed as she followed me, "Well, how friendly you are, his wife left her husband alone."

I snorted, "Not funny, Caryna."

"Sorry, sorry" said Caryna, still half chuckling. He patted me on the shoulder after that, "Because you're not focused anymore, I'd like to say goodbye. Greetings to your mother and Stella. Bye, Luiz."

I didn't have time to answer or even just see Caryna leave because I managed to find Stella at one of the round tables at the end of the room. He did not eat, but just sat like he was waiting for someone. Sure enough, he immediately waved as soon as he saw me.

I could feel my eyebrows bending as I approached him.

"Why did you just leave me?" I said as I put the plate to the table.

Stella tilted her head, "Oh I thought you'd be talking to that woman for a long time, Luiz, you guys are so familiar so I thought it'd be best if I didn't bother you and went looking for a table for us."

Stella said that with an innocent expression but I can't stop forgetting that the actions of her who immediately left without saying anything were so contrary to her nature, she said, usually he will definitely wait to be introduced or just say hello to anyone who comes to interact with me.

"You're not bothering anyone. Next time wait until I introduce you first. You don't want people to misunderstand our relationship, do you?"

"Oh.ok. I didn't mean to be disrespectful, Luiz..."

I nodded, "I know."

Then, grabbing the spoon, I raised my voice again, "That was Caryna. He was the son of a mother friend who used to want to be betrothed to me but because my father and grandfather did not like him, the match was not continued. I'm not as familiar with him as you think."

Stella blinked, "But if your father and grandfather agree, you will definitely marry her and not me yq, Luiz."

I'm looking.

"...Maybe?"

"You also look very compatible standing next to each other" murmured Stella.

I snorted softly, "Where's the acceleration. I can't be with a woman who's too dominant and free-living like her. I don't know what you were thinking when you introduced her to me. Even Caryna said I was 'too good' to her."

"Oh but many say opposites attract. Maybe he can take you out of your comfort zone and you can cool him with your nature, Luiz."

The wrinkle on my forehead came back, "So you said I'd better be with her?"

Stelle was silent and I sighed. My slight annoyance took over I blew it back. My voice is back.

"I don't like Caryna, okay? Not before, now or later. Whether he almost married me or not doesn't matter anymore. I'm married to you now and she's also married to her boyfriend overseas. So stop thinking about me with him."

Stella looked down and nodded slowly. I felt a little bad for making him quite shocked and nervous like that but this is better, I don't want that until there's a misunderstanding between me and him, I don't want to, so I should have straightened this out to Stella before she started having no-no fantasies about my relationship with Caryna.

I looked up at the clear sky from behind the restaurant's glass window before turning to Stella again, I had to make up for my rather harsh attitude earlier, "...Want to go for a walk after this?"