Simple Happiness

Chapter Thirty

"Nice to meet you, Harry," Ethan said, outstretching his arm towards him.

Harry pursed his lips then got into his car and drove off.

Ethan looked at Liz. "Ah, Babe, why did he act that way towards me?

"I don't know," Liz said and walked towards Ethan's car. Ethan followed her closely. He dashed forward and opened the car door for her.

"Why are you acting strangely today," Ethan asked when they were in the car.

"It's nothing, Babe. I'm not acting strangely."

"Babe." He held her chin and made her look him in the eye. "Tell me the truth. Is something going on between you and that guy?"

Liz's brow wrinkled. She glared at him. "Babe!" she said then paused and relaxed her face muscles then continued. "Okay, I will tell you the truth."

"What truth? Are you two have an affair?"

"Babe, how could you think that I'm cheating on you? Of course, not. Harry is the man my parents want me to marry but I have already made it clear to my parents and Harry that you're the one I love."

"What, why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Babe, I only found out the other day."

"And you had to wait until I squeezed it out of you before you told me?"

"Babe, don't be angry with me," she said. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry."

Silence loomed in the air until they got to Tamara's apartment building.

"Ba- babe...," Liz said.

"We're already here," Ethan said. "Get off."

Her jaw dropped. "What?"

"Get off the car."

"Babe, don't be like that," Liz said. "Let's talk."

Ethan sighed then touched her face with his hand. "Babe, don't read too much into it," he said. "I need some time to think. Please give me some space. I will talk to you later."

Liz licked her lips then pursed them as her brow wrinkled. She then opened the door and got out.

She made a few steps away then came back and knocked at the window. Ethan rolled it down and stared at her.

"Babe, please don't switch your phone off," she said. "Please let me be able to call you anytime. You can refuse to talk to me, but please don't shut me out completely."

"Anything else?"

Liz shook her head. "Nothing else," she said.

He then started the car and drove off.

"I brought this upon myself," she said to herself. "I have to find a way out of it."

When she got to the house, she found Harry chatting with her parents.

"Come here child," her mother said the moment she walked in.

"Child, we're discussing your marriage with Harry," her father said. "Now that we're done with Aidan's university admission, I think it is right to start talking about your marriage."

"My marriage with someone I don't love? Father, why don't you give Ethan a chance. You haven't even met him. Why do you want to force me into a loveless marriage?"

"Child, it's not entirely a loveless marriage," her mother said. "Harry loves you very much. Your father and I are confident that he will take good care of you. You might not be in love with him now, but I'm sure that you'll fall in love with him with time."

"Why do I have to be the one to compromise and marry someone I don't love?" Liz asked. "If you think that it's easy to leave the one you love and live with someone you don't love, why don't you tell him to leave me alone and marry someone who loves him back? Tell him to learn to love somebody else. Why should I sacrifice myself and be sad while making him happy? Who's he to you? Your son?"

"If he were our son, we wouldn't be talking about marriage," her mother said. "We just want you to be happy."

"Are you serious, mom?" Liz asked. "How will I be happy with someone I don't love? If I was forced to marry a rich man for the sake of my family then I would do it. Firstly, because I will have the luxuries to soothe my pain. Secondly, I will be happy because you'll be gaining something out of my sacrifice. I respect you, dad and mom, but there will be nothing to gain if I sacrifice my love and marry him. I would rather suffer by the side of the one I love than suffer by the side of the one I don't."

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