Exchanging Bride

Mike's Love That Doesn't Exit (4)

Mike pressed Aldi's number and waited. After several times the tone rang, the phone finally picked up on the other side.

"Hello?" aldi's voice was heard from the other end.

"Hello, Al," said Mike in a voice trying to stay calm.

Mike took a deep breath before continuing, "About the situation earlier in the office... I want to talk about it. Do you have time now?"

Aldi sighed for a moment, "Of course, Mike. I've got time. What do you want to talk about?"

Mike knew he had to continue despite the reluctance. "I want to talk about Verlita, about our relationship first."

It's time for Mike to tell others about his relationship with Verlita. Aldi was the one who didn't want Mike to tell you about this, but now Mike has to tell Aldi.

On the side of the phone, there was a moment of silence. Mike could imagine Aldi contemplating the words he heard.

"I hear you, Mike. Continue," said Aldi finally in a cold tone.

Mike continued, "Verlita and I have a long history. We've both been interested in each other since before she knew you, Al. We used to be lovers."

"What almost happened in the office... It was not just an impulsive moment. I feel back the strong past bond between us first."

Aldi was silent on the other end of the phone, giving Mike the opportunity to continue what he had to say.

"We were in a relationship secretly with no one to know. And it all ended in an accident that caused Verlita to lose her memory." Mike was silent and could not continue. The bad moment seemed to come back to haunt him.

But Aldi still remained silent on the other end of the line, and Mike knew he had to move on even though this story was difficult for him. "The accident, Al, it was my fault" Mike said in a regretful voice. "When Verlita lost her memory, I decided not to reveal anything about our relationship just yet. I'm afraid it's gonna make things even more complicated, especially after she forgets me and seems to fall in love with you."

Aldi finally gave his response, his voice still sounding cold. "Mike, what you're saying is really surprising to me. I don't know what to say."

Both are silent. After a long moment, Mike finally said, "I can only apologize for keeping this a secret for so long, Al."

Mike ended their phone call unilaterally. Mike felt a numbness in his heart. Mike is suddenly at a loss for words to confront Aldi. And as always, running away from reality is Mike's forte.

Mike threw himself on the couch with his eyes closed. Trying to calm his heavy heart. He knew that by revealing all this to Aldi, he had opened Pandora's hidden box. The consequences may be complicated, but Mike feels that now is the right time to deal with them.

Moments later, Mike hears a slow knock on his office door. He opened his eyes and saw Aldi suddenly appear in his office. Aldi's face looked serious.

"Aldi," said Mike in shock when he saw Aldi suddenly appear on his office doorstep. "Why are you suddenly here so quickly?"

Aldi walked in with steady steps and closed the door behind him. "We have to talk about this further, Mike," he said in a stern tone.

Mike was tense, but he knew that he could no longer avoid this conversation. "Sure, Al, sit down." He pointed to the chair in front of his desk.

Mike gulped, feeling that there was currently no way out but to tell him everything. He begins to tell stories, outlining his relationship with Verlita from the beginning to the present. She tells how they became secret lovers, how it all ended in an accident that made Verlita lose her memory, and why she chose to keep it all a secret when she saw the love in Verlita's eyes for Aldi. Mike becomes an invisible human being to Verlita. In Verlita's eyes back then there was only admiration for Aldi. Verlita's eyes sparkled happily every time she saw Aldi.

Aldi listened carefully to all of Mike's stories. His expression changed with the development of the story that Mike told. Sometimes he seemed surprised, sometimes filled with mixed feelings between sad and angry. He listened intently, even when some of the details that came out of Mike's story felt very hard to digest.

When Mike finally finished telling him everything, Aldi sat in silence. He pondered for a moment, digesting all the information he had just heard. Aldi's eyes felt stressful, and he felt that this truth shook the foundation of what he thought about his relationship with Verlita.

"I was quite surprised to see your closeness with Verlita in this room earlier," Aldi said. "But it's not worth my surprise to hear your story about your past with Verlita you told me on the phone earlier. I just kept quiet listening to you confess your past while walking quickly here. I want to make sure for myself the truth of your story. I'd like to see for myself your expression tell me the great secret you've covered with this meeting."

Mike realizes that he has let Aldi down by keeping his past with Verlita a secret, even after Aldi and Verlita break up once, Mike still doesn't tell about the old relationship.

"I can only tell that you have such deep feelings for my ex-boyfriend, Mike. But I didn't expect that she was your ex-boyfriend either. Now that I want you to answer honestly, have you guys come a long way to that stage?"

Mike is surprised by Aldi's question leading up to it.

"I asked for a reason, Mike. Please answer me honestly." Aldi looked serious demanding an answer from Mike.

"I.. Our.. " Mike wants to give the answer that Aldi wants, but he is still hard to answer honestly.

"Have you or haven't, Mike?" Aldi waited for Mike's reply with bated breath.

Mike eventually bit his lip, feeling that he had to give a truthful answer. "Already, Al." Mike was embarrassed.

"Thank you for being honest and answering, Mike. Now I know why Verlita demanded physical closeness between us first. Something I used to be hard to give."

Aldi stood in front of Mike and approached Mike's office window. Aldi stared at the afternoon sky that could be seen from behind the curtain of Mike's office window.

"Me and Verlita never even kissed, Mike. Do you believe it? Not because Verlita didn't want to. But I don't want to do it."

"I've always thought that love is not only about the physical, but also about deep emotional connections. But maybe I was wrong."

Mike listened to Aldi's words despite the disbelief that had appeared. Mike did not expect Aldi not to do that despite having dated Verlita long enough. Verlita is very interesting and charming. Mike himself has done that a few times. Mike couldn't help himself when there was a chance to do it again and again. Verlita's like an opium to Mike.

"That's why Verlita thought I didn't love her, then she betrayed me and left me to win the Blue Corp Singapore project." Aldi seemed to say to himself, but Mike heard it quite clearly.

Mike's feelings get mixed up with Verlita after hearing Aldi's confession. Mike's office was filled with silence. Aldi was still staring out the window, eyes focused on the sky that was beginning to dim due to the sunset. He seemed to be considering a few things so deeply.

🌸🌸🌸🌸

_Dinda^^